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Where has Sandra Oh been?
Watch: The Women of Killing Eve Are Ready to Break Boundaries
Its the kind of role that raises the question: Why isnt Sandra Oh getting lead roles?
But theyre both grounded in this female adversarial energy.
Is there something about that dynamic that attracts you?Huh, I didnt really notice that.
Its super-charged, like youre getting to wrestle with the female psyche that way.
InCatfight, both of our characters wanted to kill the other.
Those are just the spiky places I feel are so interesting to explore.
Eve and Villanelle are adversaries, but its more complicated than that.
Its not only adversarial energy, its mixed equally with almost a twin-like nature.
And theres this kind of indescribable attraction.
How can it possibly end well?
You barrel toward it anyway.
Do you think theres something aspirational in how Eve sees Villanelle?
Shes stuck behind a desk, not fulfilling her full potential, whereas Villanelle is.Oh yes.
The idea of that is really thrilling to her.
Shed never admit to it.
I dont even think that shes conscious of it.
Its not just that she wears great clothes, because she does.
Its the personality, the individuality, the flair with which Villanelle is and moves through the world.
Its something Eve is also fascinated by and really probably needs to integrate herself.
Did you ever consider doing a British accent?Oh you know what?
Early on, its like,oh did you need that?
Because if it is, I gotta start practicing right now.
They wanted there to be a North American/American presence.
And I like that also because Eve is an outsider.
And one of the ways is that she did not grow up in the culture.
How did the project come to you?It just came to my doorstep one day.
I got a call about it and read the script.
I was familiar withFleabagand then we met on Skype.
You and Phoebe?Yes.
And went back and forth and blah blah blah and then it happened!
I know its crazy.
Im saying this kind of off the cuff, which in one way it is.
And I also want to recognize that it came to me because of everything that Ive done before.
Well, this gets into what I wanted to talk about with you.
And I have so much opportunity because I can say no, and I choose to say no.
I took a lot of time to find the right project.
So Im interested in reframing what I know youre asking me.
Because its taken a long time to accept the reality of where we are.
I know Ive had an extraordinary path.
But it doesnt have to look like anyone elses, you know?
And it cant.And it cant.
And its also about me believing that.
Thinking of it that way just causes me suffering.
But being aligned to it to say,How do I stay creative?
How do I still connect?
How do I practice access?That you could do every day.
Whether youre on a set or not.
And that is just preparation for when something actually does come that youre fully prepared for.
Does that make sense?
The only thing we can control is our actions and what motivates us.
But also, shits hard.[Laughs.
]Yes, because you know what, not only is shit hard, its extremely unfair.
I felt it, and I have felt it deeply.
And Im extremely fortunate.
So Im not going to not say that its not there, because it is.
That you dont have opportunity.
Its all how you see the opportunity.
And the clearer and deeper you get into what you really want, you just become a better artist.
If thats what you really want becoming a better artist does that include access?
Does that include having 5 billion Instagram followers?
Thats for you to decide.
Even within this giant paradigm that a lot of times doesnt include people who look like us.
Im totally with you.
And also the work it takes to transcend it.
I try and spend more of my time focused there, because I think thats my job.
I was quickly scrolling down the script, and I cant really tell you what I was looking for.
So Im like, So Nancy, I dont understand, whats the part?
And Nancy goes Sweetheart, its Eve, its Eve.
In that moment, I did not assume the offer was for Eve.
I think about that moment a lot.
Of just going, how deep have I internalized this?
Its like, how does racism define your work?
And this is me talking, right?
After being told to see things a certain way for decades, you realize, Oh my god!
So that was a revelation to me.
Thats how deep this is.
We cant see ourselves as the heroes of our own stories.Correct.
Wed just doneDouble Happinessand we saw this movie and we were weeping.
Like, shuddering weeping.
Weeping more than really the film deserved.
Our experience was much bigger than what was being called for.
And we havent even scratched the surface of how deeply we need to see ourselves represented.
And how its not just leaving the images to the outside voices.
Its finding it within ourselves.
Ive been thinking about us and our community a lot.
How do people understand us more?
How do we connect?
Our world is so big.
Our parents are incredible people.
Theyve lived through war, and then moved to a country where they didnt speak any…Speak English.
Keep writing about it.
Keep writing about what you dont know.
Is there a role you havent played yet that you would love to play?Oh Im sure.
I just havent met it yet.
Im really happy to be playing this one right now.
You seem like youre having a lot of fun.I am.
And even these things that were talking about now, I have definitely put into this show.
Those things we need to believe about ourselves.
Im just trying to think of, say, the things Villanelle represents to Eve.
Or that Carolyn represents to Eve.
Or that any of the other characters represents to Eve.
For me, I just am so grateful to be an actor.
We can use the creative process to work shit out.
I feel like youre really exploring the wide palette of female relationships.
Its like an Elena Ferrante novel happening with your career.Oh my god, I was obsessed with those books!
That is like the biggest compliment.
Because I get what youre saying.
Even what youre pointing out, you go fromGreystoCatfighttoKilling Eve.
Im excited for the next one, I dont know whats that gonna be.
I guess maybe Im interested in that.
I loved those novels.
We dont know who she is, or maybe its a he, but its a she.
And I just felt it was so much of a documentary.
I feel like, Oh my gosh shes exposing her entire life.
And it makes us more flexible in certain ways and less flexible in other ways.
But that was a true exploration, those four novels.
She lives in Calgary, Alberta, and shes a mom of two teenage boys.
Shes an HR specialist.
And we lead very different lives and our friendship has gone all places.
Including the therapists room.
We hit a rough patch where we couldnt connect, and we hurt each other.
But that [person] who knows you inside and out … shes definitely my best friend.
Ive played so much of my friendship inGreys, very much so.
But I would say the No.
1 person who I explore in some ways is my sister.
Ive played my sister in so many things.
What was it like when you metJustin Trudeau?You want to know?
Ive met him a few times now.
One, he is that handsome.
Two, there is something so immediate and personable and exceptionally Canadian about him, because he is.
I was like, Prime Minister Trudeau and he would just say you better call me Justin.
And I would say Prime Minister Trudeau, just just, come to the house for a beer.
You just want to hang out with him and shoot the shit.
He and his family, Sophie, his wife.
Theyre really, really lovely, wonderful people.
And Im supportive of him and I hope he does good things for our country.
