Sandra Oh Becomes First Asian Woman Nominated for Emmy in Lead Role

Sandra Oh made history during Thursday morning’s Emmy nomination announcements when she became the first Asian woman to be nominated in a lead role for her work on BBC America’s spy drama Killing Eve.

Oh was nominated for five consecutive Emmys for Best Supporting Actress during her previous run on Grey’s Anatomy, but never won.

As the title character on Killing Eve, Oh plays a bored security services operative who finds herself at odds with a talented murderer named Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Both women are incredibly intelligent and soon, as each becomes obsessed with the other, the hunt is on. The show is an adaptation of Luke Jennings’ Codename Villanelle novella series.

In a statement to Deadline, Oh expressed what the historic nomination meant to her, especially when another Asian actress shared the news with her: “Seeing her Asian face and congratulating me means a lot to me and a lot to our community … It’s not only the beauty of being acknowledged for your work, it’s an acknowledgement of my community and that has not always been the case.”

Writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge was also nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for her work on the series, though Killing Eve was not nominated for best drama overall.

Find a full list of all of this year’s Emmy nominees here, and find our account of all the nominations’ biggest snubs and surprises right here.