Loves of My Life: Karen Gillan

The best interviews are often the most personal. In Loves of My Life, we get to know the person behind their craft, asking them the important questions we're desperate to know—the restaurants and date-night spots, what's in their Saved folder on Instagram, the piece of jewellery they're most attached to and what's lurking at the bottom of their handbag. In short, these are the true loves of their life.

Next up, we chat with Scottish actress and filmmaker Karen Gillan, who stars in 'The Life of Chuck', a 2025 American fantasy drama film written and directed by Mike Flanagan, which is based on the 2020 novella by Stephen King. Karen is well accustomed to fantasy and sci-fi, with lead roles in BBC's TV show 'Doctor Who', Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' series, and the 'Jumanji' sequels firmly under her belt. We discuss all the things that make her tick and bring joy to her busy life in the world of film.

What’s your #1 restaurant to visit in the whole world?

_{The Mustard Seed in Inverness, Scotland. what would you order? Any beef dish.}

Is there anything in your home that you’re particularly sentimental about?

_{A wedding book that all my closest girlfriends made for me filled with our memories.}

What would we always find lurking in the bottom of your handbag?

_{One single earring that’s lost its partner and earplugs.}

Who is the person/who are the people who fill up your cup?

_{My daughter, husband, and dog.}

What is your ideal holiday? Something by the beach, pool, city-break or intrepid?

_{I love a city. I like the hustle and bustle, however, lately I’ve been appreciating how good being near water is for the soul.}

Do you have an item of jewellery that holds a lot of meaning?

_{My grandmother gave me a cross necklace to remember her by. I somehow lost it and was devastated so my husband had it recreated.}

What are the top 5 necessities for your trailer on set?

_{Water in a glass bottle, nuts, a set of weights, a couch to nap on, and something that smells nice.}

In your spare time, what do you love to do?

_{I love to sing at my daughter. Poor girl.}

Best cinema in London / your hometown?

_{I saw 2001 on film in the Prince Charles cinema in London. Interval and everything—so cool. In my hometown, there was a cinema called La Scala, which no longer exists. It was my first cinema experience, and it was all red velvet and old-fashioned.}

Do you have a secret date-night spot?

_{Mini golf.}

Which item of clothing would you never ever part with? And why?

_{A yellow suit jacket dress thing. It just works for me and I can’t go wrong in it. I love blazers and mini skirts and it is both of those things.}

What’s your most-played on Spotify? An artist, playlist, or album?

_{Right now, it’s The Kinks.}

Favourite city or country for inspiration?

_{New York City. The greatest city on earth. So much stimulation when you step outside. Closely followed by Edinburgh in Scotland. I love all the gothic architecture.}

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?

_{A Louis Vuitton dress I wore to an awards ceremony and they let me keep it. It’s sparkly, structured, and so fun.}

What’s the beauty product you can’t live without?

_{Eyeliner. I love pulling my eyes outward. I find it very flattering.}

What’s your go-to comfort food?

_{Burgers. And two orders of fries.}

What are your 3 favourite movies of all time?

_{'The Shining', 'American Beauty', 'Trainspotting'.}

You want to go out dancing, where do you go?

_{Beauty Bar in New York City.}

Share a piece of advice that someone you love gave you that always stuck.

_{My husband always calls me out when I am self-harassing and it’s truly a wonderful thing to realise what it is as it’s happening.}

What’s your favourite scent?

_{Dolce And Gabanna, The One.}

Do you collect anything? If so, what?

_{I’m the opposite of a collector. I constantly throw things away. I don’t have much stuff at all to be honest.}

What’s your latest obsession?

_{The Valley on Bravo.}

Coffee, tea, wine, cocktail—what’s your ultimate poison?

_{COFFEE. It’s my favourite thing to consume. I love it. I didn’t have it during my whole pregnancy, and it was the hardest thing to give up.}

You can pick 3 fashion brands to wear for the rest of your life, what are they and why?

_{Monse (the coolest), Dolce And Gabbana (I feel good about myself in their clothes) and Rag and Bone (can’t go wrong and more affordable than the others).}

Who is your professional hero?

_{Stanley Kubrick.}

Who is your personal hero?

_{My dad.}

Who is/who are the love/s of your life?

_{My daughter, Clementine, and my dog, Turtle. Honorary mention for my husband.}

What is the love of your life?

_Filmmaking.

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