Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian and American actress. She is best known as Rita Wu in Arliss (1996–2002), Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy (2005–2014), and Eve Polastri in Killing Eve (2018–2022). She has received one Primetime Emmy Award from 14 nominations, as well as two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2019, Time magazine named Oh one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Oh first gained recognition for her roles in the Canadian films Double Happiness (1994) and The Diary of Evelyn Lau (1994), where she won Genie Awards for both films. Her later television credits include Judging Amy and American Crime, as well as voice roles on American Dad!, American Dragon: Jake Long, The Proud Family, Phineas and Ferb, Chop Socky Chooks, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and Invincible. In 2021, she played the lead role in the Netflix comedy drama series The Chair and was also one of the executive producers of the series.
She has had notable leading performances in films such as Last Night (1998), Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity (2002), Wilby Wonderful (2004), Catfight (2016), Meditation Park (2017), and Quiz Lady (2023). She has also taken supporting roles in Bean (1997), The Princess Diaries (2001), Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), Sideways (2004), Hard Candy (2005), Rabbit Hole (2010), and Tammy (2014). She voiced roles in the animated films Mulan II (2004), Over the Moon (2020), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) and Turning Red (2022).
She hosted the 28th Genie Awards in 2008, and became the first woman of Asian descent to host the Golden Globe Awards at the 76th ceremony in 2019. In March 2019, she became the first Asian-Canadian woman to host Saturday Night Live, and was the third actress of Asian descent to do so, after Lucy Liu in 2000 and Awkwafina in 2018. She was also the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the first woman of Asian descent to win two Golden Globes.
Early life
Sandra Miju Oh was born in Nepean, Ontario, on July 20, 1971, to middle-class South Korean immigrants Oh Young-nam, a biochemist, and Oh Jun-su (John), a businessperson. Her parents had moved to the area in the early 1960s. She has a brother, Ray, and a sister, Grace, and grew up in a Christian household, living on Camwood Crescent in Nepean, where she began practicing ballet at age four to correct her pigeon toed stance. She took up acting at the age of 10. Growing up, Oh was one of the few youths of Asian descent in Nepean.
At age ten, Oh played The Wizard of Woe in a class musical called The Canada Goose. Later, at Sir Robert Borden High School, she founded the environmental club BASE (Borden Active Students for the Environment), leading a campaign against the use of styrofoam cups. While in high school, she was elected student council president. She also played the flute and continued both her ballet training and acting studies, though she knew that she "was not good enough to be a professional dancer" Soon after graduating from the National Theatre School in 1993, she starred in a stage production of David Mamet's Oleanna in London, Ontario. Around the same time, she won roles in biographical television films of two significant female Chinese-Canadians: as Vancouver author Evelyn Lau in The Diary of Evelyn Lau, where she won the role over more than 1,000 others who auditioned, and as Adrienne Clarkson in a CBC biopic of Clarkson's life.
Career
1994–2004: Early work
Oh came to prominence in her home country for her lead performance in the Canadian film Double Happiness (1994), playing Jade Li, a twenty-something Chinese-Canadian woman negotiating her wishes and those of her parents. The film received critical acclaim, with Roger Ebert praising Oh's "warm performance". Janet Maslin of The New York Times also praised her performance, saying: "Ms. Oh's performance makes Jade a smart, spiky heroine you won't soon forget." Oh won the Genie Award for Best Actress for the role. In 1995 she appeared in the Canadian film Little Criminals with a multi-scene, but uncredited, performance.
In 1997, she appeared in the film Bean, playing the supporting role of Bernice, the art gallery PR manager. Her other Canadian films include Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity and Last Night (1998), for which she again won a Best Actress Genie. She was cast in the drama Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000), playing a stripper at a gentlemen's club opposite Daryl Hannah. The film received mediocre reviews, though Oh was praised for her performance. The New York Times review said, "Oh make[s] the most of [her] opportunity to explore the vulnerability below [her] characters' hard-edged surface." The same year, she appeared in the drama Waking the Dead. In 2002, Oh appeared in the family comedy Big Fat Liar, followed by a minor role in Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal (2002).
Oh garnered critical acclaim for her seven seasons as Rita Wu, the assistant to the president of a major sports agency, on the HBO series Arliss, receiving a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a Cable Ace award for Best Actress in a Comedy for her work. She also made several guest appearances on the series Popular (1999) playing a humanities teacher and guest starred in the television series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Judging Amy, Six Feet Under and Odd Job Jack.
In theatre, Oh has also starred in the world premieres of Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters at the La Jolla Playhouse and Diana Son's Stop Kiss at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in New York City.
In 2003, she was cast in a supporting role opposite Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun, followed by a supporting role in Alexander Payne's drama Sideways (2004). She considers Sideways and The Diary of Evelyn Lau to be the two best films she has made. In 2009, Oh performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. During the off-season hiatus from filming Grey's Anatomy in 2010, Oh took the part of Sarah Chen in the British crime drama, Thorne. She undertook intensive dialect coaching in order to play her British character.
On June 28, 2011, it was announced that Oh would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame; she was inducted on October 1 at Elgin Theatre in Toronto. In 2013, Oh formally announced that she would be leaving Grey's Anatomy at the end of the tenth season. Oh exited the series with the season 10 finale.
2014–present: Film roles and Killing Eve
In October 2014, Oh announced that she would be teaming up with Canadian director Ann Marie Fleming to collaborate on an animated feature film titled Window Horses. She also appeared in a supporting role in the comedy film Tammy (2014), playing the wife of Kathy Bates' character.
215px|thumb|Oh in 2016
In 2015, she starred on the Refinery29 comedy web series Shitty Boyfriends. Oh began filming the comedy film, Catfight (2016), in New York City in December 2015. In 2017, Oh starred as Abby Tanaka in the third season of the anthology drama series American Crime.
Beginning in April 2018, Oh began a leading role in the BBC America and BBC Three spy thriller series Killing Eve, playing British intelligence agent Eve Polastri whose quarry is psychopathic assassin Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer), with the two women developing a mutual fascination. and a third was announced less than a day after the second premiered in the United States. Killing Eve was also renewed for a fourth season shortly after.
Oh has garnered critical acclaim for her performance on the series, with Jenna Scherer describing her in Rolling Stone as "a compulsively watchable actor – expressive and complex, blending wry wit and deep pathos." When Vulture declared Oh the best actress currently on television, critic Matt Zoller Seitz wrote: "It's a tour de force performance, yet so self-effacing and invisible in its effects that you come away thinking that you've seen a crackling yarn with compelling characters rather than a cultural landmark. This is a magic trick of a high order." In 2018, Oh became the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for that role. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win two Golden Globe Awards.
From 2018 to 2020, Oh voiced the role of Castaspella in the animated superhero series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. In 2019, she co-hosted the 76th Golden Globe Awards, alongside Andy Samberg. Oh became the first woman of Asian descent to host the awards show. In March 2019, she became the first Asian-Canadian woman to host Saturday Night Live, and only the third actress of Asian descent, after Lucy Liu in 2000 and Awkwafina in 2018. In 2021, Oh voiced Virana, the chieftess of the Fang tribe in the Disney animated film Raya and the Last Dragon.
Oh voices the role of Debbie Grayson in the animated superhero drama series Invincible. The series, based on the comic book series of the same name, premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2021.
170px|thumb|left|Oh during the [[Peabody Awards|2021 Peabody Awards]]
In 2021, Oh served as executive producer and had the lead role in the Netflix comedy-drama series The Chair.
In 2022, Oh voiced the role of Ming Lee, the strict and overprotective mother of the main character in the Pixar animated film Turning Red. She joined Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's short story collection Stone Mattress.
In 2023, Oh played the role of Jenny Yum, a brash, outgoing, and impulsive older sister of the main character in the 20th Century Studios comedy film Quiz Lady.
In 2025, she appeared in Good Fortune, directed by Aziz Ansari.
Personal life
Oh was in a relationship with filmmaker Alexander Payne for five years. They married in January 2003, separated in early 2005, and divorced in late 2006.
On July 8, 2013, Oh received the key to the city of Ottawa from Mayor Jim Watson.
Oh practices Vipassanā, a Buddhist form of meditation.
Oh became a US citizen in 2018. On the first anniversary of her citizenship, she discussed it while hosting Saturday Night Live and referred to herself as an "Asian-Canadian-American".
Oh was awarded the National Arts Centre Award from the Governor General of Canada in 2019, as a part of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
In June 2022, Oh was named an officer of the Order of Canada.
Activism
On March 22, 2021, Oh gave a speech at a Stop Asian Hate rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in response to the Atlanta spa shootings. She encouraged people "to reach out to the Asian American community", stating that they were "very scared".
<blockquote>I'm gonna be very, very brief, but one thing I know, many of us in our community are very scared, and I understand that, and one way to try to kind of go through– get through our fear is to reach out to our communities.....I will challenge everyone here: if you see something, will you help me? If you see one of our brothers and sisters in need, will you help us?...I am proud to be Asian! I wanna hear you say, I am proud to be Asian! I belong here! I am proud to be Asian! I belong here! Many of us don't get the chance to be able to say that, so I just wanted to give us an opportunity to be able to shout that.</blockquote>
Acting credits
Film
<!--DO NOT ADD ROWSPANS PER WP:FILMOGRAPHY-->
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable" | Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1989 || The Journey Home || ||
|-
| 1994 || Double Happiness || Jade Li ||
|-
| 1997 || Bean || Bernice Schimmel ||
|-
| 1997 || Bad Day on the Block || Unknown ||
|-
| 1998 || Last Night || Sandra ||
|-
| 1998 || data-sort-value="Red Violin, The" | The Red Violin || Madame Ming ||
|-
| 1998 || Permanent Midnight || Friend ||
|-
| 1999 || Guinevere || Cindy ||
|-
| 2000 || Waking the Dead || Kim ||
|-
| 2000 || Dancing at the Blue Iguana || Jasmine Bulut ||
|-
| 2001 || data-sort-value="Princess Diaries, The" | The Princess Diaries || Vice Principal Gupta ||
|-
| 2001 || data-sort-value="Frank Truth, The" | The Frank Truth || Herself || Documentary
|-
| 2002 || Big Fat Liar || Phyllis Caldwell ||
|-
| 2002 || Full Frontal || Fourth fired employee ||
|-
| 2002 || Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity|| Kin Ho Lum ||
|-
| 2002 || Barrier Device || Audrey || Short film
|-
| 2003 || Owning Mahowny || Craps player || Uncredited
|-
| 2003 || Rick || Michelle ||
|-
| 2003 || Under the Tuscan Sun|| Patti ||
|-
| 2004 || Sideways|| Stephanie ||
|-
| 2004 || Wilby Wonderful|| Carol French ||
|-
| 2004 || Mulan II|| Ting Ting ||Voice
|-
| 2005 || Hard Candy|| Judy Tokuda ||
|-
| 2005 || Break a Leg|| Young Turk ||
|-
| 2005 || Cake|| Lulu ||
|-
| 2005 || data-sort-value="Three Needles" | 3 Needles|| Mary ||
|-
| 2005 || Sorry, Haters|| Phyllis MacIntyre ||
|-
| 2005 || Kind of a Blur|| Joe ||
|-
| 2006 || data-sort-value="Night Listener, The" | The Night Listener|| Anna ||
|-
| 2006 || For Your Consideration|| Marketing person ||
|-
| 2007 || data-sort-value="Land Before Time 13: The Wisdom of Friends, The" | The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends|| Doofah ||Voice
|-
| 2020 || Over the Moon || Mrs. Zhong ||Voice
|-
| 2022 || Turning Red || Ming Lee ||Voice
|-
| 2023 || Quiz Lady || Jenny Yum || Also producer
|-
| 2024 || data-sort-value="Tiger's Apprentice, The" | The Tiger's Apprentice || Mistral || Voice
|-
| 2025 || Good Fortune || Martha ||
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable" | Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1987 || Switchback || Guest || 1 episode
|-
| 1989 || Denim Blues || Gwen || Television pilot
|-
| 1992 || Degrassi High: School's Out || Waitress || Television film
|-
| 1994 || data-sort-value="Diary of Evelyn Lau, The" | The Diary of Evelyn Lau || Evelyn Lau || Television film
|-
| rowspan="3" |1995 || Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling || Angela Lum || Television film
|-
| If Not for You || Anna || Episode: "The Kiss/Taking a Shower with My Two True Loves"
|-
| Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years || Min Lee || Episode: "Badlands"
|-
| 1996 || Kung Fu: The Legend Continues|| Mai Chi || Episode: "The First Temple"
|-
| 1996–2002 || Arliss || Rita Wu || Main role
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999 || Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child|| Breadcrumb || Voice, episode: "The Three Little Pigs"
|-
|Popular ||Humanities teacher ||Episode: "Under Siege/Mo' Menace, Mo' Problems"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2001 || Further Tales of the City || Bambi Kanetaka || Miniseries
|-
| Judging Amy || Shelly Tran || 3 episodes
|-
| Six Feet Under || Porn Starlet || Episode: "An Open Book"
|-
| 2001–2002 || data-sort-value="Proud Family, The" | The Proud Family || Marsha Mitsubishi || Voice, 3 episodes
|-
| 2005–2013 || American Dad! || Katie, Hiko Yoshida || Voice, 6 episodes
|-
| 2005–2014 || Grey's Anatomy || Cristina Yang || Main role (seasons 1–10)
|-
| 2006 || Odd Job Jack || Vanessa || Voice, 2 episodes
|-
| 2006–2007 || American Dragon: Jake Long || Sun Park || Voice, recurring role, Season 2
|-
| 2007 || Handy Manny || Jasmine Chang || Voice, 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2008
| Phineas and Ferb || Dr. Doofenshmirtz's girlfriend || Voice, episode: "Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face!"
|-
| Stop Kiss || Sara || Diana Son || Stein Shiva Theater, The Public Theatre ||
|-
|2006 || Satellites || Nina || Diana Son || Joseph Papp Public Theater, The Public Theatre ||
|-
|2014 || Death and the Maiden || Paulina || Ariel Dorfman || Victory Gardens Theater ||
|-
|2016 || Office Hour || Gina || Julia Cho || South Coast Repertory ||
|-
|2024 || The Welkin || Lizzy Luke || Lucy Kirkwood || Linda Gross Theatre, Off-Broadway ||
|-
| rowspan=2| 2025 || Twelfth Night || Olivia || William Shakespeare || Delacorte Theater, The Public Theatre ||
|-
| La Fille du Régiment || Duchess of Krakenthorp || Gaetano Donizetti || Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center ||
|-
|}
Awards and nominations
Among her accolades, she has received two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as nominations for thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards, winning one in 2024.
See also
- Koreans in New York City