Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve star Sandra Oh has admitted feeling 'terrible' as she prepares for her UK theatre debut in The Misanthrope at the National Theatre. The 54-year-old actress, who is of Korean descent, said rehearsals have been challenging as she navigates a new role in the 17th-century Moliere play, adapted by Martin Crimp with a gender-flipped lead.
Speaking about the process, Oh said: 'It feels terrible because you're trying things for the first time and you're just standing there and you're like: I don't know how to move my arms. Or it's like: I just have egg on my face, or I'm looking at someone and I completely go blank. But these are the things that you kind of have to go through to craft the play and craft a character.' Despite the difficulties, she added: 'You gotta do plays. Nothing beats being on stage for me.'
Oh's character, Alice, is a truth-teller whose brutal honesty leads to trouble in her personal and professional life. The actress, who has played strong female roles such as Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy and Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, said she is drawn to Alice's rage and honesty. 'I have been very fortunate in playing very strong female characters. You know, what Alice is kind of pointing to with all the rage that I think many of us have, it's a great opportunity to kind of be a truth teller,' she said.
Born near Ottawa to Korean immigrant parents, Oh initially pursued ballet before studying at the National Theatre School in Montreal. She made history as the first Asian woman to win multiple Golden Globes and the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for Best Actress at the Emmy Awards. In 2019, she became the first woman of Asian descent to host the Golden Globes and the first Asian-Canadian-American woman to host Saturday Night Live.
Oh has used her platform to promote Asian diaspora work, appearing in films such as Turning Red, Quiz Lady, and Umma. She also spoke at a Stop Asian Hate rally in 2021 following the Atlanta spa shootings. Reflecting on her career, she said she likes theatre because it allows her to 'try things that mostly scare me.'
