Sandra Oh says she won't return to Grey's Anatomy
11 May 2021, 14:44
Sandra Oh recreates her iconic Princess Diaries line
Will Cristina Yang ever return to Grey's Anatomy? Sandra Oh says no, not even for the final episode.
If Sandra Oh had a dollar for every time someone asked her whether or not she would ever come back to Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Cristina Yang, she'd probably be a billionaire.
The supremely talented, Emmy-nominated actor played the role of Cristina in the ABC medical drama from the pilot episode until the season 10 finale.
It's been 7 years or so since we said goodbye to Yang, who left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to go and work at a specialist hospital in Switzerland. While her character has been mentioned multiple times on the show since her departure, Oh herself has never returned. And by the sounds of things, she never will.
Sandra Oh has now said that she won't go back to the show – not even for the very last episode.
Back in October 2020, Oh was asked by ET Canada about whether or not she'd be interested in returning one last time for the very final episode of Grey's Anatomy.
"I’m extremely grateful that you’re asking me that question because that means that people are still invested and interested in Cristina Yang – a character who I left six years ago," she replied. Her next comment however might shatter the hearts of millions of viewers across the world: "There are so many new projects and I'm a different person so I'm gonna have to say no."
Oh has now doubled down on those comments in a new episode of The Los Angeles Times' Asian Enough podcast.
When asked again if she had considered returning, Oh said, "No. I love it, though, and this is also why I really appreciate the show … that I still get asked this.”
She continued: "It’s very rare, I would say, to be able to see in such a way the impact of a character. In some ways, you do your work as a bubble and you let it go. I left that show, my God, seven years ago almost. So in my mind, it’s gone. But for a lot of people, it’s still very much alive. And while I understand and I love it, I have moved on."
While she will not be returning as Cristina Yang, Oh did share her thoughts on what the Cardio God would be up to during the pandemic. She said that Cristina would probably be on the front lines, “trying to solve the big problems,” and working to address the systemic issues in healthcare.
Oh also urged fans of her work as Cristina to follow her to her new projects, like Killing Eve and Netflix's The Chair, saying: "Come see the characters that I’m playing that are much more deeply integrated in … the Asian American experience.”
Alongside her incredible success with Killing Eve, Oh has also signed on to star in horror film Umma. She'll also be appearing in Netflix's upcoming dramedy series The Chair.
Grey's Anatomy on the other hand has just been renewed for a monumental 18th season (!!).
The huge fan demand for Cristina Yang's return is a testament to the incredible work that Sandra Oh did on the show but now, we have to move on kids. Let Cristina go. She and Sandra Oh are thriving elsewhere now.
