Karen Gillan shares a clip from a homemade horror movie she crafted at age 13. The Scottish actress' career has risen quickly since she played Amy Pond, a companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the popular Doctor Who British sci-fi series. Gillan went on to star in the Jumanji reboot as Ruby Roundhouse, a video game character who the brainy high schooler Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner) incarnates as when four high school students are magically sucked into the game.
Gillan's latest big released project is Gunpowder Milkshake, a Netflix action-thriller about female assassins. Gillan plays the lead, a hitwoman named Sam who eventually reunites with her estranged mother Scarlet (Lena Headey). The film has been met with critical acclaim for its performances, as well as for Navot Papushado's directing. Outside of her acting, Gillan is known for clowning around on social media: in July, the actress promoted the film with a self-made fake talk show. The product is a truly absurd three minutes of chaos that one might see on Adult Swim.
Now, Gillan has shared some of her earlier work on Instagram to inspire those looking to embark on a career in entertainment. Specifically, the actress posted a clip from a horror movie she wrote, directed, and starred in at home when she was thirteen. The post commemorates Gillan's birthday, showing quite a significant career progression since she got her big break in her childhood home. Gillan warns viewers to "try not to get too scared" of the terrifying footage. Check it out below:
Although Gillan is the first to point out her cringeworthy teenaged acting skills in the video, the original screenplay isn't all that bad. Set to a menacing theme, Gillan's character speaks with a dramatic flair. The twist that Gillan cast herself as the surprise villain is also well-done, and she establishes an impressive backstory for her character, which serves as her deep-rooted personal motivation for the crime. Judd Apatow commented on the post joking he already optioned the story to be made into a feature, but he might actually want to follow through on that idea before someone else does.
It's no secret Gillan is a talented actress, but it turns out her feature directorial debut, 2018's The Party's Just Beginning, isn't the first time she's tried her hand at helming a film. It's fun to see proof of how interested Gillan was in the movie-making industry at a young age. Her homemade horror film no doubt played a role in honing her talent for acting, writing, and directing.
Source: Karen Gillan/Instagram