Wonder Woman of the Week: Karen Gillan

This week's Wonder Woman is another actress who has become a heroine for young women and girls because of her performance as heroines in television and film. Karen Gillan began acting at a young age before graduating high school at sixteen years old and leaving her home town of Inverness, Scotland for theatre school in London. While completing her college theatre studies, Gillan became a model- including taking part in the 2007 London Fashion Week. Acting however was Gillan's primary passion, and- after graduating- Gillan set her eyes on a career in acting.

Karen Gillan performed several small roles in television before landing a major role in Doctor Who as an ongoing supporting character on the show. Although Gillan's performance helped build a loyal fan base, the actress was not able to independently launch her career solely from the show. Gillan acted in small roles into two more British television series before landing the starring role in an American television show that ABC canceled halfway through the first season.

Karen Gillan retreated back to Britain for roles in two small films before staring in the 2014 horror film Oculus and the 2013 superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy. In her superhero film role as the character Nebula, Gillan secured her position in the Marvel Cinematic Universe first as a minor villain, then later as a major member of the superhero team- the Avengers. Gillan's involvement with Marvel helped the actress gain additional fame and opened avenues into other film franchises such as the Jumanji film series.

Karen Gillan recently started writing and directing films herself, and her performances in television and film help diversify roles for women. Gillan's performances as Amy Pond in Doctor Who, and Nebula in Marvel movies has helped create strong, complex characters for young women and girls to look up to. Gillan now lives in the United States and has several films in production.