Sandra Oh has built a career from the ground up and has starred in multiple successful
films and television series, including Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve. But there is a whole
lot to know about the star besides her iconic roles. Here is the untold truth of Sandra Oh.
Sandra Oh came from humble beginnings, starting with her parents, who emigrated
from South Korea to Nepean , a suburb in Ottawa, Canada. There, Oh and her siblings
grew up in a small Korean community, going to church with their very religious parents,
according to Biography. Oh spent her early years in ballet, which was an attempt from her parents
to correct her pigeon toe when she was 4 years old. This sparked Oh's love for performing, and,
with a push from her sister, she started landing television commercials at age 15.
In an interview on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight,
Oh opened up about her parents' disapproval. She stated,
"I think the greatest gift that my parents gave me [...] was the tremendous obstacle they put forth."
She explained their disapproval of her declining to study journalism in order
to pursue her acting career at the National Theatre School of Canada. However, Oh shared
that her parents' opposition gave her the push she needed to not let anyone stand in her way.
"The most - the two most important people in your life telling you that you can't do something
and you do it anyways, then it just doesn't matter what anyone else is really gonna say."
Oh's parents came around to her chosen career after she landed one of her early big roles,
eventually becoming her biggest supporters.
Sandra Oh's first big break was The Diary of Evelyn Lau,
a biopic of a young poet who falls into a life of drugs and sex work.
Oh landed the role at the age of 19, but few know about the risk she took to get there.
According to Marie Claire, the director of the film, Sturla Gunnarsson , recalled,
"When she came into the audition,
she asked for a moment to focus herself […] Then she lay on the floor for five minutes."
Oh left Gunnarsson shocked that someone so young could pull off such a risky move at an audition.
Oh reflected on the audition in an interview with Vulture, stating -
"I really admire who that person was at that moment who just said, 'I don't know what the
rules are. I'm going to lie down.' […] That person took her time and was unapologetic about it."
Oh's ability to stay true to herself is something she has maintained throughout her career.
It's hard to believe the illustrious Sandra Oh was ever a struggling actor trying to make
it in the tough world of Hollywood, but in 1995, after leaving Canada to jump start her
career in California, Oh struggled to get a gig for months. In a Vulture interview,
the actress shared the hard times she went through, starting with an agent who told her
she didn't have the looks to be a leading lady and suggested she get plastic surgery.
That conversation had a lasting effect on Oh, and she went on to say how it played to her fears as
a struggling young performer of Asian descent. Although Oh had already made a name for herself
in Canada, the headstrong actress revealed how the harsh words affected her at the time, saying -
"It just cut me at the knees."
None of Sandra Oh's supporting roles throughout her career have been as unexpected and timeless
as her role as Vice Principal Gupta in Garry Marshall's hit film The Princess Diaries.
A scene in which Oh's character answers the phone and delivers the line,
"Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm…
The Queen is coming."
Oh reflected on this moment in an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers,
and she gave credit to the late director for giving her little to no direction
before she delivered the scene that would be cemented in the minds of young adults
for years to come. She explained the only direction she was given was -
"Go out and make funny."
The star revealed that people still come up to her to repeat the line
and explained why she thought the line was so impactful, saying,
"In that line [...] you have a full story. It's a good comedic written scene."
Not many people know that Sandra Oh
was married to Hollywood director and screenwriter Alexander Payne.
Most of the world found out the couple tied the knot just after the debut of Payne's 2004 film
Sideways, where Oh was cast as a wine lover and biker. In an interview with
The New York Times, she revealed that Payne asked her out for eight months,
and each time she declined, claiming she was too busy.
Oh mostly keeps her private life private, telling Marie Claire that she intentionally
doesn't pay attention to the gossip, opting to focus on maintaining boundaries between herself
and the public eye. She continued to maintain her privacy throughout their divorce.
Sandra Oh's most recognizable character is the beloved Cristina Yang from Grey's Anatomy,
but there's something that not many fans know - she initially auditioned for a different part.
"I first auditioned for the part of Miranda Bailey. (laughter) and thank
God I did not get that part."
When Oh went to audition, she didn't feel the character was right for her, so, while there,
she asked what other character roles the producers were looking to fill.
She found her connection with Cristina Yang and wanted to try out for that role instead. But in
an interview with InStyle, Oh revealed she left before auditioning after getting a call from her
manager telling her to walk out because there were problems with the contract.
Fortunately, the stars aligned and the producers
of the show went after her and offered her the role.
On the show, Oh's character was the best friend of Ellen Pompeo's character Meredith Grey,
and her investment in the character led the dedicated star to raise flags when she
felt her character's story wasn't going in the direction it should.
Oh's bold and straightforward nature helped her to speak up for what she felt was right,
and she would often get into debates with writers and producers. Speaking to Shondaland alum Kerry
Washington for Variety's Actors on Actors issue, Oh detailed the disagreements with
Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes when it came to her character's story, including advocating for
the show to explore race in Season 3 through Burke and Cristina's marriage, explaining -
"You've got to do different levels with the writer,
and then you bump it up and you eventually get to [Shonda]. You've got to bother her."
Ultimately, the two were able to work out their creative differences.
Oh credits the pair being able to come together because Rhimes was, quote, "Equally as strong."
Saying goodbye is never easy, but for Oh, saying goodbye to a show and to a character
that she spent years of her life playing was one of the hardest moments in her career. But in 2013,
Oh announced that she was leaving the long-running Grey's Anatomy in order to pursue other projects.
Oh told The Hollywood Reporter -
"Creatively, I really feel like I gave it my all, and I feel ready to let her go."
She also admitted that she experienced inner conflict when deciding to let go, sharing -
"I've gone through a lot of therapy over this."
The enigmatic star had to prepare herself to leave the show, and she
started thinking about parting ways in 2012, which gave her time to emotionally let go.
After giving her all to Cristina Yang, she needed time to be able to process her exit
from the show and to leave the show in a way that was fitting for the character.
Sandra Oh's down-to-earth energy comes from years of separating herself from the celebrity status
that her long and respected career has earned her. While many know Oh for her incredible
talents and seasoned acting abilities, she has intentionally kept herself out of the tabloids.
She spoke to InStyle about her thoughts on being a celebrity, saying -
"I remember the first time I was recognized. I didn't understand what was going on."
Oh clearly prefers to remain an actor first and foremost,
not allowing herself to get caught up in the drama of Hollywood.
During an appearance on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, Oh explained how she balances the two
different worlds of actress and celebrity by being selective in her press appearances
as well as by being mindful of who she wants to be as an artist.
Oh knows that the celebrity lifestyle comes with a big price and she prefers
to be known as an accomplished actor rather than a tabloid celebrity.
The show Killing Eve is based on a book series by Luke Jennings and features spy
Eve Polastri , who is portrayed as a white character in the books. So naturally,
when Sandra Oh received the script for the television adaptation, she was surprised she
was being offered the lead and not the typical typecast roles she'd received in the past.
Vanity Fair sat down with Oh, and she detailed the moment leading up to her
landing the role. She expressed how her shock was a product of years of nonwhite
actors being constantly overlooked for leading roles. But in the case of Eve,
producers adapted the show with Sandra Oh in mind. Although this is one role that Oh
seemed to get easily, she clarified that it was a long time in the making, saying:
"It's like, 'Oh, it's so easy! They just called you!'
Right? [...] But in another way, it took 30 years to get this call."
Sandra Oh's investment in her characters is apparent in every role she takes,
but there was something special about playing Eve Polastri opposite Jodie Comer's Villanelle . Oh
talked about her relationship with the Killing Eve character in an interview with Vogue and
explained how she got into the psyche of the British intelligence investigator-turned-spy.
Oh explained the similarities between herself and the character,
who are both posed with a new venture at a later age,
and said that she was able to use that to her advantage when getting into character, sharing -
"But what was interesting to me was the exploration of the psyche.
What is Eve's killer? How is Eve a killer? And I ask myself that, in my own psyche."
Although Oh has never been a spy hunting down a serial killer,
she does know a thing or two about bringing a character to life,
which is reflected in the multiple Emmy nods she's earned for playing Eve.
Being a woman in Hollywood comes
with its fair share of setbacks - "You know how um, Sally Field was Tom
Hanks's love interest in Punchline then like 20 minutes later she was his mom in Forrest Gump?"
- but being a person of color in a predominantly white industry is a battle in itself.
Sandra Oh has been open about the struggles of being a Korean-Canadian actress,
especially when it comes to landing roles outside of stereotypical characters.
In an interview with Elle Canada, Oh spoke about where the industry is lacking when it comes to
accurate representation of characters of color on screen and what roles she is looking for at
this point in her career. She opened up about only looking for roles where her character can explore
race and explained how representation in film and television has a long way to go, saying -
"Let's say it's a show about a fashion magazine and the editor's Black.
You can't just write this character without having the background of who she is."
She went on to say how Hollywood is too comfortable with telling stories
in a way that fails to accurately depict characters of color in their entirety.
Oh feels it's the responsibility of all aspects of the industry to create the change,
and she herself is, quote, "Happy to take that on."
Sandra Oh has made history throughout her career.
The powerhouse actress was the first Asian woman to host the Golden Globes in 2019.
After putting the jokes on hold, Oh became emotional as she addressed the multiple
nominations for creators and actors of color that year, assuring the audience -
"Right now, this moment is real."
On the same night, Oh received a Golden Globe for best actress in a television
drama series for Killing Eve. This marked Oh's second Golden Globe,
her first being in 2006 for her role on Grey's Anatomy. Oh made history again by becoming the
first Asian woman to win multiple awards at the Globes. Variety shared a backstage
interview at the Globes, where Oh mentioned she was surprised by the win and said,
"This was one of the most incredible nights of my life."
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