Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh Admits She Was Demanding On Set
In 2005, Sandra Oh was cast in the career-changing role of Cristina Yang in the ABC medical series Grey's Anatomy, which, as you may know, became a pretty huge hit.
Sandra remained on the show until 2014, and in that time, she earned a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and several Emmy nominations.
And the star has opened up about just how dedicated she was to her onscreen character of Cristina while speaking to Dartmouth College's graduating class of 2025 on Sunday.
Sandra received an honorary doctorate of the arts from the college, and took the opportunity to try and inspire the students."Nothing has taught me more than being with discomfort," Sandra said in her commencement speech. "It can be our greatest learning opportunity, and it is also inevitable. So if you can train yourself not to turn away but to learn how to be with your discomfort and trust that it might be telling you something you don't yet know, it can help you develop an inner strength that will enable you to face the challenges life presents you without losing your values or your sense of self along the way."
She went on to say that being cast in Grey's in her early 30s brought her "financial stability, fame, and privilege," but despite this, her time on the show was "one of the most challenging decades' of her life. Sandra admitted to being demanding of both herself and the show's writers, which 'caused grief' for everybody and led to calls with the 'big boss,' Shonda Rhimes, who tried to encourage the star to let the staff do their job.
"I learned profound lessons during this time because so much of it was so uncomfortable," Sandra told the graduates. "When I started Grey's, I was in my early 30s, so I had an idea of who I was and what the work entailed, but I had no idea what was coming.'
'I demanded a lot from myself and from the writers,' she confessed. 'If something bothered me in a script, I would fight for what I believed what was right for the character of Cristina because I felt responsible for her. And while this contributed to the creation of a memorable character, my desire to make the dialogue fit and my belief that I knew what was best for the character also caused grief for the writers and for me."
Sandra said that she ended up becoming so notorious for her demands that production had a 'dedicated Sandra whisperer on staff,' whose sole task was to come to the Grey's set and 'deal with' her.
"That doesn't happen anymore. I am my own whisperer," she said. "One time… the writers and I were at an impasse about something in this script, and I had to have a call with the big boss. And Shonda, I'll never forget, she said to me: 'Sandra, we have been here before. You got to trust me. Something will come through if you just say the damn words.' … It has stayed with me. I heard her."
Cristina has remained present on Grey's since Sandra left the show more than a decade ago, with the character being included via text messages and other written correspondence. The star has long maintained that she has no interest in ever returning to the character, but recently told Entertainment Weekly that she is starting to question this stance. "For the longest time, it has always been a hard no. And it's just… I don't know. I just don't know," she said. "When you finish something, it's a deep process… I just cannot tell you… I can't stress to you enough how consciously I tried to fully process leaving. I don't feel the need to revisit, but I also profoundly understand the audience's love for this character, because I've seen it for the past 10 years. That's the part that makes me just go, hmmm."
Would you like to see Cristina back on Grey's? Let me know in the comments below! You can also watch Sandra's full commencement speech here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
42 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ted Danson reveals he was ‘dead wrong' in thinking Shelley Long would be ‘terrible' for ‘Cheers'
Ted Danson's predictions weren't in a good place. The actor, 77, got candid on having a history of being wrong while starring on the NBC sitcom 'Cheers' from 1982 to 1993. 'I had the reputation on 'Cheers' where if I said, suggested something, pretty much—this is not self-deprecating humor or false humility—I was dead wrong,' Danson said while on the Wednesday episode of his SiriusXM podcast with Woody Harrelson, 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name,' adding, 'And if they did the opposite, it would work brilliantly.' Advertisement 8 Ted Danson on his podcast. Team Coco/YouTube His guest, Andy Richter, asked the comedian if things ever changed over the course of 11 seasons. 'No, I know,' Danson continued. 'I will tell Mary [Steenburgen], I'll say, 'Turn right here,' and she'll say, 'Thank you, but I know it's left.' Yeah. I'm sorry. You were right. It was right. I love being able to have an opinion, and I don't really have that much at stake because it's wrong. I'm okay to be wrong.' Advertisement 'The Good Place' alum's history of being wrong dates all the way back to 'Cheers,' the show set in a Boston bar, which also starred Harrelson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, and late stars George Wendt and Kirstie Alley. 8 Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Ted Danson as Sam Malone. NBCUniversal via Getty Images 'One of my first obvious ones was 'Cheers' casting Shelley Long. And I'm going, 'Oh, no, not Shelley Long. That'd be, that's all wrong. She'd be terrible for that,'' Danson recalled. 'And she, right out of the shoot, she became this instant, brilliant character actor doing a brilliant job. Serving the entire thing perfectly. It sounds like I'm discounting all the other actors, but that first year she put us on the map. Yeah, she really did.' Long, 75, portrayed Diane Chambers in the sitcom and earned five Emmy nominations. She took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1983. Long also won two Golden Globe Awards for her role. Advertisement This isn't the first time Danson, who played bar owner Sam Malone, has acknowledged his faux pas — and he's pretty certain the actress knows. 8 Ted Danson and Shelley Long onstage at the 2006 TV Land Awards. Getty Images 'Yeah, I've said it enough that yeah,' he said about Long knowing. 'But she may not. Maybe she never listened to anything I've ever said. I say it as a form of compliment, 'cause my God, she is astounding.' At the 2024 Emmys, the cast of 'Cheers' reunited on stage with Danson, Grammer, Perlman, Ratzenberger and Wendt. Advertisement Long and Harrelson were not in attendance. 'I'm sorry Shelley [wasn't there] and Woody was off doing a play in London — which I saw, and he was amazing,' Danson said at the time. 'But it was lovely.' 8 Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Ted Danson as Sam Malone on 'Cheers.' NBCUniversal via Getty Images Shelley was Danson's love interest on the sitcom before leaving after Season 5 in 1987. Alley joined the show as Rebecca Howe in Season 6. Rumors of a feud between Danson and Long surfaced for years, but the pair chalked it up to different acting styles. 'I ain't gonna say anything bad about my partner. I mean, my wife and I have terrible arguments sometimes, and they're kind of our business. Our relationship, Shelley's and mine, has included not being happy with each other and being happy with each other,' Danson told People in 1987. 8 Shelley Long. Getty Images Long added that same year, 'Terrible teasing went on in the relationship and outside the relationship, but our energy went into our work, and it paid off.' Advertisement In May, the 'Cheers' family lost another one of their own when Wendt, who played Norm Peterson, died at age 76. Alley had already passed away in December 2022 at 71 after a brief battle with colon cancer. His family rep confirmed the news to The Post, saying Wendt 'died peacefully in his sleep while at home' on May 20. 'George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,' the statement read. 'He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.' 8 'Cheers' cast. ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement Danson shared his heartfelt sentiments after the news broke. 'I am devastated to hear that Georgie is no longer with us,' a rep for Danson shared with The Post. 'I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie.' Perlman, 77, who played cocktail waitress Carla Tortelli on the show, also addressed Wendt's sudden death. 'George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him,' she told The Post. 'As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn't hurt. What a guy! I'll miss him more than words can say.' Advertisement 8 Shelley Long, Ted Danson, George Wendt on 'Cheers.' ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Before the actor's passing, he reunited with his 'Cheers' co-stars, Danson and Harrelson, 63, on an August 2024 episode of their podcast. During the episode, Wendt reminisced on how he landed the role of Norm Peterson on the series. 'My agent called and said, 'You know, honey, they want you to do this 'Cheers,'' he said. ''Now you're not available,' because I had this other show ['Making the Grade'] at Paramount for CBS. Then they go, 'But they want you to come in anyway, and it's really small, though.' I go, 'Oh, okay.'' Advertisement 8 George Wendt, Shelley Long, Ted Danson in the NBC sitcom. Courtesy Everett Collection 'I read it,' he went on, 'and then they decided they were going to try to make it work out where I could do both shows, and then the other show got canceled.' Wendt quickly became a fan favorite, earning six Emmy nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The show's creators Glen Charles, Les Charles and James Burrows shared about the comedian after his death: 'George Wendt was as lovable as the character he played on 'Cheers'. It was the perfect marriage of actor and character.' 'George was a gentleman and a gentle man. Norm was America's favorite barfly, and as the theme song said, everybody knew his name. And shouted it when he walked through the door. We were blessed to have him in our lives.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Be open to the moment you never expected': How ‘Road Diary' captured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in full force
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is a melancholic blast. In the hands of longtime Bruce Springsteen collaborator, director, and editor Thom Zimny, the many compelling, sometimes contrasting shades of the Boss are on full display in the Hulu documentary — the artist and the showman, the poet and the ham, and above all, a lively force grappling with death and the passage of time. Road Diary follows Springsteen and the E Street Band both in the studio and on tour, bringing people together after the pandemic. More from GoldDerby Tom Cruise finally gets his (honorary) Oscar moment: Here's his complete awards history Alan Cumming would be the 4th person to repeat in Best Reality Host: See fresh Emmy odds Dolly Parton adds honorary Oscar to her trophy shelf: A look back at her legendary awards history Zimny wanted the story of Springsteen and the band's return to the road — after a six-year break — to unfold naturally. 'I did not come in with a preconceived pitch of 'this documentary will reflect the world,'' Zimny told Gold Derby. 'I took my cues from watching Bruce. In those rehearsals, I saw him craft a setlist that dealt with looking at life and the past and loss and the present moment, being alive in the present moment as much as you can. The show itself was a guiding force in the edit.' Capturing the scope of any Springsteen and E Street Band show is a tall order. As Springsteen says in the film's opening, he wanted to throw the biggest party he could with this tour. But in under 100 minutes, how does a filmmaker capture all the intense emotions that flow during the Boss' legendary three-hour shows? 'When I'm looking at how to bottle this experience and put it forth in a film,' Zimny said, 'I try to focus on my own personal memories, taking cues from the faces in the crowd and the connection they're having. And with Road Diary, I wanted to make it an emotional film and film it in a way that captured transitions in people's eyes, transitions while they're listening to the music.' The film also captures Springsteen's evolution from perfectionist to an artist embracing beautiful mistakes. Let the song live how it lives, basically. 'What he said in the documentary, in the spontaneous moment to the band, was that you want to be able to fuck up during the course of the night because it's live,' Zimny said. 'That's what the people are paying for. In that, I find the philosophy that I've held onto in making films with Bruce: come fully prepared, but be open to the moment you never expected.' For Zimny, his own perfectionism kicks in during post-production, specifically in the sound department. Communicating the thundering sound of a Springsteen show is a delicate process. 'Capturing that quality in the mix was an obsession,' Zimny said. 'You feel the bass in your heart and the drums in your stomach, like you're in the pit. Capturing that gave it the cinematic language of a narrative film. There's not a mix just laid onto a clip — every shot had detailed work on crowd sound and instrument balance. We mix to picture. It's not done casually.' Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is an immediate portrayal of where the band is today — not just how they play, but how they live. Zimny and his team show how they got there, often through archival footage that — in true Springsteen and Zimny fashion — doesn't soften the edges. 'The power of memory is that the flicker and the lack of clarity evoke a romantic feeling,' Zimny said. 'If I cleaned it up and balanced the color, took out some of the video textures, it would take away some of the soul. But each individual clip is looked at closely. How far do you go to clean it up? You've got to listen to that voice inside the edit room when you just go, 'Wow, this really takes me back.'' Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Sam Rockwell on Frank's 'White Lotus' backstory, Woody Harrelson's influence, and going all in on 'this arc of Buddhist to Bad Lieutenant' Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh admit they 'never had the audacity to realize' a show like 'Deli Boys' was possible Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Each season's got its own sort of flavor': ‘Slow Horses' director on crafting a darker, more emotional chapter
Although it might be intimidating for a director to hop aboard a successful television series a few seasons in, Adam Randall didn't have that problem on Slow Horses. "The speed with which the show is filmed meant that only season one was out when I got the job," he told Gold Derby. "Season 2 was coming out about two weeks later, and Season 3 was when I was already in post [production]. So it hadn't reached the level of success that it was going to [have], but it would still have made a big splash" given its high pedigree and A-list cast. "I was unbelievably excited and definitely intimidated going in." Based solely on what he had seen and read, it was clear to Randall that "each season was very different" and evolving. "They've established a world, they've established these characters, but each season's got its own sort of flavor, plays with genres in different ways, has its own tone. So that was one of the really exciting things, being able to take something from this remarkable world and put a stamp on it," Randall said. And in this case, "We definitely felt that it was a darker season," and every decision he made branched off from that. More from GoldDerby Tom Cruise finally gets his (honorary) Oscar moment: Here's his complete awards history Alan Cumming would be the 4th person to repeat in Best Reality Host: See fresh Emmy odds Dolly Parton adds honorary Oscar to her trophy shelf: A look back at her legendary awards history Season 4 of Slow Horses was "heavier emotionally, and in a way, it was the first season that was genuinely emotional," considering it dealt with, among other things, retired MI5 officer David Cartwright's (Jonathan Pryce) decline into dementia and the effect it has on his grandson, River (Jack Lowden). Combined with the inciting terrorist attack in Episode 1 and Frank's (Hugo Weaving) "bizarre" story set at a French compound "allowed for a much darker, heavier visual palette and score." There were even "elements of horror in there" in its portrayal of David's decline, "as well as the thriller elements," but also "the comedy and the drama that people love" from previous seasons. Slow Horses was Randall's first foray into television, as he'd previously only worked in films. Considering he directed all six episodes, "it was a very easy transition, because in effect these are six-hour movies." That was mandated from the beginning by Gary Oldman, who stars as crotchety MI5 agent Jackson Lamb. "That was one of the things that he was adamant about, that he wanted one director for all six [episodes] and to treat them like a movie." Because of this, "the show was allowed to be very director-led," Randall explains, "so once I figured out the lay of the land," he realized it was "very similar to a film, and I could push it in certain directions and think about it from start to finish." He gives due credit to lead writer Will Smith, who is "the loveliest man on earth, as well as incredibly talented and very, very funny." The two had actually met years prior because, Randall reveals, "he was in a short film I'd directed a long time ago that no one should ever see," even though, "Will was good in it, and it was lovely meeting him through it." Although the scripts Smith had written "were already great," Randall was able to bring in his own "had thoughts and ideas," especially when it came to the action sequences. "They just have to evolve and change, and he was always really open and allowed me a lot of freedom." SEE Gary Oldman on 'Slow Horses' being 'an extraordinary show to work on' and 'one of the highlights of my career' That collaborative spirit extended to his relationship with the cast. "It's interesting with this, because obviously most of them have done three seasons, so in some ways I was catching up," Randall divulges. "I was asking them about their characters," and also "what they wanted to achieve in season four." Although he'd rehearse certain scenes before filming, his directorial technique "really depends on the actor. Some actors like to keep it very fresh on the day, some actors like to talk in a lot of detail about everything, from the props they may be holding to their intention in a scene." When they arrived on set, "we'd just be very loose and play," coming up with new ideas on the day. "The one thing with those actors is how remarkable they already are," Randall continues. Whereas in "some of my previous work" he had to "try to find the performance," in Slow Horses, "it was already of such a standard that had I have not turned up it still would've been a great scene. So you're not trying to find the performance, you're trying to find what else can we bring? What other nuances can we bring? How can we play? Can we bring out any humor here? Is there any more we can push it towards?" It helped that "we also had a lot of new cast" who brought "different energies," which allowed the veteran stars "to do very different things this season." Randall submitted the fourth-season final for Emmy consideration, which he admits "was a hard decision." He chose the episode because, "I thought it balanced a lot of the different things that I was really proud of." For one thing, "it was the most emotional episode" for all of the characters, especially River and David. There was also "a lot of action, which we were really proud of, and we were bold in how we did it." The finale "was a way of weaving all of these different elements together, telling all of these different character's stories, holding this emotion in a way" that still feels in keeping with the rest of the series. It was "a huge challenge," yet the result was "an hour of drama that I'm really proud of." As Season 5 is set to premiere in September, Randall is already in post-production on Season 6, although true to the art of spy-craft, he's keeping tight-lipped about any details. "I definitely can't share details, other than I'm really, really proud of it," he reveals. "It takes this show to new places. It's a big, dramatic, and emotional season, and I'm very excited about it." Slow Horses is streaming on Apple TV+. Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Sam Rockwell on Frank's 'White Lotus' backstory, Woody Harrelson's influence, and going all in on 'this arc of Buddhist to Bad Lieutenant' Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh admit they 'never had the audacity to realize' a show like 'Deli Boys' was possible Click here to read the full article.
