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Sandra Oh received an honorary doctorate of the arts at Dartmouth College on Sunday, June 15, 2025. While giving her acceptance speech and discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the actress addressed the 2025 graduating class of the college. She stated that she had often objected to the script of Grey's Anatomy.
For the unversed, Sandra Oh played Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy. She appeared in the medical drama since its premiere in 2005 to its tenth season in 2014.
At the 2025 Commencement, the actress mentioned in her speech that she "demanded a lot" from the scriptwriters and fought for script change when she felt the lines didn't fit her character.
"When I started Grey's, I was in my early 30s. So I had an idea of who I was, and what the work entailed. But I had no idea what was coming. I demanded a lot. From myself and from the writers. If something in a script bothered me, I would fight for what I believed was right for the character of Cristina because I felt responsible for her," the actress stated.
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Sandra Oh added that while her intervention with scriptwriters made Cristina Yang a "memorable character," it gave the writers "grief." The 53-year-old actress continued with her speech and claimed the popular show had a "Sandra Whisperer" on set, who was in charge of dealing with her.
"While this contributed to the creation of a memorable character — my desire to make the dialogue fit — my belief that I knew what was best for the character. Also caused grief for the writers, and for me. Let me tell you, there was a dedicated "Sandra Whisperer" on staff," she said.
Sandra Oh advised students on feeling discomfort
On June 15, Sandra Oh told Dartmouth College's graduating class of 2025 that "being with discomfort" is a learning opportunity, and it taught her many things in life. She advised the students to "train" themselves to learn from their discomfort.
"Nothing has taught me more than being with discomfort. It can be our greatest learning opportunity. And it is also Inevitable. So, if you can train yourself not to turn away, but to learn to be with your discomfort — and trust that it might be telling you something you don't yet know," the actress stated.
The Grey's Anatomy star touched upon other subjects such as climate change, job market, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). She encouraged the graduates to build muscle around their worries and discomfort.
"Maybe you're worried about the dismantling of civil rights and liberties, or the planet burning, or the robots taking over. Maybe you desperately want to make a difference, and you have no idea where to start. Whatever the reason, one way to start building some muscle around this discomfort is to actually be in it by choice," she said.
On the work front, Sandra Oh will star in director Wang Xiaoshuai's psychological thriller Child's Play, as reported by Variety. Moreover, she is also working on Aziz Ansari's upcoming directorial debut film, Good Fortune, co-starring Seth Rogen, Ansari, Keke Palmer, and Keanu Reeves. The comedy film will be released in the theaters on October 17, 2025.
