Doctor Who and Marvel favourite Gillan has opened up about the things she misses most now that she lives in LA.
Karen Gillan, the Inverness born star, spoke about missing Scotland and the people she says make it unique.(Image: Josh Shinner/Delightful Media for Compass Box/PA Wire )
Scottish Hollywood star Karen Gillan has said that she is “always wanting to come home” despite being a global superstar. The Doctor Who and Marvel favourite revealed that the first thing she does when she returns to Scotland is order “black pudding and scrambled egg, anywhere that serves it”.
The Inverness-born actor, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband Nick Kocher and their baby daughter, was speaking to the Press Association about how much she misses the country she still considers home. Now 38, Gillan is widely recognised for playing Nebula in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and Ruby Roundhouse in the recent Jumanji reboot.
She was catapulted to stardom in her role as companion Amy Pond in Doctor Who alongside Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor. Asked what she misses most about Scotland, she said it is difficult to “distil it down” but that the people stand out above all else.
“It’s the humour,” she said. “It’s the dark humour, the humour in the face of adversity, which is something I always think is really Scottish. It’s the gloomy weather and then everyone’s in good spirits.
“Americans are not the same. I obviously love Americans. I married one. But Scottish people are so unique. It’s really hard to articulate, but I know it when I’m there and I can see it and feel it, and I want to get back to it as much as I can.”
When she does return, she said her routine is simple. “I’m always wanting to come home”, she said, adding that she will “probably order black pudding and scrambled egg, anywhere that serves it.”
Gillan’s upcoming projects include Jumanji 3 and a Highlander reboot filmed in the Scottish Highlands(Image: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)
She continued: “And then if I’m in Inverness, I like to walk around the town. I’ll get a coffee, (and) probably go to Eden Court Theatre because that’s where I grew up doing all of my acting classes and watching shows and falling in love with acting.”
Her current slate includes the third instalment of the Jumanji series and a reboot of the 1986 fantasy classic Highlander, which is due to be filmed in the Highlands.
“I love the original Highlander,” she explained. “To combine something that I genuinely love with the place that I love more than anywhere, which is the Highlands of Scotland, it’s like a dream come true.
“I don’t know if this will ever happen again, where I get to make a giant film that I’m really excited about in the place where I grew up. It’s going to be worlds colliding.”
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Filming in Scotland will also allow her to introduce her daughter to the country for the first time. She said being at home will help her find a work life balance that has so far proved elusive.
In terms of juggling motherhood and acting, she said she initially took a year off and focused on screenwriting while caring for her baby.
“But then I started on Jumanji again, and then I was back into my life as an actress,” she said. “It’s just this ongoing thing of trying to find the balance. But I’m really really lucky in that I’m able to have my baby at work with me.”
She added that her daughter has become a favourite on set. She said: “Everyone loves having a baby on set. All the actors are trying to make her laugh, competing with each other.
“She doesn’t care about who anyone is, obviously, because she’s a baby, which is very funny. But especially my co-stars, like Dwayne (Johnson), Kevin Hart and Jack Black, they’re so sweet with her, and it’s so lovely.
“And they’re trying to entertain her and sing songs to her. It’s really nice. I’m so fortunate that she’s able to be there.”
Later this month, Gillan will appear on the 2026 Hedonism whisky label by Compass Box(Image: Josh Shinner/Delightful Media for Compass Box/PA Wire )
Later this month, Gillan will appear on the label of the 2026 edition of Hedonism, a whisky by Compass Box. The image, created by artist Emma Hack, shows her surrounded by a colourful garland of flowers and crops.
She described it as “wild” to see herself on a whisky bottle, but said it “makes so much sense”.
“Whisky is something that I feel is a huge part of my upbringing,” she explained. “I grew up in Inverness in the Highlands, going to whisky distilleries, and then when I was old enough to drink, actually trying different whiskies.”
She added: “I’m always wanting to come home, and honestly I think that is a huge part of my enjoyment of whisky now, it’s a little way to transport myself back for a period of time.”