115-478: Amelia "Amy" Pond (also known as Amy Williams ) is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who . Amy is a companion of the series protagonist the Doctor , in his eleventh incarnation , played by Matt Smith . She appears in the programme from the fifth series (2010) to midway through the seventh series (2012). Gillan returned for
230-471: A double role , and earned acclaim for her performance. Critic consensus from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes described the movie as "well-led", and John DeFore for The Hollywood Reporter said that "Karen Gillan, who has spent much of her post- Doctor Who decade playing cyborgs, computer avatars and a thinly imagined assassin, has a barely more human role to play here; to the extent that she makes either Sarah worth rooting for, it's an achievement." At
345-399: A 1930s pulp fiction novel, where she says she is happy with Rory and that they worry about the Doctor travelling alone. " P.S. ", a mini-episode supplement based on the original script for this episode, shows that Rory and Amy adopted a son, in 1946, and named him Anthony Brian Williams. Gillan reprises the role in " The Time of the Doctor " (2013), in which Matt Smith departs the series. During
460-446: A brash, sometimes irritating turn. It's testament to Gillan's abilities and brilliant chemistry with Smith that she remained thoroughly watchable throughout but, bereft of back story (albeit intentionally), it was hard to really get involved with the character". Paul Kerton of Zap2it , however, wrote in a review of "The Eleventh Hour" that Amy's "brilliantly executed introduction to the show stood out. Amy's character after just one episode
575-635: A brief cameo in Smith's final episode " The Time of the Doctor ". The Doctor first meets Amy when she is about seven years old (portrayed by Caitlin Blackwood ) and disturbed by a crack in her wall. He promises to return to the lonely girl in five minutes and take her with him in the TARDIS , but accidentally arrives twelve years later, by which time adult Amy has become sceptical about her "imaginary friend". However, she eventually decides to travel with him, and
690-452: A close friendship with famed painter Vincent van Gogh ( Tony Curran ). In the fifth series finale, " The Pandorica Opens "/" The Big Bang ", Rory reappears in 102 AD as a Roman centurion . He triggers Amy's memories, but as she remembers, it is revealed that the centurion Rory is actually an Auton —a duplicate of living plastic—created from Amy's memories to help capture the Doctor. Rory's consciousness tries to fight his programming, but he
805-622: A female human to accompany the Gallifreyan Time Lord. She is far more three-dimensional and developed than the pre-existing judgements made her out to be". He also praised Gillan's acting abilities and the way her relationship with Rory helped "render [her] character into something quite special". The Daily Telegraph 's Michael Hogan considered Amy "the joint best assistant of the rebooted Who era – far superior to Catherine Tate and Freema Agyeman , equally as excellent as Billie Piper ". He also praised her relationship with
920-416: A little bit more tomboyish as she becomes more of an action girl". Amy never wears heels, as Gillan desired that the footwear be functional for saving the world. As the Doctor accidentally did not return for her until twelve years later, Amy grew up a different person than she would have. She had become "cynical" and "distrustful" as the Doctor did not return as he had promised and she was forced to believe he
1035-508: A more settled person, and shows more emotion, especially with the birth of her daughter. Gillan had substantial input into Amy's costume, as well as her hair and make-up. In the first episode, costume designer Ray Holman stated that Amy's identity was not clear and that she wore her own clothes later on. Gillan thought that Amy had inner confidence to wear clothes that showed "a bit of skin from time to time". Gillan said she tried on many things, but when it came to short skirts she "just thought it
1150-625: A person, having had a normal upbringing in one reality. She's married, and she has a kid." Karen Gillan Gillan stated that "having read the first episode I was utterly smitten [with the show], and with the character. Amy's a sassy lady, funny and passionate, and her relationship with the Doctor has a really interesting dynamic". Gillan believed that the Doctor still saw Amy as the same seven-year-old girl he first met, and described their relationship as brother and sister, with Amy sometimes acting as an "annoying little sister". She also did not want Amy, like previous companions, to stand around "in awe of
1265-490: A prison for a being that kills by feeding on faith. At the conclusion of that episode, not wanting to risk their lives further, he parts ways with her and Rory after giving them a house and car. Amy appears briefly in " Closing Time ", where she is shown to have become a fashion model, noted for a perfume campaign with the slogan "For The Girl Who Is Tired of Waiting". The sixth series finale " The Wedding of River Song " depicts an alternate universe created by River refusing to kill
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#17327720863021380-689: A public pledge to support the mental health charity. In September 2020, the Inverness Courier reported that a student from Inverness was selected in a competition inspired by The Party's Just Beginning to go to New York Fashion Week , held by Mikeysline and Fashion Week Online, in a contest meant to create awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day . In 2024, Karen Gillan was among British film and TV creatives who donated to an auction to crowdfund for humanitarian relief in Gaza . In May 2022, Gillan married Nick Kocher , an American comedian of
1495-416: A review before the finale , Martin called her "a revelation", although she sometimes "felt a little one note...But I'd put all of that down to guest writers responding to a character brief that probably said little more than 'feisty redhead'". IGN 's Matt Wales shared similar sentiments, writing, "Despite Gillan's effortless charisma, Pond was frequently painted in largely two-dimensional strokes that made for
1610-517: A role for which she had to drop out of school. Gillan undertook a two-year stint as a member of the ensemble cast of the sketch comedy series The Kevin Bishop Show , in which she played multiple characters including celebrities such as Katy Perry and Angelina Jolie . Karen Gillan also appeared on TV in a leading role in a horror project entitled The Well , which was broadcast as a series of episodic short films on BBC Two and later as
1725-622: A shop-window I can’t help but think of the Autons, so it’s a powerful image." Den of Geek writer Andrew Blair listed the scene in which stuntman Terry Walsh , playing an Auton, falls down a sixty foot cliff and gets back up again, as the greatest stunt in the series, highlighting the accidental nature of the stunt and how it made "the Autons seem uncanny... creatures who felt no pain." The image of store mannequins coming to life in Spearhead from Space , in full colour and shooting people down in
1840-617: A short film titled Neurotica . In 2020, Gillan appeared in the adventure drama The Call of the Wild , based on the Jack London novel. The following year, she starred in the action film Gunpowder Milkshake alongside Lena Headey , Angela Bassett , Carla Gugino , Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti . For the role, she was nominated for Best Actress in an Action Movie at the 2nd Critics' Choice Super Awards . In 2021, Disney Branded Television announced that Gillan would star on
1955-528: A socialite named Eliza Dooley, a modern-day take on Eliza Doolittle , who is obsessed with social media. This was Gillan's first time in the lead role of an American television series. The series was cancelled by ABC on 7 November 2014 after seven episodes; the remaining six episodes were made available on Hulu starting 25 November 2014. Selfie still has a dedicated following of fans years after its broadcast especially in China. In May 2013, Karen Gillan
2070-497: A typical damsel in distress" (especially her family, who is strangely never seen again after being restored). Gillan repeatedly defended Moffat's writing for her character in a rebuke against claims of misogyny in Moffat's writing. The character has gone on to be referenced in popular culture. In American drama Supernatural ' s seventh season episode "The Girl Next Door" (2011), a character played by Jewel Staite operates under
2185-528: A vial of the Doctor's "anti-plastic" solution into the vat of molten plastic which housed the main bulk of the Consciousness, causing it to explode. The episode established that the Nestenes animate the Autons by means of telepathic projection, and also featured an Auton facsimile that could change the shape of its features and limbs. The Autons later appeared in a flashback sequence taking place during
2300-653: A web series on BBC.co.uk. Part of the BBC's multimedia "switch" programming, the short episodes interconnect with online games that further explore the environments presented in the series. In 2008, she starred in the Channel 4 television film Stacked . Gillan went on to portray Amy Pond , companion to the Eleventh Doctor (portrayed by Matt Smith ), on the British sci-fi series Doctor Who . Before being cast in
2415-444: Is already one with depth". Tor.com 's Teresa Jusino was also more positive towards Amy in the fifth series, writing that she was equally "competent, intelligent, and [quick-thinking]" as she was flawed and made mistakes, which made her relatable and "a successful female character". Chris Haydon of Den of Geek argued that Amy was "much more than the supposed eye candy many journalists unfairly referred to her as, or indeed much more than
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#17327720863022530-476: Is compelled to shoot and kill her. Amy's body is kept alive in the Pandorica, a special prison intended to trap the Doctor. The Auton Rory protects it for 2000 years. The Doctor realises that Amy is connected to the cracks in the universe which originated from a temporal explosion on her wedding day. He tells her that her parents had been erased by the crack in her wall and urges her to remember them. After he uses
2645-437: Is interrupted by an alert from the TARDIS . He promises Amelia that he will return in five minutes, but is inadvertently late by twelve years. In the intervening period, Amelia's family and friends believe the Doctor is just her imaginary friend; her insistence that he is real leads to her being treated by psychiatrists . When the Doctor returns, Amy is nineteen years old and working as a kissogram . She helps him save Earth from
2760-481: Is mentioned in The Sarah Jane Adventures serial Death of the Doctor that the Doctor dropped Amy and Rory off on a "honeymoon planet", and the couple continues their honeymoon aboard an interstellar cruise ship which the Doctor saves from crashing into a populated planet. The sixth series (2011) begins with Amy and Rory living a normal domestic life. They receive an anonymous invitation to
2875-406: Is pressured to resolve her conflicted feelings for the Doctor and Rory and realises the depth of her love for Rory. At the end of " Cold Blood ", Rory is killed by a Silurian , then is erased from history by the cracks in the universe. Because he is part of Amy's own time-line, she ceases to remember him. The Doctor takes Amy to 19th century France to lessen his guilt about Rory's loss and she forms
2990-625: Is unclear. In the first series of the televised Dead Ringers , in a sketch with Jon Culshaw visiting the London Eye (calling it an Interstitial Time Delay Helix ) in the persona of the Fourth Doctor , he humorously accused two tourists: "You are Autons from the planet Tosos!" In 2006, a sketch on The Charlotte Church Show showed the Doctor examining the inner thigh of a scantily clad female mannequin; when confronted by Church (playing his companion), he claimed that he thought it
3105-399: Is when Amy truly realises her feelings for Rory. As a primary part of the series' story arc, Rory officially dies and is erased from history and Amy's memory. Though Rory later returns, he is an Auton duplicate who kills her, which reflected Moffat's belief that all good love stories end in tragedy. The end of "The Big Bang", in which Amy stands up at her wedding and declares the Doctor is real,
3220-545: The 3rd Critics' Choice Super Awards , she was nominated for Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie. In 2023 she appeared in Late Bloomers , for which Damon Wise of Deadline Hollywood praised her "engaging and refreshingly vanity-free performance". Also in 2023, she began filming Sleeping Dogs in Australia with Russell Crowe which earned a 2024 release and received mixed reviews. Better received
3335-653: The Doctor Who spin-off novels (which linked the Consciousness with the Great Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos , in particular as an offspring of Shub-Niggurath ). In the Sixth Doctor novel Business Unusual by Gary Russell , the Nestenes utilized computer games and plastic toys in another bid for world conquest. They later reappeared in the novel Synthespians™ by Craig Hinton . In 2008,
3450-640: The Donmar Warehouse on 16 October 2011. After making an appearance in Outcast , it was announced that Karen Gillan would star in an indie Scottish romantic comedy called Not Another Happy Ending alongside Emun Elliott in August 2011. She was selected by director John McKay because he came to know her during the production of We'll Take Manhattan , which he also directed, as "a very bubbly, vibrant, energetic, funny, slightly clumsy person" who
3565-524: The Earth (in Spearhead from Space ), using more human-looking Autons to replace key government figures, although these plans were thwarted by UNIT with the help of the Doctor, who also destroyed their invasion form, a multi-tentacled cephalopod . The Nestenes subsequently returned in the first serial of Pertwee's second year as the Doctor, Terror of the Autons , which also featured the introduction of
Amy Pond - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-657: The Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller again encountered Autons in the audio Brave New Town . These Autons were part of an old Soviet program to infiltrate Britain during the Cold War before the collapse of the Soviet Union left the Autons stuck in a loop in the fake British town created for the spies, eventually developing independence. A Tenth Doctor novel, Autonomy , was released in September 2009 featuring
3795-534: 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) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). She also wrote and directed the drama film The Party's Just Beginning (2018), which she also starred in. She has starred in the comedy film Gunpowder Milkshake (2021),
3910-530: The Master . In this attempt, the Nestenes also made use of more mundane, everyday plastic objects, animating plastic toys, inflatable chairs and artificial flowers in addition to their Auton servants. The Doctor convinced the Master that the Nestenes were too dangerous to be reliable allies, and they reversed the radio beam the invasion force was coming in on, sending it back into space. This would be The Nestenes and
4025-778: The Quick Reads Initiative novella Magic of the Angels . Amy, Rory, and the Doctor appear in IDW Publishing 's comic book series Assimilation , published from May to December 2012, which is a crossover between Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation . They team up with the crew of the USS Enterprise -D to stop an alliance between the Borg and the Cybermen . Amy and Rory appear briefly in
4140-960: The Scottish Highlands , filming began in January 2017 and wrapped in the following month. The title of the film was later changed to The Party's Just Beginning . The film was nominated for Best Feature Film at the British Academy Scotland Awards . In 2017, Gillan reprised her role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , this time becoming a member of the film's eponymous team, and co-starred in The Circle , alongside Emma Watson , Tom Hanks , and John Boyega . The latter film, released in April,
4255-518: The Utah desert where they reunite with the Doctor ;—now aged nearly two hundred years since they have last met —and fellow invitee River Song. Amy witnesses the Doctor's death at the hand of an astronaut in an Apollo space suit , but they discover the Doctor also invited a younger version of himself, with whom they travel to 1969 Washington, D.C. to investigate strange occurrences involving
4370-779: The 2015 Edinburgh Film Festival , and was nominated for several awards. Later in the year she wrote, directed, and starred in another short film called Conventional . She won in the Best Female Newcomer category at the 20th Empire Awards for Guardians of the Galaxy and Oculus . In the same year, she was cast in an HBO pilot titled, The Devil You Know . On 2 November 2016, it was announced that Gillan would write, direct and star in her directorial feature film debut with Burbank-based development and production company Mt. Hollywood Films' indie drama project titled Tupperware Party . Set in her home city of Inverness in
4485-602: The Autons final appearance in Doctor Who's original run. They would not return again until the episode Rose in 2005. Early drafts of " The Five Doctors " (1983) featured a scene where Sarah Jane Smith encountered some Autons and is rescued by the Third Doctor , but it was dropped before filming for reasons of time and expense. A third appearance was planned for the aborted 1986 season during Colin Baker 's tenure as
4600-709: The Autons. In the Doctor Who Annual 2006 , an article written by Russell T Davies mentions the loss of the Nestene Consciousness's planets during the Time War, and states that it "found itself mutating under temporal stress". This may be a reference to the difference between the portrayal of the Consciousness in Spearhead from Space and "Rose". In the late 1990s, BBV released a trilogy of made-for-video films, titled Auton , Auton 2: Sentinel and Auton 3 . These stories featured UNIT battling
4715-420: The Consciousness. In the first film, a Nestene energy unit and several Autons captured by UNIT in Spearhead from Space are accidentally reactivated. In the sequels, the escaped Autons attempt to awaken several dormant Nestenes put in place since before the development of human civilization. Though BBV was licensed to use the Nestenes, Autons and UNIT by the writers who created them, the canonicity of these films
Amy Pond - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-462: The Daleks " (2012) shows Amy, still working as a fashion model, signing papers for her and Rory's divorce. In the episode, the Doctor engineers a reconciliation between the two during the mission, allowing them to discuss their feelings for each other. It is revealed Amy left Rory because she has been infertile since "A Good Man Goes to War", and knew he wanted children. The couple continue traveling with
4945-468: The Doctor all the time" or "mope around" while he was not there; Amy would "do her own thing, whether it's fighting monsters in strange new worlds or just getting on with her life in her own village". During her first series, Gillan wanted Amy to act "like a child in an adult body" because she had not properly grown up. She appears more guarded because "she doesn't like to show her emotions because she wants to be strong". However, she begins her second series as
5060-492: The Doctor and Rory on a planet's quarantine facility and lives on her own for 36 years before they return. The Doctor wants to go back in time to rescue the younger Amy, but the older Amy insists that they take both of her. However, the Doctor knows the TARDIS will not accept the paradox and is forced to leave the older Amy behind. In " The God Complex ", the Doctor breaks Amy's faith in him after he discovers that they are trapped in
5175-612: The Doctor in Utah, as previously shown. Amy leads a secret organisation which fights the Silence. She reunites the Doctor with River and later kills Madame Kovarian for kidnapping Melody and depriving her of raising her baby. After history is restored, River visits Amy and reveals that the Doctor has faked his death. At the end of the 2011 Christmas special , the Doctor returns to Amy and Rory two years later (in their time) and has Christmas dinner with them. The series seven opener " Asylum of
5290-413: The Doctor on small adventures in " Dinosaurs on a Spaceship " and " A Town Called Mercy ", but leave at the end of each to return to their normal lives. In " The Power of Three ", Amy says that the Doctor has been in her and Rory's life for ten years, and she now works as a journalist. The couple realise they have to choose between their normal lives and their life with the Doctor. They are inclined to choose
5405-449: The Doctor, Spearhead from Space (1970), and were the first monsters to be presented in colour on the series. They returned for the following season's Terror of the Autons (1971), which also introduced the character of the Master , but they did not appear again in the original series. Holmes intended to feature the Autons for season 23 of Doctor Who in 1986 in a story entitled Yellow Fever and How to Cure It , which featured
5520-466: The Doctor, Amy, and Rory. In Michael Moorcock 's lengthier The Coming of the Terraphiles , which takes place during a time in the fifth series Rory is absent, Amy is proposed to by one of the characters, to whom she declines. In April 2011, another set of New Series Adventures were released to correspond with Amy and Rory's travels in the sixth series, containing Dead of Winter , The Way Through
5635-516: The Doctor, but never materialized. Titled Yellow Fever and How to Cure It , it was supposed to be set in Singapore , with appearances by the Rani and the Master. The story, which was to be scripted by the veteran writer Robert Holmes , only exists in outline form. When the series was revived in 2005, producer and writer Russell T Davies chose the Autons as the first monster to be featured, though
5750-579: The Doctor, saying that they were "totally believable as best friends". Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times praised Amy for being "cheerfully free...of the emotional baggage that mired her predecessors" and also reacted positively to her attempted seduction of the Doctor. SFX named Amy and Rory the second-best science fiction and fantasy romance. In 2012, leading up to her departure, Martin wrote that Gillan's acting had improved, becoming less of "a rootless collection of personality traits and enunciated sentence peaks" and someone more rounded. He also noted that Amy
5865-545: The Eleventh Doctor just before he regenerates, bringing actors Gillan and Matt Smith together for a brief moment at the conclusion of Smith's last regular appearance as the Doctor. With the premiere of " The Eleventh Hour ", two viewers anonymously quoted in The Telegraph complained that Amy's character was too "sexy" for a family programme like Doctor Who . Executive producer Piers Wenger stated that Amy
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#17327720863025980-554: The Eleventh Doctor's regeneration , he hallucinates images of young Amelia Pond on board his TARDIS, before a vision of adult Amy approaches and says a final goodbye. In the 60th anniversary special story " The Giggle ", the Toymaker depicts Amy as a marionette alongside Clara Oswald and Bill Potts , taunting the Fourteenth Doctor by reminding him of companions who died while travelling with him. In addition to
6095-530: The Master and the Rani , but it was abandoned due to the programme being put on an 18-month hiatus. Autons are essentially life-sized plastic dummies, automatons animated by the Nestene Consciousness , an extraterrestrial , disembodied gestalt intelligence which first arrived on Earth in hollow plastic meteorites . Their name comes from Auto Plastics , the company that was infiltrated by
6210-489: The Nestenes and subsequently manufactured their Auton shells in Spearhead From Space . Autons conceal deadly weapons within their hands, which can kill or vaporise their targets. The typical Auton does not look particularly realistic, resembling a mannequin, being robotic in its movements and mute. However, more sophisticated Autons can be created, which look and act human except for a slight plastic sheen to
6325-523: The Pandorica to reboot the universe, the Doctor travels back through his timeline and is able to plant memories in Amy of the TARDIS. Amy awakes on her wedding day in a timeline where her parents are again part of reality and marries a restored Rory. Her memories are stirred by the TARDIS-shaped diary River Song ( Alex Kingston ) leaves for her. Once Amy remembers the Doctor, he is restored to reality. It
6440-416: The Silence , an alien race who cannot be remembered after they are encountered. While there, Amy informs the Doctor she is pregnant before attempting to shoot a little girl in an Apollo space suit, believing it will stop her from killing the future Doctor. In the girl's orphanage room, Amy finds strange pictures of herself holding a newborn baby. When the Doctor questions Amy about the pregnancy, she insists she
6555-568: The Woods , and Hunter's Moon . A subsequent series of three books were published in June. In September, another longer novel was published, The Silent Stars Go By , which sees the trio face the Ice Warriors . In addition, Amy appears singularly alongside the Doctor in four 2010 "Decide Your Destiny" books, as well as alongside Rory in six "2in1" adventure chapter books. The three also feature in
6670-569: The alias Amy Pond. Digital Spy felt the Doctor Who reference was "rather random", while IGN "loved" the shoutout. Gillan has won over six awards to date for playing the role of Amy Pond. In 2010 she won a Cosmopolitan 'Women of the Year' Award. In 2011 Gillan won an SFX Award, a TV Choice Award, and in 2012 she won at the National Television Awards . In an online poll, with 3,000 participants, taken in late 2010, Amy Pond
6785-451: The area permanently off-limits to the Doctor's TARDIS. In the present, the surviving Angel sends Rory back in time, and knowing the Doctor cannot recover him, Amy allows the Angel to touch her too so she can be with him. Gravestones in a New York cemetery reveal that Rory died at the age of 82 and Amy died at the age of 87. River arranges for Amy to leave the Doctor a message in the afterword of
6900-417: The big, emotional goodbye". Gillan had arranged her exit with Moffat and the two decided on how Amy should leave. Gillan stated that she wanted to go "on a high when the character was at her prime" and that she "[wanted] to see her go with everything that she wants". Gillan would make a brief appearance at the end of the 2013 Christmas special , " The Time of the Doctor ", with Amy Pond saying a final goodbye to
7015-418: The casting director, suggested Gillan to Moffat after her performance in the fourth series episode " The Fires of Pompeii ", in which she played a soothsayer , but Moffat originally thought Gillan was "wee and dumpy". Later, however, he stated that she was "exactly right for the role", though she portrayed the character differently from how Moffat originally wrote. Gillan was reportedly the last to audition for
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#17327720863027130-420: The duo are later joined by her fiancé Rory Williams ( Arthur Darvill ). Amy and Rory marry at the end of the fifth series. In the sixth series , Amy gives birth to their daughter, Melody Pond, who is revealed to be recurring character (since the fourth series ) River Song ( Alex Kingston ). The Doctor and River marry in " The Wedding of River Song ", making Amy the Doctor's mother-in-law. Amy and Rory departed
7245-499: The events of the episode. Writing for Looper.com, Richard Chachowski included the Autons on a list of the show's greatest antagonists. While he states they are hard to take seriously, "their blank, unemotional faces and stiff movements make them some of the creepiest looking antagonists the Doctor encounters in his adventures across time and space." Writing in a review of " Spearhead from Space " for The AV Club , Christopher Bahn states that "The Autons are of secondary importance to
7360-522: The finale of "Rose" in the Series 2 episode Love & Monsters , and again cameoed as a sketch in John Smith's " A Journal of Impossible Things " in the episode " Human Nature ." The Autons returned in the 2010 episode " The Pandorica Opens ", alongside many other monsters from throughout the show's history, to trap the Eleventh Doctor . The Autons in this episode were programmed to believe they were
7475-533: The first five episodes of the seventh series in 2012, after which her character and Rory Williams (portrayed by Arthur Darvill ) left the series. Karen Gillan reprised her role in the 2013 Christmas special " The Time of the Doctor ", to coincide with Smith's departure as the Doctor. In 2011, Gillan made her first theatre appearance playing the role of Shirley in John Osborne 's play Inadmissible Evidence along with Douglas Hodge . The play debuted at
7590-503: The former, but Rory's father Brian ( Mark Williams ) encourages the pair to continue travelling with the Doctor. Their next adventure, " The Angels Take Manhattan ", is their last. In the story, Amy and Rory are threatened by the Weeping Angels , whose touch will send them into the distant past to die alone. Having witnessed this eventuality, they attempt suicide, creating a paradox which destroys all but one Angel, but also renders
7705-523: The galactic police force, the Atraxi , and when he returns two years later she begins travelling with him as his companion. At the end of " Flesh and Stone ", Amy reveals that they had left Earth on the eve of her marriage to Rory Williams ( Arthur Darvill ) and attempts to seduce the Doctor. The Doctor finds Rory and takes him and Amy to 16th century Venice on an intended romantic date after which Rory continues travelling with them. In " Amy's Choice ", Amy
7820-571: The influences of the cracks in time, the Rory copy possessed the personality of the real Rory and was able to resist the Nestene's control, later working together with The Doctor to save the universe. The Autons were later mentioned in the series 12 episode Praxeus . According to an interview with writer Pete McTighe, the Autons were initially planned to appear before being scrapped at an early stage in development. The Nestenes have also appeared in
7935-428: The mini-series "Prisoners of Time" where they join other past companions and versions of the Doctor in battling the main villains of the series. During a battle with some Autons, 11 introduces them to Clara Oswald. Amy Pond has appeared in several Doctor Who video games. Voiced by Gillan, she appears in all five episodes of Doctor Who: The Adventure Games which were marketed as extra episodes. The virtual character
8050-550: The name Auton is never used onscreen. The Nestenes infiltrated Earth once more, using warp shunt technology , in the opening episode of the 2005 series . In " Rose ", it was revealed that the Nestenes lost their food supply during the Time War when their protein planets rotted. Their intent was to overthrow and destroy the human race, as Earth was ideal for their consumption needs, being filled with smoke, oil and various pollutants . They were eventually destroyed when Rose spilled
8165-479: The name for the character. Moffat chose the name " Pond " to create a link between Amy and River Song, who would be revealed to be Amy's daughter. Moffat's predecessor, Russell T Davies , stated in an interview with Dose magazine that "We've held off on companions for a long time, so you'll get rewarded with a great, big, strong character in Amy Pond, when she arrives. I think that plan's been good." Andy Pryor,
8280-499: The older sister to Farmiga's character. She also appeared in TV on the Radio 's " Happy Idiot " music video, released on 3 October 2014. In 2015, Gillan had a bit part in the drama film The Big Short directed by Adam McKay , alongside Brad Pitt , Christian Bale , Ryan Gosling , Steve Carell and Melissa Leo . She wrote and directed her first short film, Coward , which screened at
8395-443: The part of supermodel Jean Shrimpton , which told the story of Shrimpton's relationship with the photographer David Bailey . In November 2013, Gillan appeared on Broadway in a play called Time to Act , one of the plays included in "The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway" to benefit the non-profit Urban Arts Partnership. She was also cast in the third season of A Touch of Cloth , which was co-created by Charlie Brooker . Gillan joined
8510-472: The player. They also appear in the Doctor Who adventure world as encounterable enemies. The Autons appear in one of the Doctor Who and Mr. Men mash-up books, published under the Doctor Men series of books. During 2020, as part of a fan "Watch-along" of the episode "Rose," writer Russell T Davies wrote a sequel to the episode "Rose" entitled "Revenge of the Nestene." It depicts a surviving Auton after
8625-454: The real Amy is in the captivity of the eye-patched woman and about to give birth. In " A Good Man Goes to War ", her baby —named Melody Pond —is kidnapped by the eye-patched woman, Madame Kovarian , who will train her to one day kill the Doctor. River Song then arrives and tells Amy that she is an adult Melody. A flashback in " Let's Kill Hitler " introduces Amy and Rory's childhood friend Mels ( Nina Toussaint-White ). As teenagers, it
8740-517: The regular cast of Adult Swim 's NTSF:SD:SUV:: for the show's third season in 2013. She moved to the United States in 2013 and landed her first leading Hollywood role in the supernatural horror movie Oculus . It was filmed in Alabama and premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival to critical success. Brian Tallerico writing for RogerEbert.com believed the film
8855-673: The role in May 2009, she had previously appeared on Doctor Who in Series 4 episode " The Fires of Pompeii " in the role of a soothsayer. She made her first on-screen appearance as Amy in " The Eleventh Hour " with her cousin Caitlin Blackwood portraying a younger version of the same character. In 2010, she won in the Entertainment category at the Young Scot Awards . She appeared in the sixth series in 2011 and
8970-484: The role in both her natural Scottish accent and an English one, and it was not until after she was cast that it was decided Amy would be Scottish. Gillan commented that she felt the Scottish accent better suited the character. A younger version of Amy, known as "Amelia", appears in several episodes. Amelia was played by Gillan's real-life 10-year-old cousin Caitlin Blackwood . Though the two actresses had not met until
9085-749: The role of Queen Mary Tudor in the upcoming film Fools . In 2011, Gillan helped promote Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) and the opening of Squirrel Ward at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. In 2018, Gillan visited the Mikeysline crisis support centre in Inverness after presenting her film The Party's Just Beginning . The film is about the high suicide rate in the Scottish Highlands, and Gillan made
9200-509: The role, and stood out as she was "a bit kookier" than the others. Moffat said of the casting, "We saw some amazing actresses for this part. But when Karen came through the door, the game was up — she was funny, clever, gorgeous and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too." Doctor Who executive producer and drama chief at BBC Wales Piers Wenger concurred, "We knew Karen
9315-438: The series in " The Angels Take Manhattan ", the fifth episode of the seventh series , when they are transported back in time by a Weeping Angel . Amelia Pond is introduced in the first episode of the fifth series (2010), " The Eleventh Hour ", as a seven-year-old girl living with only her aunt when the Doctor ( Matt Smith ) crashes into her front yard one night. She asks him to investigate an unusual crack in her wall, but he
9430-486: The series", and that "Given the number of young children who watch, it may not have been the most appropriate of scenes to screen". Critics noted that Amy did not develop much throughout the 2010 series. Dan Martin of The Guardian , in a mid-series review, wrote, "I wonder whether I really know Amy Pond. Beneath the sass and the sauce and the wit and (there's no getting away from this) the skirts, I've yet to completely empathise with her, or work out what makes her tick". In
9545-442: The set of the show, Gillan recommended Blackwood for the role; Blackwood, however, still had to undergo rigorous auditions first. Blackwood and Gillan did get to act together in " The Big Bang ", which Gillan initially found "weird", though the two actresses became used to it quickly. "That's been what I absolutely most love about playing this character, is that she's not just a character. We know what she's like, and that's her run on
9660-488: The seventh series, Amy and Rory had become "a crack team"; so used to being the Doctor's companions that instead of marvelling at him they "treat him like a big kid they have to look after". In December 2011, it was announced that the seventh series would be Amy and Rory's last. Previously in November, Gillan had stated that once Amy had left, she did not want to make returning cameos, as she believed it would "take away from
9775-403: The show. We're seeing her whole life pan out. That's what I love about her so much. I hope she's changing. She was quite snarky in the [fifth series]...Because she was always still such a child inside, as one of the monsters said to her at one point. And then we see the universe rebooted, so she's got two different versions of reality, so she's still a little messed-up, but she's far more settled as
9890-652: The sketch duo BriTANicK , in a ceremony at Castle Toward in Dunoon , Scotland. In September 2024, at the Toronto International Film Festival , she revealed she is expecting her first child. Auton The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and adversaries of the Doctor . They were originally created by scriptwriter Robert Holmes for Jon Pertwee 's first serial as
10005-530: The skin and a flat-sounding voice. In Series 5 of the relaunched Doctor Who series , they are shown as being able to create fully lifelike human replicas, able to fool other humans. The Nestenes are among the oldest beings in the Doctor Who universe , described as creatures which existed in the "Dark Times", along with the Racnoss , Great Vampires and Carrionites . Eventually, they sought to invade
10120-407: The soldiers of a Roman legion, among them Rory Williams , using the memories of Amy Pond . They were very realistic and far more sophisticated than the average Auton, and their hands contained futuristic laser guns rather than projectile weapons. As in the 2005 appearance, the name "Auton" was not used in dialogue; the phrase "Nestene duplicate" was introduced here to describe the copy of Rory. Due to
10235-498: The story," but also highlights that they "...provide some effectively chilling moments," highlighting Hugh Burden as the Auton duplicate of the character Channing, as well as the scene in which the Autons break out of the shop windows. Writing for Doctor Who TV, Raphael Kiyani praised the Autons role in "Rose" as something "children could be scared about every time they walk down the streets," and further highlights that "Every time I see
10350-459: The street, is one of the series' iconic moments and is often cited as an example of the series' ability to make everyday things terrifying. The use of even more ordinary objects in Terror of the Autons — including the unmasking of a police officer as an Auton — caused public controversy about whether the programme was too frightening for children. The story also featured in a discussion in
10465-548: The television series, Amy has appeared in several BBC-licensed Doctor Who novels, audio dramas, and comics. The first set of corresponding New Series Adventures novels— Apollo 23 , Night of the Humans and The Forgotten Army —were published in April 2010 and feature solely the Eleventh Doctor and Amy. The next set—comprising Nuclear Time , The King's Dragon and The Glamour Chase —were released in July 2010 and feature
10580-520: The thriller Outcast (2010) and romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending (2013). She also worked on the stage while in Britain, appearing in John Osborne 's play Inadmissible Evidence (2011). Gillan made her transition to Hollywood starring in the horror film Oculus (2013), and played the lead in the ABC sitcom Selfie (2014). She achieved stardom for portraying Nebula in several films of
10695-531: The thriller film Dual (2022), the coming-of-age film Late Bloomers (2023), and returned to British television with the series Douglas Is Cancelled (2024). Karen Sheila Gillan was born in Inverness on 28 November 1987, the daughter of Marie and Raymond John Gillan. Her father is from Sunderland in North East England . Although she comes from a Catholic background, she says that she
10810-735: The two films began in January 2017 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia and ended in January 2018. In 2019, aside from her leading role in Avengers: Endgame , she co-starred in the films Stuber and Spies in Disguise , and starred in All Creatures Here Below . Also in 2019, she reprised her role as Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji: The Next Level and appeared in
10925-514: The upcoming Disney Television Animation and 20th Television Animation series Rhona Who Lives by the River as the titular character, Gillan would act as executive producer for the series alongside series creator Emily Kapnek and series composer Danny Elfman . In 2022, she starred in the sci-fi thriller Dual alongside Aaron Paul , which is filmed entirely in Tampere , Finland. She played
11040-500: Was Mels who pointed out that Rory had been in love with Amy for some time, which led to the two dating. In the present, Mels hijacks the TARDIS and directs it to 1939 where she is shot by Hitler ( Albert Welling ) and regenerates into River Song, revealing that Amy had grown up alongside her daughter, who was trained by the Silence to kill the Doctor. Amy is later persuaded by the Doctor to let her adult daughter make her own way in life. In " The Girl Who Waited ", Amy becomes separated from
11155-578: Was a perfect fit for the character. Filming took place in July 2012, though Elliott was replaced by Stanley Weber . Karen Gillan told journalists that she was happy to be involved in a Scottish production that "isn't about drug use or fighting the English". The film premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June 2013. In 2012, Gillan appeared in the television film We'll Take Manhattan playing
11270-587: Was an Auton. They appeared in issue 15 of Doctor Who – Battles in Time as the main theme of the issue. The Autons also appear in Lego Dimensions . They appear in the Doctor Who Level “The Dalek Extermination of Earth” when the player time travels to Central London in 2015 using the TARDIS . Whenever the player destroys a purple rock, the Autons come to life from the shop windows and attack
11385-569: Was cast as Nebula in the Marvel superhero science fiction film Guardians of the Galaxy , which was released in August 2014. Gillan had her head shaved bald for the role, which Marvel turned into the wig that Gillan wore during the production of Selfie . In May 2014, Karen Gillan was cast in the Western film In a Valley of Violence directed by Ti West , opposite John Travolta , Ethan Hawke and Taissa Farmiga . Karen Gillan portrayed Ellen,
11500-400: Was consistent with the cynical character he had built up. It was also a reflection of how the two had just escaped from death and shared a hard time together, and Amy's tendency to do things "in the heat of the moment". In " Amy's Choice ", meant to challenge the Doctor and Amy's relationship, Rory dies in an alternate universe that was a result of psychic pollen that had entered the TARDIS. This
11615-448: Was created using rotoscoping of Gillan's movements. She also is featured, voiced by Gillan, in the 2010 video games Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth and Doctor Who: Return to Earth , made for the DS and Nintendo Wii respectively. Amy also appears in the smartphone app game Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time . Doctor Who executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat came up with
11730-734: Was directed and written by James Ponsoldt , and was based on the novel by Dave Eggers . Also in that year, Karen Gillan played the lead female role, Ruby Roundhouse , in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , the third instalment of the Jumanji franchise , starring alongside Dwayne Johnson , Kevin Hart , Jack Black and Nick Jonas . She reprised her role as Nebula in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), which were filmed back-to-back. Filming for
11845-464: Was effective "thanks largely to a game performance from Gillan. She renders Kaylie as a driven woman on the edge of sanity herself." She earned a Fright Meter Award nomination for Best Actress. In February 2014, Gillan was cast as the lead in Selfie , an American single-camera sitcom for ABC produced by Warner Bros. Television which was greenlit for the 2014–2015 US television season. Gillan played
11960-458: Was intended to be "feisty and outspoken and a bit of a number. Amy is probably the wildest companion that the Doctor has travelled with, but she isn’t promiscuous." On a similar note, Gavin Fuller, writing for The Daily Telegraph ' s website, criticised Amy's "attempted seduction of the Doctor" in the episode " Flesh and Stone ", claiming that it "did seem out of keeping with the usual tone of
12075-426: Was interesting, and it evolved, and Rory really became a hero in the process". She was pleased that the audience was able to see Amy's life "pan out", starting when she was a child and through her marriage and daughter. Gillan stated that the aftermath of "A Good Man Goes to War" would "change her in a big way for the long run and I think we are going to get to see Amy in a really different light". According to Moffat, by
12190-473: Was just an imaginary friend, and had resorted to being "tough". Moffat theorised that Amy would have taken her anger out on Rory and would have been "mean" about things such as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy . The second episode, " The Beast Below ", was to introduce Amy into the role of the Doctor's companion and how much he needed one. Though Amy soon tries to seduce the Doctor, Moffat believed that it
12305-422: Was listed as the fifth most popular companion. Karen Gillan Karen Sheila Gillan ( / ˈ ɡ ɪ l ə n / ; born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress and filmmaker. She gained recognition for her work in British film and television, particularly for playing Amy Pond , a primary companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2010–2013). Her early film roles include
12420-835: Was not baptised and does not practise a religion. When she turned 16, Gillan moved to Edinburgh and completed an HNC Acting and Performance course at Telford College . She moved to London at age 18 to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts . While there, she was scouted by a modelling agency. Prior to her acting career, she worked as a model, premiering at London Fashion Week in 2007. Karen Gillan has said she would not give up her acting career to return to modelling, stating that while she enjoyed modelling, acting had always been her main interest and goal. Gillan's early television acting career included guest appearances on several television shows, with her first role being in an episode of ITV crime drama Rebus ,
12535-496: Was perfect for the role the moment we saw her. She brought an energy and excitement to the part that was just fantastic." Gillan was aware of the show but was not as big a fan of it as her mother was, due to it not being on when she was growing up. However, she watched some with her mother after it returned in 2005, and was also a fan of other science fiction such as The X-Files , The Outer Limits , Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager . Gillan auditioned for
12650-454: Was right" and showed that Amy was "comfortable and confident about her look". She believed that the skirts reflected what young women typically wear at her age. Executive producer Piers Wenger also noted that Amy's 1970s flying jacket , which she wears "quite a lot", reflected Gillan was a "born adventurer" and Amy developed a love for travel and adventure. In the sixth series, Amy wears more jeans and longer trousers; Gillan stated, "she's getting
12765-633: Was still "a bit of a cartoon character" in " The Wedding of River Song ", believing that her killing Madame Kovarian was "no substitute" for dealing with what Kovarian had done to her child. Sarah Barrett from The Mary Sue had mixed feelings about Amy's storyline regarding the birth of River, particularly due to its dark nature. Screen Rant ' s Kayleigh Banks criticised problematic elements of Amy and Rory's characterizations, particularly how "her character seem as if she couldn't function without (the Doctor)", her "careers were randomly wedged" and "reduced to
12880-726: Was the ITVX comedy drama series Douglas Is Cancelled , which was released in June 2024 and marked Gillan's return to British television. She was critically praised for her acting. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian said her "magnificent performance keeps all the possibilities in play." Nick Hilton of The Independent believed "Gillan is totally convincing as a woman whose beauty distracts from her brains." Gillan appeared in The Life of Chuck , reuniting with filmmaker Mike Flanagan, with whom she last collaborated on Oculus , which premiered in September 2024 at TIFF . She will also be playing
12995-495: Was the Doctor's success at restoring Amy to the spirit of the girl he first met. Moffat had always intended for Amy and Rory to get married "from the off". Gillan stated, "What I love about that relationship is that we really saw it develop to get to the stage where they were happy together. Because we started off at a point where Amy didn't want to be committed to him, and he absolutely did, and that just gave us somewhere to go with it, rather than just them being happy together. So it
13110-424: Was unique because so much had happened to her and she became entwined in the Doctor's life, which allowed the audience to see her "develop and change". The Guardian ' s Krystina Nellis argued that Amy functioned more as a plot prop than a strong female character, citing the importance of giving birth to River Song. Charlie Jane Anders of io9 , while positive towards her relationship with Rory, opined that Amy
13225-420: Was wrong and further investigation by the Doctor is inconclusive. Throughout their adventures, Amy is plagued by strange visions of a woman wearing an eye-patch ( Frances Barber ) appearing sporadically only to her. In " The Almost People " it is revealed that the Amy presented (on screen) insisting she is not pregnant, is actually a Ganger – a duplicate animated by the real Amy's consciousness – while
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