Ottawa native Sandra Oh made history Thursday as the first Asian woman to be nominated for an Emmy Award for lead actress in a drama series, a category that includes another Canadian 鈥� Tatiana Maslany.
Oh is a contender for playing an MI5 operative hunting down a female assassin on BBC America鈥檚 鈥滽illing Eve,鈥� which debuts in Canada on July 22 on Bravo.
The Canadian-Korean star was previously nominated for five Emmys for her supporting role in the medical drama 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy,鈥� in which she endeared audiences as steely perfectionist Dr. Cristina Yang for 10 seasons.
Oh is now in London shooting season 2 of 鈥淜illing Eve,鈥� created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
鈥淚 feel tremendous gratitude and joy with this nomination,鈥� Oh, 46, said in a statement.
鈥淚 am thrilled for Phoebe Waller-Bridge鈥檚 nomination and for the entire cast/crew of 鈥楰illing Eve.鈥� I share this moment with my community. P.S., I think my mother at this moment may actually be satisfied.鈥�
Meanwhile, Regina-born Maslany is in the running for playing multiple clones on the fifth and final season of the sci-fi series 鈥淥rphan Black,鈥� which wrapped last August on Space. She won the Emmy in the same category in 2016 and was nominated in 2014.
Maslany is now starring in the off-Broadway Tracy Letts play 鈥淢ary Page Marlowe,鈥� which began previews on June 19 and was set to open Thursday.
In a statement, she said her nomination was 鈥渃ompletely unexpected鈥� and paid homage to the show鈥檚 fanbase as well as her fellow contenders, who also include Claire Foy for 鈥淭he Crown,鈥� Keri Russell for 鈥淭he Americans,鈥� Elisabeth Moss for 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale,鈥� and Evan Rachel Wood for 鈥淲estworld.鈥�
鈥淪o excited to be sharing the category with all these amazing women,鈥� Maslany said.
鈥淪o happy Sandra Oh鈥檚 phenomenal work is being recognized!!鈥�
Omg wtf?? This is me hearing about Emmy nom w/ fellow sister - my expression is kinda ..what?
鈥� Sandra Oh (@IamSandraOh)
Other Canadian Emmy nominees this year include Ottawa-born Kari Skogland for best directing in a drama series on the second season of 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale.鈥� Inspired by Toronto author Margaret Atwood鈥檚 1985 dystopian novel, the Canadian-shot Bravo and Hulu series has struck a chord in the #MeToo era with its focus on women鈥檚 role in society.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e working on a project that is really resonating around the world, I think you feel the power of that,鈥� Skogland said by phone Thursday from Toronto.
鈥淎nd you鈥檙e also very humbled by being involved with something that is making such a strong statement in such a powerful way.鈥�
This is the first Emmy nomination for Skogland, whose previous projects include 鈥淏oardwalk Empire,鈥� 鈥淭he Borgias鈥� and 鈥淰ikings.鈥� Her competition includes Toronto native Jeremy Podeswa and Ottawa-raised Alan Taylor for HBO鈥檚 鈥淕ame Of Thrones.鈥�
Earlier this year Skogland won a BAFTA trophy for directing on season 1 of 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale.鈥� The show, along with the #MeToo movement, have helped take her already prolific career to a new level, she said.
鈥淯ntil the #MeToo movement, I would say I arm-wrestled my way into every project to get noticed,鈥� Skogland said.
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Several other Canadians who worked on 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥� also scored Emmy nods, in categories including makeup, sound mixing and visual effects.
鈥淔ull Frontal with Samantha Bee,鈥� hosted by the titular Toronto-born comedian, got a nod for best variety talk series.
Bee is also up for best writing in a variety series 鈥� a category that includes two other Canadians: Montreal鈥檚 Barry Julien, a writer on 鈥淭he Late Show With Stephen Colbert,鈥� and Toronto-raised 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� creator Lorne Michaels.
Martin Short, who grew up in Hamilton, is nominated along with Steve Martin for writing in a variety special for Netflix鈥檚 鈥淪teve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life.鈥�
Bee is also nominated in that category, for a special in which she travelled with her show to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. She scored another nod for best interactive program for her series.
Michael Che and Colin Jost will host the 70th Emmys, which are set for Sept. 17 on NBC, CTV and CTV GO.
Other Canadian nominees include:
- - Canadian composers Mychael and Jeff Danna for their score on CBC-TV鈥檚 adaptation of Atwood鈥檚 novel 鈥淎lias Grace.鈥�
- - Danna for best original main title music for the now-cancelled period drama 鈥漈he Last Tycoon.鈥�
- - Toronto producer John Weber for best children鈥檚 program for the Netflix adaptation of 鈥淎 Series Of Unfortunate Events.鈥�
- - Montreal production designer Elisabeth Williams for work on two episodes of 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale.鈥�
- - Craig Mann of Oakville, Ont., for sound mixing on Paramount Network鈥檚 miniseries 鈥漌aco.鈥�
- - Ottawa-born Vice Media co-founder and executive producer Shane Smith for best information series or special for 鈥淰ice鈥� on HBO.
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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