Sandra Oh is returning to the small screen.
The Grey's Anatomy alum makes her series-regular TV comeback in BBC America's Killing Eve, an assassin drama from Fleabag breakout Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
The dramatic thriller revolves around two women: Eve (Oh), a bored, whip-smart, pay-grade MI5 security officer whose desk-bound job doesn't fulfill her fantasies of being a spy; and Villanelle, a mercurial, talented killer who clings to the luxuries her violent job affords her.
Oh, appearing at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour to support Killing Eve, was asked how Eve compares with Dr. Cristina Yang, the brilliant and driven surgeon she portrayed on ABC's Grey's Anatomy for 10 seasons. (And a role for which she earned a Golden Globe, two SAG Awards and five Emmy nominations.)
"I feel very much in a completely different and separate world with Killing Eve," Oh told reporters Friday. "I was happy for the departure. They are both determined characters, but I'm so interested with Eve in her frazzled-ness and how she doesn't have things under control. How she's quite insecure and has not found her voice. That's initially what gravitated me toward this project. Also, that my character is intricately involved with Villanelle and whatever that might mean; that you're constantly in this tone and style of the thriller, that it's so different — I don't necessarily have those character comparisons at all. I'm happy and proud to play Eve; it's a lot of hard work and a lot of fun."
Eve stars opposite Jodie Comer in Killing Eve, with The White Princess actress taking on the role of Villanelle, the killer. Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter) portrays Carolyn, the lead MI6 agent, while Kirby Howell-Baptise portrays Eve's assistant, Elena.
Killing Eve is based on the novellas by Luke Jennings, with the character of Eve white in the book. Oh praised BBC America for making a change from the source material.
"Eve is much more serious in the novella and the character was white," Oh said. "I am not white, I'm Asian. I'm extremely pleased that was taken into consideration in the casting and wasn't taken into consideration in the casting, if you know what I mean. That's a considerable casting choice."
Killing Eve premieres Sunday, April 8, at 8 p.m. on BBC America.
