Sandra Ohis getting candid about navigating the entertainment industry as an Asian actress during the rise of Grey’s Anatomy.
In an exclusive preview of the upcoming HBO documentary The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas, shared by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, May 8, Oh recalled feeling like she had to downplay her Korean heritage.
“The fact that half of the cast of Grey’s Anatomy weren’t white, that was a thing,” she said in the documentary clip. “And it was almost like, ‘Shush. Let’s just not talk about it. Let’s just do it and see if we can get away with it. Oh my gosh, it’s a hit!”
Further in the documentary, Oh poses the question, “How do you exist in a room that doesn’t want you, or doesn’t respect you? It was a different time.”
Oh also commented on the notion of incorporating Asian characters into mainstream white narratives as too risky is hopefully over.
“It’s a feeling of where I come from, which is just like, ‘let’s just try and sneak it in. Let no one notice and we might have an existence, right?’ I really hope that kind of thinking has passed,” she remarked.
The documentary also features interviews from Bowen Yang, Kumail Nanjiani, DJ Rekha, Yia Vang, Amanda Nguyen, Schulyer Bailar, Jada Yuan, Connie Chung, and more.
The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas is part of an ongoing series by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders highlighting underrepresented communities in America. Other films in the series include The Black List,The Out List, The Trans List, and The Latino List.
The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas will debut on HBO and HBO Max on Wednesday, May 13.
This story was originally published by Parade on May 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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