Actress Sandra Oh, a ‘Korean-Canadian Los Angeleno’, will be Golden Globes’ first Asian host
- Sandra Oh, who will also be the first Canadian host of the Golden Globes, is being paired with comedian Andy Samberg
With just over one month to go until the Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills, producers said Wednesday that actors and previous winners Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will co-host the 76th Golden Globes ceremony on January 6.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association confirmed that Oh will be the first person of Asian descent to present the awards show.
“We are thrilled to have Sandra and Andy co-hosting the Golden Globes,” Mike Mahan, an executive producer of the show, said in a statement, dubbing the choice an “innovative pairing”.
Famous for her nearly decade-long role in the television show Grey’s Anatomy, for which she won a Golden Globe, Oh currently plays the title character in the BBC show Killing Eve.
Sandra Oh makes Emmy history
This year the 47-year-old, who describes herself on her Twitter profile as a “Korean-Canadian Los Angeleno,” became the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Oh will also be the Globes’ first Canadian host.
The actress and producer garnered attention on social media in September when she walked the red carpet at the annual Primetime Emmy Awards with her parents, who emigrated from South Korea to Ottawa. Her mother wore a traditional Korean hanbok to the ceremony.
Samberg and Oh were first paired during the Emmys when they presented the award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.
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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association determines the Golden Globe winners, which span both the television and film industries.
There have been 12 Golden Globe winners of Asian descent, according to the HFPA, including director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Brokeback Mountain), musician Kitaro (Heaven and Earth), actress Nancy Kwan (The World of Suzie Wong) and Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields).
Nominees for the 2019 ceremony will be announced on December 6.
