Jillian Holtzmann

Dr. Jillian "Holtz" Holtzmann is portrayed by Kate McKinnon in the 2016 film. A nuclear engineer by training, she is introduced as Abby's research partner and becomes the team's equipment designer, constructing their proton packs as well as a range of auxiliary weapons. She is hinted to have a romantic interest in Erin, as seen in an alternate ending scene where she claims that they are dating, as well as several other instances of flirting throughout the film. Her mentor is Dr. Rebecca Gorin (Sigourney Weaver).

In the novelization, it is revealed that she narrowly missed being admitted to CERN. Several of her male peers in school started calling her by her last name because "Jillian" sounded too feminine, and by the time of the film she almost never answers to her first name.

Director Paul Feig confirmed in an interview with The Daily Beast that Holtzmann was supposed to be a lesbian, or somewhere on the LGBT+ spectrum, but the studio refused to allow that detail into the movie and instead left the audience with the freedom of more personal interpretation of her character.[10] She was also observed by some viewers to depict autistic traits, or more specifically, someone with Asperger syndrome.