Karen Gillan will lean into her Scottish roots this Sunday on The Simpsons, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise star revealed on Instagram.
“I can finally announce the role I was born to play,” the actress and director captioned a photo of her animated self, slow dancing with a longtime character from the long-running series.
“That’s right folks, I’m Groundskeeper Willie’s new Scottish love interest in The Simpsons. SO honoured to join this legendary show!!!! Episode airs this weekend!” she continued.
Simpsons star Dan Castellaneta has voiced Homer Simpson and other characters since 1989, including Willie aka William MacMoran MacDougal, Springfield Elementary School’s head groundskeeper and janitor.
Gillan normally hides her native accent onscreen: It has gone unheard in her role as the cyborg Nebula in the Marvel movies, and in films like Gunpowder Milkshake and the Jumanji reboot adventures opposite Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson.
Gillan’s post earned more than 180,000 likes, and an attagirl from her fellow Guardian Pom Klementieff, who played Mantis in the Marvel movies, and who was recently seen in the newest Mission: Impossible movie. “Omg f****** amazing!!!!!!” she enthused.
Gillan’s episode, “Ae Bonny Romance,” sees Willie kidnapped back to his home country, and the Simpsons family — and apparently, romance — follows.
The Simpsons airs at 8 p.m. ET Sundays on Fox.
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