Entertainment
Grey’s Anatomy fame left Sandra Oh ‘traumatised’ and needing a therapist to cope with newfound stardom
Sandra Oh opened up about needing therapy following shock success of Grey’s Anatomy (Picture: Rex Features )
She may be a household name now, but Sandra Oh rose to fame following the success of ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, and she’s admitted that it was actually quite ‘traumatic’ for her.
The actor, 50, joined the show for its first season in 2005 to play Dr. Cristina Yang.
She starred in the much-loved drama for 10 seasons but has now shared that being catapulted into the limelight after the show’s success was a difficult experience.
Appearing on Sunday Today with Willie Geist and discussing her newfound fame, Sandra said, while laughing: ‘To be perfectly honest, it was traumatic.
‘The reason why I’m saying that is the circumstances you need to do your work is with a lot of privacy.
‘So when one loses one’s anonymity, you have to build skills to still try and be real. I went from not being able to go out, like hiding in restaurants, to then being able to manage attention, manage expectation, while not losing the sense of self.’
Sandra played Dr. Cristina for eight years (Picture: ABC)
The Killing Eve star also admitted that having a good therapist was key to helping her handle a life of fame, stressing that looking after her mental health is ‘very, very important.’
‘You just have to work at finding your way to stay grounded. And a lot of times that’s by saying no.’
Sandra’s role in Grey’s earned her her first Golden Globe for best supporting actress, as well as five Emmy nominations.
The Canadian-American actor announced her departure from the hit series in 2013, with her final episode airing the following year.
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Since her exit, fans have been desperate for Dr. Cristina Yang to return, however, Sandra crushed all hopes of reprising her role in the Los Angeles Times’ podcast Asian Enough.
Sandra said she has ‘moved on,’ but still ‘really appreciates’ the show and viewers’ love for it.
Sandra is currently starring in The Chair, streaming now on Netflix.
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