Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve star Sandra Oh, 54, has confessed to feeling 'terrible' as she prepares for her London theatre debut in The Misanthrope at the National Theatre. The acclaimed actress, known for her roles as Dr Cristina Yang and Eve Polastri, is set to tread the boards for the first time in the UK, playing the lead role of Alice in Martin Crimp's gender-flipped adaptation of Moliere's 17th-century classic.
Rehearsal Struggles and Excitement
Speaking about the early stages of rehearsal, Oh admitted: '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 initial difficulties, she expressed her love for theatre, saying: 'You gotta do plays. Nothing beats being on stage for me.'
A Character Drawn to Brutal Honesty
Oh, who has often played strong female characters, is drawn to Alice's brutal 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 explained. However, as Alice speaks her mind, she faces backlash that fractures her personal relationships and career. Oh's excitement for the role is palpable: 'I can't wait to get up on stage. There's something that I love about being an actor. The process of also being in rehearsal, it's such a sacred space. You really get to try things.'
Career and Heritage
Born near Ottawa to Korean immigrant parents, Oh made history as the first Asian woman to win multiple Golden Globes. She also became the first woman of Asian descent to host the Golden Globe Awards in 2019 and the first Asian-Canadian-American woman to host Saturday Night Live. Fiercely proud of her heritage, she famously said at the 2018 Emmy Awards: 'It's an honour just to be Asian'—words now seen on T-shirts. She has used her fame to promote work from the Asian diaspora, appearing in films like Turning Red, Quiz Lady, and Umma.
Personal Life and Philosophy
Oh was previously married to filmmaker Alexander Payne, with whom she worked on the film Sideways. She is now in a relationship with Russian artist and photographer Lev Rukhin. A practitioner of Vipassana meditation, Oh's acting style is influenced by 'creative dream work,' combining dream analysis with method acting. Reflecting on her career, she noted: 'I like to try things that mostly scare me.'
This interview has been adapted from The Arts Hour on the BBC World Service. The full broadcast is available on BBC Sounds.
