Karen Gillan: Douglas Is Cancelled character is a career favourite

Karen Gillan says her 'Douglas Is Cancelled' character is a career "favourite" part.

The 36-year-old actress plays ambitious broadcaster Madeline Crow in the new ITV drama – which tells the story of how respected news anchor Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville) has his career put in jeopardy by a sexist joke at a wedding – and loved the challenge of getting to delve into a role that contrasts so drastically to her as a person.

Speaking to assembled media including BANG Showbiz at a screening of the programme, Karen said: "This is my favourite character I've ever played. It's truly been the hardest thing I've ever done because she's quite removed from who I am as a person so it required a fair amount of acting.

"I don't think I could ever wrap someone round my finger in the way she is capable of doing."

Karen first became aware of the show when creator Steven Moffat came up with the concept in the form of a play and admits that she even wanted it to come to the big screen at one stage.

The former 'Doctor Who' star recalled: "I've been involved in this from the early stages, I read the play and went on a really long campaign to get Steven to turn into a film at one point. It was before 'The Morning Show' and 'Bombshell' and all that.

"I was on my movie campaign then he came back to me later on and was like, 'Actually we're going to do this as a four-part TV series for ITV, do you want to play Madeline?' And I was like, 'Yes, that's amazing.'"

Karen explained that she can understand why viewers may dislike her "manipulative" character at first but will later understand the reasoning behind her behaviour.

She said: "What I love about the character is at the beginning you think, 'I don't know how to read her, I've fallen in love with Douglas a little bit and he's kind of bumbling and charming and she's a bit manipulative and exerts a lot of power and control over him.'

"But just wait for episodes three and four because I think you're gonna have a completely different view on the character as you realise what she's been through. You realise that she's all of these things out of necessity to survive this workplace."

'Douglas Is Cancelled' will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Thursday 27th June 2024.