Sandra Oh reiterated her satisfaction with her decision to depart the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" over a decade ago. The actress, who left the series in 2014 after 10 seasons, shared on Jesse Tyler Ferguson's "Dinner's On Me" podcast that she felt her character, Dr. Cristina Yang, had reached a natural conclusion.
"I felt very much like I did my job. I really did my job," Oh explained. "I feel like I created a full character. I feel I grew the character [in] 10 years time, where it's a believable growth."
Oh recalled that show creator Shonda Rhimes approached her during contract renegotiations around the end of season eight or nine. Rhimes asked Oh about her future plans for the show, and Oh took time to consider the offer. Ultimately, she decided to leave the series, despite its significant popularity.
Cristina Yang was written out of "Grey's Anatomy" at the conclusion of its tenth season, taking a new position at an advanced research institute in Switzerland, a storyline devised by the writers. Oh described the ability for the writers to craft a satisfying send-off for her character as a "real, real gift" and an "extremely rare" occurrence.
Earlier in the podcast, Oh also discussed her initial audition process for the show. She auditioned for the role of Miranda Bailey but was drawn to the character of Cristina Yang, whom she identified as an antagonist to the protagonist, Meredith Grey. Oh described her audition as a "work session" that helped her overcome nerves and demonstrate her suitability for the role to Rhimes and the producers.
However, Oh recounted an unusual circumstance where her manager at the time instructed her to walk out of the audition to finalize a deal. Despite this, the show's creative team proceeded to cast Oh as Cristina Yang, attributing their decision to seeing her capabilities during the "work session."