Who is Karen Gillan?

With the news of Karen Gillian becoming the new who companion for series 5; I asked, who is Karen Gillan?
1) She's a 21 year old Scottish actor.
2) She was born, Karen Sheila Gillan, in 1987 and raised in Inverness, Scotland.
3) Her farther is a care worker and her mother Marie lives in Kinmylies.
4) After attending school at Charleston Academy, aged 16 she decided to pursue her acting career further, studying at Edinburgh's Telford College.
5) A year later she secured a place at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts drama school in London.
^{6) Her television carer began with a role in Rebus, which has lead to her being given roles in} The Kevin Bishop Show, Channel 4's Stacked and James Nesbitt's forthcoming film Outcast.
7) While not acting she has took on roles in modeling for London's 2007 Fashion week and for designers like Allegra Hicks.
8) Gillian was seen playing the role of the soothslayer in Doctor Who Fires of Pompeii and it was announced on 29th May that she would play the Doctor' fourth coming companion!