Sandra Oh opens up about downplaying Asian identity early in her career

Sandra Oh has opened up about downplaying her Asian ethnicity early in her career.

The Canadian-American actress, who is of South Korean descent, has reflected on navigating Hollywood at a time when diverse casting was still uncommon in mainstream television.

In a clip from director Eugene Yi's documentary The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas, Sandra discussed the success of Grey's Anatomy and the reaction to the show's diverse cast when it premiered in 2005.

"The fact that half of the cast of Grey's Anatomy weren't white, that was a thing," she said, via The Hollywood Reporter. "And it was almost like, 'Shush. Let's just not talk about it. Let's just do it and see if we can get away with it. Oh my gosh, it's a hit!'"

The Killing Eve actress has previously spoken about pushing for script changes to ensure dialogue for her character, Cristina Yang, felt authentic, revealing that the writers' room even had a dedicated "Sandra whisperer" to handle her notes.

"How do you exist in a room that doesn't want you, or doesn't respect you? It was a different time," Sandra stated in the clip.

The star also reflected on the way Asian-American characters have historically been sidelined or absorbed into predominantly white storytelling.

"It's a feeling of where I come from, which is just like, 'Let's just try and sneak it in. Let no one notice and we might have an existence, right?' I really hope that kind of thinking has passed," she commented.

Set to premiere on 13 May, the HBO documentary also features interviews with actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani, former Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang and journalist Connie Chung.