A natural-born scene stealer, this versatile actress made a splash in her native Canada in TV-movies (
The Diary of Evelyn Lau) and films (
Double Happiness, which snagged her a Genie Award, the Canuck equivalent of an Oscar). In 1996 she became a familiar face on U.S. television on
Arli$$ as a sports agent's sassy assistant. Oh continued to appear on the big screen, both in her homeland and Hollywood. In 2004 her career got a big boost when her then-husband, director-writer Alexander Payne, cast her as a sexpot in the Oscar-nominated film
Sideways. The next year, she landed the star-making role of a sexy and sarcastic doctor on the hit drama
Grey's Anatomy. Unfortunately that was also the year she split from Payne.
Sandra Oh Fast Facts:
- Studied ballet for 14 years, beginning at age 4.
- Began acting in plays at 10.
- Fluent in English and French.
- In high school, was a member of the National Champion Canadian Improv Team at The Canadian Improv Games.
- Won two Genie Awards for Best Actress, for her feature-film debut in 1994's Double Happiness and her role in the 1998 film Last Night.
- Among her other awards: a 1997 CableACE for the role of Rita Wu on the HBO series Arli$$; a Best Performance Award at the 2001 Milan Film Festival for her portrayal of a stripper in the indie film Dancing at the Blue Iguana; and a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for her role on Grey's Anatomy.
- Sandra Oh Relationships:
- Grace - Sister
- John Oh - Father
- Ray - Brother
- Young-Nan Oh - Mother
- Andrew Featherston - Significant Other
- Alexander Payne - Ex-husband
- Sandra Oh Awards:
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2006 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- National Theatre School of Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1993)