At this point,
Grey’s Anatomy and
Scandal are pretty much synonymous with tears, drama of both the professional and personal variety, and very (very) full glasses of wine (ahem — Olivia Pope). The kind of shows where you fall in love with characters, find yourself obsessing over storylines, sitting on the edge of your seat during tense moments and, of course, selecting ‘Yes’ when your TV asks you if you’re still watching. But even the most die-hard fans of either series, might be surprised to learn that
Grey's star, Sandra Oh was actually turned down for the role of Olivia Pope, made famous by Kerry Washington on
Scandal. During a recent video chat for
Variety’s Actors on Actors issue, Kerry Washington joined Sandra Oh for a candid chat about the wildly successful shows which they’ve starred in, their experience as producers, and what they learned from Shonda Rhimes — the mastermind behind both
Scandal and
Grey’s Anatomy, as well as
How to Get Away with Murder and
Station 19. “I remember exactly where I was when I read that damn pilot,” Sandra revealed to Kerry, explaining that she was on set of
Grey’s when someone snuck her the script for the pilot episode of
Scandal. “I don’t know who it was”, she said. “But I got my hands on that pilot and I read it and I was just like, ‘How could I play Olivia Pope?’”Apparently, Sandra then went to Shonda to ask how she could play the part, but Shonda wasn't into it. Oh: I remember going to Shonda, and it’s like, “How could I do this? What is this script? Could I do this too?” She goes, “No, you’ve got to play Cristina Yang!”Washington: “You have a job, girl.”Oh: But I also feel like it’s so wonderful and rare when you get in your hands something that you know is electric, that you can feel.Washington: Yep. Yep.Oh: I’m so glad it was you.[video_embed id='1985105']WATCH: Justin Bieber files $20M defamation suit against sexual assault accusers[/video_embed] Little did Sandra know (or perhaps, she had a hunch), Shonda knew exactly what she was doing.
Grey’s Anatomy is one of the longest-running (and most influential and beloved) dramas in television history, and Sandra’s portrayal of Christina Yang was an undeniably integral part of the show’s success in the seasons leading up to her exit.
Scandal, a political thriller that ran 7 seasons, followed suit as a ground-breaking hit, amassing a loyal audience transfixed by the story of Olivia Pope and her team ‘fixers’ in Washington D.C.. And of course, there is that minor detail of her affair with the President of the United States. Kerry’s work on
Scandal certainly didn’t go unnoticed, as she became the first Black woman to be nominated for the Lead Actress in a Drama Emmy for
Scandal. Sandra has no shortage of accolades under her belt as well, and notably became the first Asian woman to be nominated for a Lead Actress in a Drama Emmy for her recent work on
Killing Eve. In the show, Sandra stars as a spy dodging a ruthless assassin — you know, a typical day at work. Although
Scandal has since come to an end, Kerry now stars opposite Reese Witherspoon in
Little Fires Everywhere, a drama series based on Celeste Ng’s widely popular novel. During the chat, Sandra shared her love for the series. “I want to reach through this screen and touch you. I’m going to start with asking a question about 'Little Fires Everywhere,' which I loved. I’m so glad you and Reese did it.” Funny how the universe works everything out. [video_embed id='1984153']BEFORE YOU GO: Jameela Jamil calls out ‘deluded’ Kim Kardashian-West over corset pic[/video_embed]
