Born in Inverness, Karen Gillan decided at a young age that she wanted to become an actress. Aged sixteen she moved to Edinburgh to study at Telford College before being accepted into London’s Italia Conti School, Britain’s oldest theatre arts school. However, she left school after being offered a part in an episode of the TV series Rebus. Once this was complete Gillan was left without an acting job or a place at school so ended up working in a pub before being spotted by a modelling agency. In 2009 she landed the role which launched her career, as Amy Pond in the BBC series Doctor Who.