Been travelling in the Tardis again? Karen Gillan rewinds to the Sixties to play model Jean Shrimpton in We'll Take Manhattan

By Kirsty Mccormack
Last updated at 7:38 AM on 12th January 2012

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She's used to accompanying Doctor Who in his Tardis, but now Karen Gillan will take on a much more glamorous role.
The 24-year-old redhead is set to portray supermodel Jean Shrimpton in new BBC4 drama We'll Take Manhattan - and she certainly looks the part.
Hitting the small screen later this month, the film will explore Shrimpton's relationship with photographer David Bailey - who she once said she owes her career to.

Sixties siren: Karen Gillan takes on the role of Jean Shrimpton in We'll Take Manhattan

Style icon: Shrimpton is often referred to as the world's first supermodel

Gillan - who is well-known for playing Amy Pond in Doctor Who -  looks every inch the Sixties supermodel as she poses in a variety of iconic outfits in the Big Apple.
Her bright red-hair is nowhere to be seen as she dons a shorter, lighter style which she wears with a variety of headscarves.
In one image, the actress is seen posing outside a shop wearing a beige suede coat with long red leather gloves and a blue floral headscarf.

Different look: The Doctor Who star portrays Shrimpton's famous pout rather well in the BBC4 drama

Natural beauty: Gillan is seen wearing a variety of headscarves and outfits in the promotional images

In another striking photograph, she is standing in front of the Brooklyn Bridge wearing a pair of large dark sunglasses pulling off Shrimpton's well-known pout.
'Jean Shrimpton is an icon of the Sixties and I am so excited to be playing somebody who had such a lasting impact on the fashion world,’ said Gillan last year.
‘I can’t wait to take on the challenge of bringing Jean and Bailey’s fascinating love story to life. Sixties here I come!’
Other shots see her posing with British actor Aneurin Barnard, who plays her love interest Bailey.

Famous couple: The drama follows the story of Shrimpton's romance with David Bailey who is played by Aneurin Barnard

Wild romance: Bailey met Shrimpton in 1960 when she was a relatively unknown model

The dark-haired star wears a black leather jacket and a matching polo neck jumper as he clutches his camera.
Shrimpton - who is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels - met Bailey when she was relatively unknown in 1960.
Only 18 at the time, Shrimpton was working with photographer Brian Duffy, who told Bailey that she was out of his reach.
However, Bailey ignored him and began an affair with the model despite being married to Rosemary Bramble.

The real thing: Photographer David Bailey and model Jean Shrimpton in 1963

Black and white: Bailey is often credited as kick starting the supermodel's career

Not meant to be: The couple's four-year affair ended in 1964 and Shrimpton went on to marry Michael Fox

We'll Take Manhattan follows their four-year love story which saw Bailey later divorce his wife and use Shrimpton as his muse to further his career.
Shrimpton's first photo session with Bailey took place during the same year that they met - either for Condé Nast's Brides on December 7 or for British Vogue.
Although the drama reveals how they met, it is mainly set in 1962 when Bailey insisted on using her for an important, week-long photoshoot for British Vogue in New York.

A great role: The BBC4 single drama will give fans the chance to see Gillan take on a very different character to that of Amy Pond

The pair became engaged during their time together and Bailey is often credited as discovering Shrimpton and kick starting her career.
The couple ended their famous romance in 1964, and Shrimpton went on to marry another photographer Michael Fox in 1979.
We'll Take Manhattan will air on BBC4 on January 26.