Portrait of Karen Gillan

Birthday profile

Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan, Scottish actress

Born
November 28, 1987
Age in 2026
39
Zodiac sign
Sagittarius
Birth year
1987

About Karen Gillan

Karen Sheila Gillan (; born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress and filmmaker. She gained recognition for her work in British film and television, particularly for portraying Amy Pond, a primary companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2010–2013). Her early film roles include the thriller Outcast (2010) and the romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending (2013). She worked on the British stage, appearing in John Osborne's play Inadmissible Evidence (2011). Gillan made her Hollywood debut in 2013, starring in the horror film Oculus, then played the lead in the ABC rom-com sitcom Selfie (2014). She achieved stardom for portraying Nebula in several films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2014–2023), which are among the highest-grossing films of all time, and Ruby Roundhouse in the fantasy films Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and Jumanji: Open World (2026). She also wrote and directed the drama film The Party's Just Beginning (2018), which she also starred in. In the 2020s, Gillan has starred in the action thriller film Gunpowder Milkshake (2021), the thriller film Dual (2022), the coming-of-age film Late Bloomers (2023), the fantasy drama film The Life of Chuck (2024), and returned to British television with the series Douglas Is Cancelled (2024).

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

Karen Gillan timeline

  1. Gillan made her Hollywood debut in 2013, starring in the horror film Oculus, then played the lead in the ABC rom-com sitcom Selfie (2014).
  2. In the 2020s, Gillan has starred in the action thriller film Gunpowder Milkshake (2021), the thriller film Dual (2022), the coming-of-age film Late Bloomers.

The world when Karen Gillan was born

Karen Gillan was born in 1987. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1987

  • #1 song"Walk Like an Egyptian" – The Bangles
  • Top movieThe Last Emperor
  • Top TV showThe Cosby Show
  • Best-selling bookThe Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMike Tyson becomes undisputed heavyweight champion at age 20
  • Top headlineStock market crashes on Black Monday
  • Technology milestoneGIF format created
  • Defining fadSlap bracelets
  • Notable inventionGIF image format
  • World population5.03 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRonald Reagan
  • Sports championMinnesota Twins (World Series)
  • Also wonLos Angeles Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population242.3M

1987 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Karen Gillan's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19872026
Gas$0.95$3.45/gal
Average home$85,600$435,000
Average income$30,970$67,500
Minimum wage$3.35$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$3.91$11.95
Postage stamp$0.22$0.73
Population242.3M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.