“You have to be true to yourself”: Sandra Oh gently shuts down Grey's Anatomy comeback

Sandra Oh's return to Grey's Anatomy has been speculated by fans for a long time. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Oh talked to the co-host Lulu Garcia-Navarro regarding her return to her role as Grey's Anatomy's doctor, eleven years after she left.

As per People Magazine, she said,

"But for me, I think to really be true to the people who enjoy your work, you have to be true to yourself. So at this point, I don't think so."

Addressing all the current speculation, most notably season shifts and headlining character departures, Oh has maintained that she won't be returning to the medical drama.

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A Grey’s Anatomy character who defined the show: Cristina Yang

Sandra Oh's Cristina Yang debuted in Grey's Anatomy in 2005. Her performance was the technical and emotional center of the series, with intense emotional tension, technical skill, and often blindingly biting humor. Cristina's competitiveness, genius, and messy relationship with Meredith Grey rendered the character a broad-based icon, not only on television but across popular culture at large.

While on the show, Oh gained a string of Emmy nominations and global recognition. The development of her character from OR wannabe to prime-time cardiothoracic surgeon was one of the richest storylines in series history. Her office one-upmanship, internal conflicts, and autonomy outside the office lent complexity to her character and enabled her to become relatable and a role model for professional women in crisis.

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Her 2014 exit from Grey's Anatomy: Reflective, complete, and final

Sandra Oh's 2014 exit from Grey's Anatomy was no secret. It was penned a year ahead of time so that the writers could make her departure a dignified one. Cristina's journey to Zurich to be the director of a research hospital provided the character with the choice to depart from the program on her terms—strong, triumphant, and alive and kicking in the world of Grey's Anatomy.

The season 10 finale provided Cristina with a full-circle departure, going back to her roots, her values, and her affinity with Meredith Grey. Viewers and reviewers both celebrated the episode for respecting both the character and the actor's long-running service. It was apparent at the time and continued to be the case afterwards that her leaving was an irreversible exit.

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Sandra Oh’s consistent message

Year after year, year after year, Oh has been asked if she was coming back to Grey's Anatomy as a guest. In 2018, in an interview with Deadline, she had said,

"It is that love that has made me go, ‘Oh. The fans really, really, really want it,’ and for the first time, that’s when I started opening up the idea."

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Why the fans keep holding out—and why Oh holds fast

Though Cristina Yang herself hasn't returned to the show since 2014, there was never any lack of hope for her return as long as the fans remained informed. The character is referred mentioned, discussed spoken about in the series in terms of, i.e., through constant communication with Meredith Grey. The reminder has kept hope alive among the old-timers.

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Life after Grey's: A career full of substance

After leaving Allo Allo, Sandra Oh began to receive the kind of work that has made her one of the greatest actresses, with a new lineup of skills creating material on TV today.

In Killing Eve as MI5 operative Eve Polastri, she took home a Golden Globe, a Critics' Choice Award, and earned a few Emmy nominations. She has also guest-starred on Netflix shows The Chair as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman of color to lead an English department in a top-ranked university.

These newer characters have also been utilized by Oh to create other subject matter identity, power, and representation, which were secondary to the subject matter of Grey's Anatomy. This has enabled her to branch out and give back to her audience worldwide on television, most notably as a role model for Asian-American women.

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Cristina Yang's legacy continues without a physical return

Although Sandra Oh wasn't technically recast as Cristina Yang, the character is not dead. Showrunners preserved Cristina in the Grey's Anatomy universe by having her surface sporadically in the fictional form of letters, phone calls, and name drops, most relentlessly when Meredith must make huge life or career choices. Such scenes are the unexpected confirmation of platonic friendship that made early show seasons.

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Sandra Oh has made it clear that she has no intention of returning to Grey’s Anatomy, not because of dissatisfaction or distance, but because she truly feels her work as Cristina Yang is complete.

Also read: Where to watch Grey's Anatomy?