Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh Bio

Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh is a Korean-Canadian actress currently best known for her role as Doctor Christina Yang in the ABC series Grey’s Anatomy. She won two awards for her portrayal of Dr. Yang: the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series. In July 2006 she received a second Emmy nomination for her work in the series.

Born in the Ottawa suburb of Nepean, Ontario on July 20, 1971, Sandra spent her teen years in Sir Robert Borden High School where she founded the environmental club, Borden Active Students for the Environment (B.A.S.E.), and led a campaign against the use of Styrofoam cups. She was also an Honor Roll student, member of the volleyball and cross-country ski teams, and active member of her school’s student council.

While in high school, Sandra Oh was also heavily involved in theater. She did exceptionally well, representing her school in the Ottawa citywide competition, High School Improv Games.

Sandra’s interest in acting and performing didn’t suddenly appear in high school. At the age of four she started ballet and continued with it for 14 years. Her debut into the world of theater began at the age of ten when she starred in her first play, The Canada Goose.

When she turned 15, Sandra started working professionally in television, theater, and commercials. The following year she and her team won second place in the citywide High School Improv Games Competition. In 1989 she appeared in Marc Voizard’s short film, The Journey Home.

In 1991 she studied drama at the National Theatre School in Montreal. When she finished her three-year education, Sandra beat 1,000 other actors and landed the title role in the CBC television film, The Diary of Evelyn Lau. She received a Gemini (Canada’s Emmy) nomination for Best Actress for her performance.

In 1994 Sandra won her first Best Actress Genie (Canada’s Oscar) for her leading role in the biographical television film, Double Happiness. The same year she played the role of Canada’s Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson in a CBC bio of Clarkson’s life.

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles in 1996, she began her first of seven seasons as smart, sassy personal assistant Rita Wu, in the HBO sports comedy series Arliss. Her performance caused her to win the 1997 Cable ACE Award for Best Actress in a Comedy.

Other television shows Sandra has appeared in include Six Feet Under as a porn starlet (directed by Kathy Bates and co-starring Peter Krause), Judging Amy as Detective Tran (with Amy Brenneman), and Further Tales of the City (with Olympia Dukakis and Paul Hopkins).

Sandra Oh remained active in the theater and appeared in several Ontario-based theater productions while on hiatus from her other acting pursuits.

She has appeared in many Canadian and American high profile films including The Princess Diaries (2001 with Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway), Big Fat Liar (2002 with Frankie Muniz and Paul Giamatti), Full Frontal (2002 with David Duchovny, David Hyde Pierce and Julia Roberts), Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (2002 with Valerie Tian), Under the Tuscan Sun (2003 with Diane Lane) and Sideways (2004 with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Chruch).

Sandra's Oh big break came in 2005, landing the role of Dr. Christina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy alngside Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Hiegel, Jstin Chambers, T R Knight, Isaiah Washington, and Patrick Dempsey.

In 2003, she married Oscar-winning film director Alexander Payne. Their five-year relationship and two-year marriage ended in 2005 with a request from Sandra for spousal support. The two claim to still be friends.

Sandra Oh made People magazine’s list of the 50 Most Beautiful People in 2005.

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Facts:
Sandra Oh - Starred in 'Under the Tuscan Sun' with Kate Walsh .
Sandra Oh - Appeared in 'Six Feet Under' directed by Kathy Bates .
Sandra Oh - Starred in 'Judging Amy' with Amy Brenneman .
Sandra Oh - Starred in 'Further Tales of the City' with Olympia Dukakis .