The Emmy's are a time for some of the best shows and performances of the year to get honored. This year, a handful of my favorites were up for nomination. "Black Mirror," "Portlandia," "Bob's Burgers," and actress Sandra Oh.
Sandra Oh was nominated for best lead actress in a drama series for "Killing Eve"; the first woman of Asian descent to ever be nominated for this category! Although, this isn't her first time being nominated. She was previously nominated five times for supporting actress for "Grey's Anatomy"––she never won.
I am a huge "Grey's Anatomy" fan. So you're telling me, after Sandra Oh's character, Christina Yang, had suffered an ectopic pregnancy which almost killed her, being left at the altar by Burke, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after having a gun held to her head in the midst of trying to save Derek, gets cheated on by Hunt, goes through a divorce, survives a plane crash but watched her friends and colleagues die, and not to mention she deserved to win that Harper Avery award but didn't; you're telling me after all these extraordinary performances she didn't win at all? Not one of the five times? Unbelievable.
Although it won't be for "Grey's Anatomy" this time, it's about time Sandra Oh gets the recognition she deserves. Sandra Oh departed from Grey's Anatomy after season ten and has since grabbed viewers' attention for her role in "Killing Eve," the show that she is being nominated for. This show centers around Sandra Oh's character, Eve, a desk-bound M15 officer who finds herself in the midst of a cat and mouse game with an assassin. If you need a new show to watch, this is an intriguing one to start.
To think, Sandra Oh is the FIRST actress of Asian descent to be nominated for this category. It's 2018, and I can't emphasize enough how much representation matters. Growing up as an Asian-American, I found it hard to resonate with characters of Asian descent who fit the stereotypical identity that everyone makes assumptions about. That wasn't who I was, nor did I want to be. Hollywood has created a narrative around Asians and Asian-Americans to fit a typecast for films and television shows but I for one believe Sandra Oh has defied that logic. She's brilliant and has proven viewers everywhere the hardworking, versatile actress she can be. From the principal in "Princess Diaries" to a dedicated cardiothoracic surgeon on "Grey's Anatomy" to an M15 officer trying to find an assassin, the limit does not exist.
The lack of Asian descents taking home the famous statue has only been numbered down to two and let's be honest here, there needs to be a change. As much as the internet pushed for Leonardo DiCaprio to finally win that Oscar he deserved, we need to push for Sandra Oh to break the internet and give her the Emmy she deserves.
