Sandra Oh’s parents thought acting was a "low" profession.
The 47-year-old actress is currently starring in BBC’s ‘Killing Eve’ and has also held a lead role as Cristina Yang in ABC’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, but has said her parents – who emigrated to Canada from Korea in the 1960s – have always been "dissatisfied" with her career choice.
She said: "My mom saw acting as ‘low’, that was her thinking coming from Korea. She’s just a classic east Asian parent – constantly dissatisfied! But not being satisfied gives you drive, it’s not bad. Western society is all about being super supportive and believing in your children, but … I don’t know."
Sandra believes Asian representation in Hollywood is often forgotten about because their "struggle is less clear" than other minorities, but insists roles for Asian actors are still just as important.
She added: "We’ve assimilated well, our struggle is less clear. And, culturally speaking, we just tend to be quieter and less extrovert, so we don’t get listened to. Well, not me, obviously."
The ‘Princess Diaries’ actress says she’s pleased to see "change" coming to how ethnic minorities are represented in Hollywood, and says she’s pleased to hold a "modicum of power" when it comes to creating more roles for Asian actors.
Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, she said: "Western Asians can’t see themselves through their own eyes yet, and we don’t even know it. Isn’t that interesting? This change is just beginning. And it’s crazy, but I have some choice now, maybe even a modicum of power. I just want to make things."
Meanwhile, Sandra recently admitted she never believed she would land a lead role before ‘Killing Eve’.
She said: I was like, ‘What’s my part?’ When my agent said, ‘You’re f***ing Eve,’ I just couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see myself in a leading role … It’s like a f***ing shard in my heart.
"We work really hard because we love what we do, but we understand how important it is to be visible and to see ourselves, right? To catch myself in a moment where I’m still not doing that was really difficult."
Sandra Oh’s parents didn’t approve of acting career
