Killing Eve star Sandra Oh is keen to do what ‘scares’ her, and succeed

She made history at the Golden Globes as host — now Sandra Oh has told of her relief at the success of Killing Eve, where her Korean ethnicity is not a focus and suggests racial diversity is evolving.

At 47, history would have told Sandra Oh her time in the spotlight was well and truly over by now.

But the former Grey’s Anatomy star — who worked her way into the pop culture consciousness as the aggravating and ambitious heart surgeon, Cristina Yang — had other plans.

Showing all the tenacity and determination of her first high-profile TV role, in Shonda Rimes’ first mega-hit medical drama, Oh made her next big impression in last year’s acclaimed femme fatale drama, Killing Eve.

The Canadian-born actor plays the titular role, as MI5 officer, Eve Polastri, who is on the trail of a psychopathic assassin, codenamed Villanelle (played by English actor, Jodie Comer).

Hunter becomes hunted and the adversaries develop an unusual relationship and fascination for one another.

They crossed paths in the first gruesome episode, when Polastri’s talent for unravelling Villanelle’s pattern of murderous behaviour saw her fired from one job then co-opted to a special unit charged with ending the assassin’s killing spree.

Sandra Oh attends the Killing Eve premiere in North Hollywood. Picture: Getty

Created by Phoebe Waller Bridge, of Fleabag fame, the character of Eve was intended to be an anti-007 — competent at her job, with less control or emotional intelligence at home.

Oh’s complex and at times comedic performance earned her critical acclaim as well as a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice award.

She also made her mark as the first Asian woman to host the Globes — alongside Brooklyn 9-1-1 star Andy Samberg.

“I was petrified!” she tells TV Guide/Watch, of her pre-show nerves — not surprising, given the show reached an audience of 18.6 million viewers.

“But the moment it was over I was relieved and ecstatic. At the after-party, I didn’t need one drop of alcohol, didn’t even want it because I was so high,” she explains.

Admitting it was “an exceptionally intimidating experience,” Oh knew she had to embrace the rare opportunity and set an example.

Sandra Oh, journalist Stacey Wilson Hunt, Executive Producer Sally Woodward Gentle and Jodie Comer attend Killing Eve Premiere. Picture: Getty

“I was aware that my nieces were watching me and I wanted to try to impart to them that you should do the thing that scares you,” she says. “I told them, ‘You don’t have to get it right, but you will gain confidence if you do the thing that scares you the most.’”

The success of Killing Eve, and the fact that Oh’s Korean ethnicity is not a focus within the storyline, suggests racial diversity is evolving, she argues.

“The Asian-American community is a little more complicated than other communities,” Oh explains. “Asian-Americans cover a tremendous amount of cultures that are not necessarily a similar unified experience, like it is for the African-American community. It’s a challenge within the Asian-American community because you have East Asians, who also have different languages, and Southeast Asians and Middle East Asians. I think that actually the next big step for us is to try to find an authentic, unified voice that somehow gives space for all the separate and unique cultures within that voice.”

She shrugs: “I don’t have the answer for that but I’m the first person of colour to host the Globes — now that is significant,” she nods. “Hopefully my getting that shot will lead to others getting their shot.”

Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri in Killing Eve Season 2. Picture: Aimee Spinks/BBCAmerica

The night was made extra special for Oh by having her parents in the audience.

“I’ll remember that night forever.” she says. “I was certainly not prepared to win an award. I brought my parents along and it was a great feeling for me to see them sitting in the audience. And I have to say, I’ve been working for a long time. It took an entire career to get a role like this.”

Based on Luke Jennings’ novellas, the series — returning for season 2 — also stars Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows’ Fiona Shaw as intelligence boss Carolyn; and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place) as Eve’s assistant, Elena — both roles that were changed from men

Oh credits the female-centric show’s popularity in part, to the timing of the #metoo movement.

“When we were making our show, the Times Up movement was created and #metoo took off in such a huge way, and being inside of that and feeling that wave, while our show was examining and taking the female psyche seriously, is what I felt deeply aligned to.”

Fiona Shaw and Sandra Oh attend the premiere of BBC America and AMC's Killing Eve. Picture: Getty

While Waller Bridge leans on her comedic talents to ease the heavy tone at times, there remain some highly disturbing plot points at play in this violent cat and mouse game.

“I think in Season 2 it’s safe to say that her marriage to Niko (Owen McDonnell) is threatened,” Oh teases “and you’ll see them move through the season trying to keep communicating as they keep hanging on to each other. “

Having to delve into such gruesome material, Oh has developed her own coping mechanisms away from set.

“It’s definitely tough. I spend a lot of time in the garden, a lot of time walking as much as possible,” she says.

“Shooting in London, which of course is a very busy city, makes it difficult to unwind. But it has pockets of real greenery, so I spend as much time in nature as I can. I also do a lot of bodywork and that is essential, because you have to move that stuff out.”

* Killing Eve, streams Monday April 8 on ABC iview.