Sandra Oh played Cristina Yang from season one to ten of Grey's Anatomy.
Biography[]
Sandra was born in Ottawa suburb of Nepean, Ontario, Canada to father Oh Jun-su, a businessman, and mother Oh Young-nam, a biochemist.[source?] She has a brother, Ray, and a sister, Grace.[1] While growing up, she was among the few youths of Asian-descent in Nepean.[2] While she was in high school, she played the flute and founded the environmental club BASE (Borden Active Students for the Environment), which led to campaigning against the use of styrofoam cups. She did ballet in high school, but she knew that she "was not good enough to be a professional dancer",[3] and began to focus on acting, which led her to join the drama club where she took part in the Canadian Improv Games and Skit Row High, a comedy group. Against her parents' wishes, who wanted for her to study journalism, she then studied drama at the National Theatre School in Montreal.[source?]
She married filmmaker Alexander Payne on January 1, 2003, and separated in 2005. They divorced in 2006.[4]
On July 8, 2013, she received the "key to the city" of Ottawa, from Mayor Jim Watson.[5]
Career[]
Filmography[]
- The Tiger's Apprentice (2023)
- Umma (2022)
- Turning Red (2022)
- Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
- The Same Storm (2021)
- Over the Moon (2020)
- Meditation Park (2017)
- Catfight (2016)
- Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming (2016)
- Snowtime! (2015)
- The Scarecrow (short) (2015)
- Tammy (2014)
- A Helping Hand (short) (2012)
- Thorne: Scaredycat (2010)
- Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2010)
- Rabbit Hole (2010)
- Ramona and Beezus (2010)
- Defendor (2009)
- Blindness (2008)
- The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends (2007)
- Falling (short) (2007)
- For Your Consideration (2006)
- The Night Listener (2006)
- Cake (2005)
- Sorry, Haters (2005)
- 3 Needles (2005)
- Kind of a Blur (short) (2005)
- Break a Leg (2005)
- Hard Candy (2005)
- Stationary (short) (2004)
- Mulan II (2004)
- 8 Minutes to Love (short) (2004)
- Sideways (2004)
- Wilby Wonderful (2004)
- Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
- Rick (2003)
- It Wasn't Supposed to Be Like This... (short) (2003)
- Owning Mahowny (2003)
- Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity (2002)
- Full Frontal (2002)
- Barrier Device (short) (2002)
- Big Fat Liar (2002)
- Date Squad (short) (2001)
- The Princess Diaries (2001)
- Three Lives of Kate (short) (2000)
- Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000)
- Walking the Dead (2000)
- Guinevere (1999)
- Permanent Midnight (1998)
- The Red Violin (1998)
- Last Night (1998)
- Bad Day on the Block (1997)
- Bean (1997)
- Cowgirl (short) (1996)
- Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling (1995)
- Prey (short) (1995)
- Double Happiness (1994)
- The Diary of Evelyn Lau (1994)
- School's Out! (1992)
- The Journey Home (short) (1989)
Television[]
- Invincible (2021-2022)
- Killing Eve (2018-2022)
- The Chair (2021)
- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020)
- Saturday Night Live: Cut for Time (2019)
- American Crime (2017)
- Peg+Cat (2016)
- Shitty Boyfriends (2015)
- Grey's Anatomy (2005-2014)
- Betas (2014)
- American Dad! (2005-2013)
- Phineas and Ferb (2008-2012)
- Michael: Every Day (2011)
- Robot Chicken (2009)
- American Dragon: Jake Long (2006-2007)
- Odd Job Back (2006)
- The Proud Family (2001-2002)
- Arli$$ (1996-2002)
- Judging Amy (2001)
- Six Feet Under (2001)
- Further Tales of the City (mini-series) (2001)
- Popular (1999)
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1999)
- Cousin Skeeter (1998)
- Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1996)
- Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years (1995)
- If Not for You (1995)
- E.N.G. (1993)
- Denim Blues (1989)
Notes and Trivia[]
- Her middle name Miju means "pretty pearl" in Korean.[source?]
- She is the only person in her family to not have a college degree or masters.[source?]
- Outside of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra has kissed two Grey's Anatomy stars: Kate Walsh and Brooke Smith.[source?]
- Though she originally auditioned for the part of Miranda Bailey, Sandra later mentioned that she was glad that the role was given to Chandra Wilson.[source?]
- Sandra does not like watching herself, so she never really watched the show when she was on it.[source?]
- Despite leaving after the tenth season, she added she would like to come back for the series finale. However, she has since made conflicting claims on whether she will ever return to the show. [source?]
- Sandra is very similar to her character personality-wise. She has high standards for herself and is very driven, as well as being messy.[source?]
- It was Sandra's idea to have Cristina have an emotional breakdown, so Shonda Rhimes wrote the scene where Cristina cries after her ectopic pregnancy.[source?]
- When she left the show, she wanted to take her scrubs, her stethoscope, her lab coat, Cristina's wedding dress from her wedding to Burke, and the Stanford pants. However, she was told she could only take one item.[source?]
- She also took a rug from Owen and Cristina's firehouse apartment, which is now in her living room.[source?]
- According to Kevin McKidd, Sandra lives about 10 minutes from the Prospect Studios where they film the show.[source?]
- She can speak fluent English, Korean, Spanish, and French.[source?]
- She and Kevin remain good friends and regularly meet up.[source?]
- Instead of praying, Sandra meditates.[source?]
- She only appears in front of press if it strictly pertains to her work.[source?]
