You know that feeling when you're watching a massive blockbuster and one specific character just steals every single frame they’re in? That was exactly the vibe when the world first saw the "killer of men" in 2017. If you’ve spent any time wondering who played Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji, the answer is Karen Gillan. But honestly, just saying her name doesn't really cover the half of it.
She didn't just show up and kick some CGI jaguars. She had to navigate one of the weirdest acting challenges in recent memory: playing a socially awkward teenager trapped inside the body of a midriff-baring action hero.
It’s a bizarre premise. It shouldn't have worked. Yet, Gillan made it the heart of the movie.
The Scottish Star Behind the Avatar
Karen Gillan wasn't a newcomer when she joined Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Far from it. Most sci-fi geeks already knew her as Amy Pond from Doctor Who. She spent years traveling through time and space with Matt Smith. Then, she pulled a total 180 and shaved her head to play Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Think about that for a second.
Going from a blue-skinned, cybernetic assassin in Guardians of the Galaxy to a "dance-fighter" in a jungle comedy is a massive pivot. Gillan has this uncanny ability to disappear into roles. When she’s Nebula, you can’t even see her face under the prosthetics. When she’s Ruby Roundhouse, she’s all limbs and nervous energy.
She's Scottish, by the way. Inverness, specifically. You’d never know it from the accent she uses in the film. She plays Martha (the girl inside the avatar) with a perfect midwestern-style American anxiety. It’s that "I don't know what to do with my hands" energy that makes the character so relatable.
Why the Costume Caused a Massive Stir
Before the movie even hit theaters, people were losing their minds over what Ruby Roundhouse was wearing. If you remember the first promotional still, Gillan was standing next to Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and The Rock. She was wearing tiny shorts and a crop top. The guys? They were dressed like actual explorers.
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The internet went into a tailspin. People called it sexist. They called it outdated.
But here’s the thing: Karen Gillan and director Jake Kasdan were in on the joke. The whole point of Ruby Roundhouse’s outfit was to parody the ridiculous hyper-sexualized female characters in 90s video games (looking at you, Lara Croft).
"I’m wearing child-sized clothes," Gillan’s character, Martha, literally says the moment she realizes she’s in the game. It was a meta-commentary on the industry. Gillan defended the look early on, telling various outlets that the payoff was in the character's reaction to the absurdity of her own existence. She’s a shy girl forced to look like a "femme fatale," and that friction is where the comedy lives.
Mastering the Art of Dance-Fighting
We have to talk about the combat. Who played Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji had to be someone who could actually pull off the "Dance Fighting" skill. It sounds like a throwaway joke, but the stunt choreography was actually incredibly demanding.
Gillan isn't naturally a martial artist. She’s famously tall (5'11") and has joked in interviews about being a bit clumsy. To make Ruby look like a lethal weapon, she had to undergo intense training.
The "Big Mountain" fight scene in the first film is the standout. Set to the track "Baby, I Love Your Way," Ruby takes out a group of guards using a mix of capoeira and pop-and-lock movements. It was ridiculous. It was cool. It was perfectly Karen.
She worked closely with her stunt double, Jahnel Curfman, to ensure the movements looked fluid but also retained that slight awkwardness of a teenager who doesn't quite know how she's moving that fast.
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Working With the "Jungle" Cast
You can't talk about Ruby Roundhouse without mentioning the chemistry. Imagine being the only woman on a set with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black. That’s a lot of testosterone and a lot of very loud comedy.
Gillan held her own.
In Jumanji: The Next Level, the sequel released in 2019, the stakes got higher. The "body swapping" got even more complicated. While the other actors were switching which real-world person they were inhabiting, Gillan mostly stayed as Martha. She became the "anchor" of the group. She was the one who had to keep the mission on track while The Rock was pretending to be Danny DeVito.
That requires a specific kind of comedic timing. It’s the "straight man" role, but with high-flying kicks.
Beyond the Jungle: What Else Has She Done?
If you're just discovering Gillan through Jumanji, you’re missing out on a pretty wild filmography.
- Selfie: A short-lived but cult-favorite TV show where she played a social-media-obsessed woman.
- The Party's Just Beginning: She didn't just star in this; she wrote and directed it. It’s a dark, indie look at life in Scotland. It’s the polar opposite of a big-budget jungle movie.
- Gunpowder Milkshake: An ultra-stylized action flick where she plays a hitwoman. This felt like Ruby Roundhouse if she were in a John Wick movie.
She’s also been vocal about the technical side of filmmaking. She isn't just an actor for hire; she’s a creator. That intelligence shines through in how she approaches Ruby. She didn't play her as a caricature. She played her as a girl discovering her own strength.
The Future of Ruby Roundhouse
Is there a Jumanji 3 (or Jumanji 4, depending on how you count the original 1995 film) coming?
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Short answer: Yes.
The producers have confirmed it's in development. The core cast—Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan—are all expected to return. The mid-credits scene of the last movie suggested that the game elements are leaking into the real world. This means we might see Karen Gillan playing Martha in the real world meeting Ruby Roundhouse, or some other reality-bending scenario.
Whatever happens, the character has become an icon of modern adventure cinema.
What to Take Away From Karen Gillan's Performance
Honestly, the biggest takeaway is how she handled the "strength" of the character. Ruby Roundhouse isn't strong because she has high stats in a game. She's strong because Martha grows as a person.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into her work or the Jumanji lore, here are some solid next steps:
- Watch the "making of" featurettes: The stunt rehearsals for the dance-fighting scenes are actually fascinating. You can see the raw work Gillan put in.
- Check out 'Doctor Who' Series 5: If you want to see where her career truly ignited, the chemistry between her and Matt Smith is legendary.
- Follow her social media: Unlike many A-list stars, Gillan is actually funny and self-deprecating online, often posting behind-the-scenes looks at the grueling makeup process for roles like Nebula.
- Re-watch 'The Next Level' with an eye on the background: Gillan does a lot of "reaction acting" while the guys are riffing, and her facial expressions are often the funniest part of the scene.
Knowing who played Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji is just the start. Karen Gillan took a role that could have been a one-dimensional trope and turned it into a layered, hilarious, and physically impressive performance that anchored a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Keep an eye on the trades for the official Jumanji 3 release date, as production timelines have been shifting. Until then, you can find her work across the MCU and various indie projects that show off her range far beyond the jungle.
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