This Is What Karen Gillan Can't Physically Do After Playing Nebula
Karen Gillan's been busy since her days on the set of "Doctor Who," where she portrayed fan-favorite Amy Pond, one of the titular Doctor's most prominent companions. More prominent still has been her time in the massively successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she's played the cybernetic, blue, bald daughter of Thanos (Josh Brolin), Nebula. Gillan's first appearance as the Mad Titan's second heir was in the 2014 surprise hit "Guardians Of The Galaxy."
She once again earned the title of fan favorite, which Gillan has attributed to the audience's ability to connect with Nebula's underlying humanity (via The Los Angeles Times). She has appeared not only in the second volume of James Gunn's sci-fi comedy but also in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." With at least two more confirmed cinematic outings in "Thor: Love And Thunder," and "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3," it looks as if Gillan is here to stay.
But portraying an alien superhero/villain (she tends to fluctuate) is difficult, especially if said alien is built with practical effects and makeup instead of CGI. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gillan admitted to the process causing some unexpected side effects. Here's what she can no longer do, thanks to being Nebula.
Karen Gillan can't stand contacts anymore
The transformation from actress to mercenary required hours of patiently sitting still for Karen Gillan, who would find herself trapped for upwards of five hours at a time while the makeup team applied her prosthetic features that literally covered the entirety of her head. For her first appearance as Nebula she even shaved her head to prove her dedication to the role, so it's not as if she wasn't eager to dive in. But what she wasn't prepared for were the contacts.
In her recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter for the sci-fi action film "Dual," she was asked how she felt about wearing color-changing contacts after undergoing the massive transformations that playing Nebula required. Gillan replied, "It's funny you say that. I had to wear such huge contacts in the first 'Guardians' that I cannot wear contacts anymore. I'm completely fazed by them. ... The sclera lenses, I think they're called. So I don't think I can do contacts anymore after that experience."
She then admitted that any color alteration in "Dual" was thanks to CGI, which, considering sclera contacts cover your entire eye and the ones Gillan wore for Nebula were 22-millimeter black, we can't blame her (via Business Insider). Hollywood is littered with stories about contact trauma, notable among which is how Jim Carrey nearly quit "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" because the costume was torturous and his yellow contacts felt like "knives in his eyes."