Sandra Oh Receives Emmy Nomination For ‘Killing Eve,’ Makes History With Nod

The 2018 Emmy Nominations were just released and actress Sandra Oh got a nod for her work on the show Killing Eve. As it happens, this nomination makes history and her fans are going wild over what this means.

Many people remember Sandra Oh from her time playing Dr. Cristina Yang, as she was one of the show’s original characters. However, Oh decided to leave and spread her wings in 2014 and she’s done a number of projects since then. Most recently, Sandra has wowed viewers on the series Killing Eve and this is the role that has helped her to make history.

According to People, Sandra Oh is the first Asian actor to be nominated in the best actress category with the Emmy Awards. Sandra has received five Emmys in the supporting actress category for her role of Yang on Grey’s Anatomy, but this Killing Eve nod is certainly a big deal.

The lack of diversity at the numerous awards shows has been an ongoing topic of conversation for a while now, especially in relation to the Oscars. As CNN detailed last September, the 2017 group of Emmy winners was decidedly more diverse than in many years past, or in comparison to other awards shows like the Oscars. However, there is always room for improvement and it looks like Oh has an opportunity to pave the way here.

"If you can be who you are, and be doing what you love, just being true to yourself — hopefully people can see themselves in you.” @IamSandraOh on what diversity on screen means for her personally | Hear more: https://t.co/LkIgMCYnL6 pic.twitter.com/PbgvTiPtBs

— Q (@QwithTomPower) June 29, 2018

Killing Eve is a BBC America show and Oh plays the role of Eve Polastri. Sandra previously opened up about how surprised she was when she learned that she was auditioning for the lead role. She was accustomed to only being offered supporting roles, and she has been open about the issues of racism she has experienced within the industry.

Can Sandra win the Emmy in the leading actress category? She goes up against Evan Rachel Wood of Westworld, Keri Russell from The Americans, Elisabeth Moss of The Handmaid’s Tale, Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black, and Claire Foy of The Crown. This list syncs up almost exactly to the predictions that Vanity Fair made a few days ago, except that they had This Is Us star Mandy Moore on the list rather than Maslany.

While this is going to be an incredibly tough competition, Vanity Fair believes that Oh has a real shot at winning this one. The 2018 Emmy Awards telecast will air on September 17 and it’s clear that many people will be rooting for Sandra Oh to win the leading actress statue and further make history.