Karen Gillan opens up about the pull of Scotland, her family life in Los Angeles and the experience of becoming the muse for Hedonism 2026
Karen Gillan still carries the Highlands with her, even when she’s halfway around the world. The Inverness-born actor — familiar from Guardians of the Galaxy and the Jumanji films — now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, comedian Nick Kocher, and their baby daughter.
Yet whenever she can, she slips back north, drawn less by postcard scenery than by the small, steady things that make Scotland feel like home.
A plate that smells of home
Her return rituals are deliciously ordinary. The first order: black pudding and scrambled egg — a private little ceremony that signals she’s back.
She wanders the same Inverness streets, buys a coffee, and drops into Eden Court Theatre, the place where she first fell for acting. Those quiet, ritualed moments matter to her as much as reunions with family and friends.
People, humour and weather
Gillan says her attachment is about people and tone as much as place.
It’s the dark humour, the blunt warmth and a resilience you feel in conversation — and, paradoxically, in the damp of an overcast day that somehow pulls communities closer. For her, Scottishness is a texture: quick wit braided with friendliness, a cultural atmosphere you recognise as soon as you’re back.
Motherhood and a different tempo
Becoming a mother reshaped how she picks projects. Gillan stepped away from acting for about a year to focus on screenwriting and family life; she’s since returned when commitments — like the latest Jumanji — required her. The change hasn’t been a single solution so much as a search for sustainable rhythms: fewer, more deliberate choices that let her preserve family routines.
When work and home collide
She’s been fortunate to bring her daughter to set when schedules allow. Those visits have softened the usual on-set intensity: colleagues entertain the child, trade jokes, and generally make room for the little one. Gillan name-checks co-stars — Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black — who helped keep the atmosphere light. Practical adjustments from producers, from scheduling tweaks to on-location provisions, have also made it easier to balance caregiving with big shoots. She sees this as part of a broader shift in production culture toward greater accessibility for parents.
A Highlander reboot and “worlds colliding”
Professionally, she’s not abandoning studio work. She’s set to return in Jumanji and has signed on to star in a Highlander reboot, to be filmed in the Highlands. That project feels especially personal: the chance to work where she grew up and to introduce her daughter to ancestral landscapes. Gillan describes the prospect as “worlds colliding” — a rare moment when career ambitions and personal history align. Production dates and further details haven’t been released.
The whisky label — and a wider heritage tie
Her connection to Scotland extends beyond film. Gillan is the face of Compass Box’s limited-edition Hedonism The Muse 2026, with artwork by Emma Hack. She calls appearing on a whisky label “wild” but fitting: distillery visits near Inverness and early tastings left a lasting impression, so this collaboration felt like a natural bridge between memory and creative expression.
Compass Box says the 2026 Hedonism leans richer and darker than past editions, using exceptionally aged grain whiskies and a new sherry-cask component for added depth. The run will be limited, and the label updates the brand’s visual tradition with a contemporary female figure at its centre. Beyond that, the company hasn’t shared promotional plans or distribution details.
Anchors between shoots
Through films, whisky and quiet breakfasts, Gillan keeps those Highland threads alive. Whether she’s ordering black pudding and eggs, wandering to Eden Court, or laughing with old friends, these rituals knit her life together — and shape how she moves between public work and private life. They’re the small, steady things that tether a globe-trotting career to a particular patch of earth.
