Karen Gillan says more still needs to be done post-MeToo
Karen Gillan says more needs to be done to stop abusers becoming people of power.
Karen Gillan has noticed "some changes" post-MeToo movement - but insists more needs to be done to stop abusers from getting into "positions of power".
The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' star, 36, believes the movie business is making a "concerted effort" to ensure actors are working in "safer" spaces but she feels there is still a way to go.
She told the London Evening Standard: “I believe in positive reinforcement, you know, and I do see some changes being made.
“I see a concerted effort to create a safer environment for people to work in. We have the introduction of intimacy coordinators. I've seen firsthand the effort the industry is making to hire more female filmmakers.
“But obviously, there's a lot that needs to be done. There's a small percentage of the population who are always going to be abusers of power. So what we need to do is really examine the systems we have in place that are still currently allowing people like that to get into positions of power.”
The MeToo movement went viral in 2017, amid the mountain of sexual abuse allegations against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, 72, who is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence and is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The 'Doctor Who' actress also spoke about her struggles with anxiety and how she has come to terms with it always being part of her while she recommended exposure therapy for anyone else who has it.
She said: "The best strategy is doing the thing that scares you, the thing your body's screaming at you not to do. It’s a version of exposure therapy, basically, where you just expose yourself to [the scary thing] enough times until your brain realises that you're not going to die.”
The Marvel star - who is currently starring in ITV's 'Douglas is Cancelled' about cancel culture - previously shared how Tom Hanks helped her through a crisis of confidence.
The movie star admitted she began to flounder in 2017 when her career was taking off around the world but praise from her co-star in sci-fi thriller 'The Circle' helped reassure her about her talents and put her back on the right path.
Karen told You magazine: "Every project I was doing was getting bigger and bigger in scale.
"I had always been totally fearless, and I suddenly found myself dealing with self-doubt."
She told how Tom took her aside on set and said: "You’re really good. Keep going."
She added: "It was the sign I was looking for. To have someone you idolise say, actually, you’re not terrible, was completely trippy. From that point, I worked on my acting and I completely rebuilt."
The Scottish star is best known for her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Nebula but admitted she'd initially only signed on for eight days work on 'Guardians of the Galaxy' but producers liked her so much, that they decided against killing of the blue-skinned alien.
She recalled: "I signed up for eight days, and then it just kept getting extended. So I was meant to die, and then just got brought back to life.
"I was still living in Inverness when I auditioned for that role, which made the whole experience less intimidating.
"I was able to go from my childhood home to the studio in London, and when I came home, my parents would be like, 'Great, well done, now bring your laundry down.'"
