Side Dish: More with Sandra Oh

Summary

Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Side Dish: More with Sandra Oh
Release Date: July 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this “Side Dish” companion to the main episode of Dinner’s on Me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down for an in-depth, off-the-cuff conversation with Sandra Oh—award-winning actor known for Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve, and currently starring in The Misanthrope at London’s National Theatre. Recorded at Dorian in Notting Hill, this extra helping dives deeper into Sandra’s creative process, her experiences growing up as a Korean Canadian, the changing landscape for Asian artists, her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, and the profound joys of returning to past collaborations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Sandra Oh on Working With Peter Dinklage in “Twelfth Night”

[02:58–05:58]

• Sandra marvels at Peter Dinklage’s physicality and improvisational growth on stage:
  • “Peter Dinklage is like that fucking dude, man. He is the most surprisingly physically expressive actor.” (Sandra Oh, 03:15)
  • She describes watching Dinklage meticulously layer new facets into his character at every rehearsal and performance.
  • Recalling an anecdote: Peter’s comic “run” as Malvolio was borrowed from his son—who then “licensed” it back to him for $50.
  • Sandra celebrates the way Peter’s commitment drives his scene partners to raise their own game:
    • “You gotta step up. It’s like you’re gonna battle it out with Peter Dinklage on stage.” (Sandra Oh, 05:07)

The Experience of Performing for Family & Children

[06:45–07:41]

• Jesse discusses his children seeing him perform, and the curiosity that comes with kids viewing parents as both artists and public figures.
  • Notable moment: Jesse’s child asks, “Why is everyone being so mean to Malvolio?” raising questions about empathy in classic theater.

Growing Up Korean Canadian & Watching Korean Culture Go Global

[11:27–13:48]

• Sandra shares her immigration background and what it meant to be part of the first Korean families in Ottawa:
  • “We were the first four families in Ottawa, Korean families to kind of establish a church… you’re establishing community and you don’t have a lot of other Koreans around you.” (Sandra Oh, 12:19)
• Reflects on becoming a “visible other” and the unique challenges of being a racial minority in a predominantly white environment.
• She expresses joy and hope at seeing Korean culture embraced globally after decades of invisibility.

The Changing Landscape for Asian Artists & Finding Community

[13:48–16:29]

• Remembers how early Asian actors like John Cho, Ming-Na Wen, and Tamlyn Tomita “never spent time together because we were all individually just trying to make our way.”
• Notes the emergence of a younger generation of Asian talent that is more connected and supportive.
• Sandra on witnessing the “Turning Red” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” moment at the Oscars:
  • “It’s not an individual thing. It just spreads down to all.” (Sandra Oh, 16:32)
  • Applauds directors like the Daniels for representing new, empathetic forms of masculinity and diverse storytelling.

Metropolitan Opera Debut & The Art of Screaming

[18:36–23:02]

• Sandra describes her exhilarating, nerve-wracking debut at The Met in La Fille du Régiment:
  • “Never in a million years did you ever think, no. At the Met, dude. 4,000.” (Sandra Oh, 18:56)
• She humorously details learning how to “scream healthily” on such a massive stage, guided by Met staff through vocal exercises to avoid injury.
  • “How do I scream in a healthy way?... That was like my high note!” (Sandra Oh, 22:23)

Returning to Old Collaborations & Revisiting the Past

[23:02–30:31]

• Jesse and Sandra reminisce about the NYC theater scene—including Sandra’s impact in Diana Son’s Stop Kiss.
• Sandra shares a full-circle moment: her current understudy in London saw her in Stop Kiss at age 16, and now they’re colleagues.
• The meaningfulness of long-term artistic relationships:
  • “If you just keep doing the work and loving the work, suddenly 30 years go by and the meaning that you have with someone… is so deep.” (Sandra Oh, 27:25)
• Describes the emotional richness of a 30-year Stop Kiss reunion at The Public, and how returning to formative roles as a more mature artist brings added depth (“the entire base place of who I am… was so much larger.”)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dinklage’s comedy and parental influence:
  “His son was like, you can pay me for that run. So… he made Peter give him money to license the run.” (Jonathan Hirsch, 05:43)
• On seeing Korean culture go global:
  “It is so interesting and thrilling… seeing how Korean culture has just gone kind of global.” (Sandra Oh, 12:19)
• On finding community with other Asian performers:
  “Now that it’s changing, it’s amazing. It’s amazing to experience.” (Sandra Oh, 14:38)
• On the Oscars night of “Everything Everywhere”:
  “It just really filled me with hope, actually.” (Sandra Oh, 17:25)
• On performing at The Met:
  “It’s a holy space. The greatest voices have been there.” (Sandra Oh, 20:07)
• On the growth of long collaborations:
  “The experience is so rich. Because your relationships are like that, the experience is rich. And then the audience gets—it.” (Sandra Oh, 29:22)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:58-05:58| Sandra Oh on Peter Dinklage in “Twelfth Night” | | 06:45-07:41| Jesse’s children reacting to theater & public life | | 11:27-13:48| Sandra’s immigration background and Korean-Canadian identity | | 13:48-16:29| Asian artists’ community & hope from contemporary successes | | 18:36-23:02| Metropolitan Opera debut & learning to scream | | 23:02-30:31| On legacy, reuniting with past collaborators, and artistic growth |

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Themes & Tone

The tone is warm, candid, and often irreverently funny, reflecting the intimacy of old friends trading stories over dinner. There’s a strong undercurrent of gratitude for creative community, pride in cultural heritage, and hopefulness about the progress being made for underrepresented groups in the arts. The podcast blends humor, vulnerability, and sharp industry insight—making it entertaining and inspiring even for listeners new to the world of theater or Asian representation in media.

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For full context and more behind-the-scenes stories, listeners are encouraged to hear the entire main conversation with Sandra Oh on Dinner’s on Me.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This summer I'm in London performing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium. I'm playing King Herod, which is a role I have never imagined I'd ever get to say I was playing.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

But here we are.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm having a lot of fun. What's interesting about being away for longer stretches of time is that after the excitement of the trip wears off, you start thinking about home. Not in a homesick way, just, you know, in a practical way. You realize your home is sitting there empty while you're off having this incredible experience somewhere else. And that's what got me thinking about listing space on Airbnb while you're away. Whether you're traveling for work, taking an extended vacation, or spending part of the summer somewhere else, it can be a great way to earn a little extra cash while you're gone. And if the idea of hosting feels like a lot to manage, Airbnb's co host network can help. You can partner with a local co host who can take care of the day to day details for you, like managing reservations, providing on site support, or even helping to style your home so that it's even more enticing for guests. This kind of specialized help makes lists your home on Airbnb feel a lot more manageable. So if you've got summer plans or you're playing King Herod in London, this could be a great time to get started. Find a co [e-mail] host one thing

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

I can always count on with Beckett and Sully. If I make them a good sandwich, I know it's going to get eaten. And honestly, when you're packing lunches day after day, that is a win. You want something your kids are excited about, but you also want to feel good about what you're sending them off with. That's why I love Boar's Head. At the Deli Count, our favorites are freshly sliced and made with the quality I can count on. Their Maple Honey Ham and Maple Honey Turkey are made with premium whole cuts and crafted with 100% maple syrup and grade A Golden honey so you get great flavor along with quality protein. To help fuel busy school days, pair it with their American Cheese made from a hand selected blend of 100% all natural cheddar. And you've got a lunch that's simple, delicious and one they'll actually finish. For lunchtime Inspiration, visit boar's head.com they've

[Jonathan Hirsch]

got lots of kid favorite ideas to

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

make packing lunches a little easier. And for Boar's Head Head to Your local deli counter.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

[Podcast Host]

Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinners on Me. We had Sandra O. On who? You know, from Grey's Anatomy, Killing Eve. And she's currently in London starring in the Misanthrope at the National Theatre. We discussed our time sharing the stage last summer in Shakespeare in the park in Twelfth Night, and how growing up as the daughter of Korean immigrants shaped both her life and career. We're jumping into the conversation as Sandra reflects on the incredible creative process of performing alongside Peter Dinklage in Twelfth Night.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Abby, I was absolutely in awe of what you and Peter figured out in your scenes together. Specifically you and Peter Dinklage. Yeah. Because I watched you in rehearsal and it was great then. And then, like, by the time the last performance happened, I was like, how did we get here?

[Sandra Oh]

I know. I gotta tell you, Peter Dinklage is like that fucking dude, man. He is the most surprisingly physically expressive actor.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yes.

[Indu]

You know?

[Sandra Oh]

Cause it's like, I think that we're used to, like, his gravitas, you know, him in a close up, that kind of Game of Thrones, you know what I mean?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

But he's hilarious. So funny.

[Sandra Oh]

And he's just so physically gifted. Like, what he ended up doing, finding his kind of physical language of her Malbodio. It was just utterly inspired. And it's amazing again, watching an actor, it starts by building. When you're saying it's like, oh, there's something. Oh, he's found a walk. Oh, he's starting to do something with his hands.

[Indu]

Right.

[Sandra Oh]

Oh, now he's the way he anxiously

[Jonathan Hirsch]

vacuumed up the cocaine.

[Sandra Oh]

Right. You know what I mean? And also, like, how he then,

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

yeah,

[Sandra Oh]

he's interesting actor to watch because, like, he'll come in. I mean, honestly, I can talk about everybody, like, for days watching him layer. Each time something will happen. And then you can see that he's layered something. But he already has an enormous amount of depth. But then you see the technical aspect and the skill of the actor just kind of like layering stuff.

[Guest/Advertiser Voice]

Great.

[Sandra Oh]

It's great. Oh, and he's also. Get out of the way.

[Indu]

He.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

He is.

[Sandra Oh]

He's unabashedly, get out of the way. I'm coming. And so, yeah, what happens is that you gotta. You gotta step up. You gotta step up. It's like, it's like you're gonna battle it out with Peter Dinklage on stage.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

So it's just like, I'm gonna make you laugh.

[Indu]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

You're gonna make me laugh. I'm gonna push.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

And he's gonna do better.

[Sandra Oh]

Oh, he's gonna make you better. And you know, you want to make him better. It's like, oh, it's great to be able to have a partner.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

One of my favorite stories, and it's really, really his story to tell. But, like, you know, he had this great run where he would run with his arms.

[Sandra Oh]

Oh, my God.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

And he, his kids came to see the show with his wife, and his son was like, that run looks familiar. That's the run that I do when I want to be funny. And Peter was like, yeah, I'm. I'm borrowing it. I'm, I'm stealing. He's like, and his son. Do you know the story?

[Sandra Oh]

No.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

His son was like, you can pay me for that run. So he, he, he, he made Peter give him money to license the run.

[Sandra Oh]

License the run.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

That's like, well, good for your son.

[Sandra Oh]

That's a smart, That's a smart move.

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

I was like, your son's smart.

[Sandra Oh]

Smart move.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

So Peter had to like, give him like 30 bucks, like, license, maybe even more. $50. So, like, license, 50. That's good.

[Sandra Oh]

Yeah, that's good.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

I think Erica, his wife was like, negotiating up. She's like, ask for more. He can afford it. He gets residuals in Game of thrones. It's fine.

[Podcast Host]

100 bucks. Performance.

[Sandra Oh]

That, that must also be fascinating. I'm so curious, you know, you know, when kids grow up and then.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Perfect.

[Sandra Oh]

Yes, we can hang on to that.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Hang on to it.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah. Thank you so much.

[Sandra Oh]

Amazing. Delicious. Thank you. When kids grow up and see their parents acting.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah. I'm really glad that my kids have been coming to see me on stage. They came to see an invite, a dress rehearsal of Jesus Christ Superstar. My six year old Beckett, who was at five last summer, saw Twelfth Night, had incredibly interesting questions.

[Sandra Oh]

Very interesting question.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Like, understood things. He's like, why is everyone being so mean to Malvoli? I was like, I wish I had a better answer. But he's like, we don't really have a rational reason.

[Sandra Oh]

Yeah. Because in Shakespeare time, they like being really cruel.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah. Yeah. We're being mean to someone. So, you know, I love that they're seeing me on stage, but now they're starting to realize that people know me from something else called Modern Family. They're aware of that. And so it'll be interesting to like, figure out when I. I feel like it's the right time for letting them see that, you know? Cause it was a huge chunk of my life. Like, I don't want to keep that from them. Of course not. Especially when people are talking about it. Strangers know me from that sting.

[Sandra Oh]

So I wonder what it was like for Peter's kid to go, hey, that's mine.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, yeah, I know.

[Podcast Host]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Sandra opens up about growing up as one of the only Korean kids in her town in Ottawa, and why seeing Korean culture embraced around the world gives so much hope. Okay, be right back.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

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[Podcast Host]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Your parents were immigrants, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Korean immigrants. And when you were in, was there a lot of. Were there a lot of Koreans in your school? How did they introduce you to your culture?

[Sandra Oh]

Well, you know, you're Korean. You're Korean. You know what I mean? But I find it interesting, and I'm sure that there has been sociologists who kind of tracked the first wave of Korean immigrants. Actually, not that first wave, I should say the wave that came in because my parents came in actually after. In like the late 60s. 60s. So in America, after the Civil Rights Act. Right. The doors opened to a lot of students. So my parents first came to the States, actually, and then to Canada through student visas.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Okay.

[Sandra Oh]

And. And then they settled in. In. In Ottawa. And. And. And it's. And it's so interesting and thrilling. You know what I mean? Whatever. Like, 55 years later, it's like seeing how Korean culture has just gone kind of global. And when I grew up, we were the first four families in Ottawa, Korean families to kind of establish a church. So you're just. It's that classic thing. It's like you're establishing the community and you don't have a lot of other Koreans around you. I didn't grow up in Toronto or New York or la.

[Indu]

Right.

[Sandra Oh]

Where there are, like. There were like, a lot. And so I think that really influenced a lot. A lot. Being a very visible other and a very visible minority. You know, there was very rarely a lot of people of color around me and that. And so when I left Canada and then went to New York, changed my life.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah. Same.

[Sandra Oh]

Mostly Actually, I would say New York even more than la, even though LA is filled with Koreans. It was actually because of the people that I met in theater in New York. And it was just like. And not only, you know, Asian people, it's just people. It's like my people.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

You know what I mean? Where it opens you up so consolidated.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Like, you have to walk the streets, you have to walk by all these different smells from different cuisines. And like, it's a melting pot. And you're in the melting pot in a way that you just are not in so many other metropolises. So, I mean, I completely. I was the same. I mean, it opened up my mind in so many different ways. And, yeah, New York's so good for that.

[Sandra Oh]

Oh, no, but like, I remember talking to, you know, John Cho.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

So, like, kind of the feeling of, like, me, John Cho, Dan Can, Ming Na, Tamlin Tamita. We never spent time together because

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

we

[Sandra Oh]

were all individually just trying to make our way. And so it's been really nice in the past, whatever. I'd say 10 years, under 10, seven years or so, maybe. Yeah. Around 10 years of really feeling this kind of community because the younger generation are all hanging right. There's no kind of separation. We were separated because of just the nature of. It was never more than one Asian person on set. You know what I mean? So it's just like now that it's changing, it's amazing. It's amazing to experience. And honestly, this is also a little bit about, I think, of your question about what it is to kind of grow up first generation immigrant. You don't kind of really know or trust what's going to happen. Like, if you're going to. If you're going to experience it in your lifetime where openness happens or acceptance happens or your story happens. And of course, you're always trying to open that up. But you know that I happen to have been at the Oscars because this film that I did. My God, what is it called? Oh, Turning Red. Turning Red. The animation.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Oh, my God, I loved it so much. Sandra. My kids love that film so much.

[Guest/Advertiser Voice]

It's a good one.

[Sandra Oh]

It's one.

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

They love it.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

It's so good.

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

Good.

[Sandra Oh]

It's so good, right?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

So good. You played the mother.

[Sandra Oh]

Yes, I did. So domici. So it was nominated for an Oscar, but that was the same year that everything, everyone, everywhere, all at once was.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

So it's like. And I know a bunch of. I know a bunch of people.

[Indu]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

And I. To witness that. It was like it blew my mind in a way that. I don't know. It. It's not an individual thing. Right. It's like it just spreads down to all. And also, like those two directors, the Daniels, it's like, oh, look, that's the new generation of masculine, right? A masculine that is coming from a different place. Coming from a different place. And I could just see it, the way that they were operating in their many acceptance speeches. What are you deciding to say? What kind of message are you trying to put out there? And so I was just. It just felt. It just really filled me with hope, actually.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, I'm glad that you got to be a part of that celebration in that room with them, too.

[Sandra Oh]

It was amazing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Sandra tells me about making her Metropolitan Opera debut. The terrifying art of learning how to scream on one of the world's biggest stages, and why returning to old collaborators decades later can be one of the most meaningful experiences of an actor's career. Okay, be right back.

[Indu]

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[Podcast Host]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Tell me about. Because I missed it, and I'm so sad working at the Metropolitan Opera. Oh, so you went from Twelfth Night, which I think is a pretty fancy job, to then working at the Met in an opera.

[Sandra Oh]

Yes. Yes. That was amazing. That was amazing. That was amazing. I mean, the Met is just never

[Jonathan Hirsch]

in a million years did you ever think, no.

[Sandra Oh]

No, man, I don't. I mean, I wish I could sing like you can sing, but I can't. But I can speak French and I can be funny. So those were the only prerequisites. And so I was asked to do the part of the, like, the bad duchess in La Fil du Regiment. And it just fit into the schedule in such a way where it's like, would you want to come and do an opera? And I'm like, are you kidding? Yes. I love at the Met. At The Met, dude. 4,000.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

That sees 4,000.

[Sandra Oh]

4,000. Let me tell you. You want to practice space you. That's Every, Every. And I would only. I asked for. It's like, can I please have 10 minutes on stage to warm up? That's it. Because everything is also so tight. Meaning, like, not regulated, but people are doing very intense. And they are making. They are making the stage as you're warming up. They are making.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Because don't they. It works in rep? Kind of.

[Sandra Oh]

Yes, it works in rep.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

They'll do, like, La Boheme and then that set will, like, go away and they'll bring in something else and they fly up in the rafters, right?

[Sandra Oh]

Yes, yes. Okay, so let's just say either there's a matinee or a rehearsal of La Boheme, the full stage is on stage. Right. And then they break it down for the evening show. And then they break that show down and put the. Put whatever's up for the next day. It's intense. Thousands of people are working there constantly. And it's a bespoke art form. You can't not. What? What? What? No, no. You need people to do that. And so it was really. It's one. The most beautiful space, and it's. It's a holy space. The greatest voices have been there. People have come and in awe, listened to the greatest voices. That space has all that energy, and to be on that stage, it was amazing. So talk about not being prepared. You can't. I was on stage four times. Not four times before going on stage.

[Indu]

No.

[Sandra Oh]

Yes. And then just seven performances. So basically, it's.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

So how long were you on stage for, once you were on stage?

[Sandra Oh]

I had a bit. I had, like, three little scenes.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, okay.

[Sandra Oh]

No, so it's actually in. In the terms of speaking parts for operas, it was a fairly good speaking part. Usually they. They kind of bring in, you know, an opera singer who's. Who's retired, who's familiar with it, and come on and be a grand dame and all that stuff. But thank you, honey.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Do you remember?

[Sandra Oh]

It was amazing. It was so.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

When you were. When you're out of your elements, first of all, it's so exciting that we can, like, make ourselves nervous like that. I mean, I feel that way about Jesus Christ Superstar every night before I go out on stage, I'm like, oh, my God, I'm so nervous. Like, this is. I feel like I'm a little out of my element, but I can't even imagine. You must have felt that tenfold with the man.

[Sandra Oh]

You know, I chose to do this scream. Well, the duchess kind of screams. Right. But I was like, I was suddenly like, how do I scream?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, like in a healthy way.

[Sandra Oh]

How do I scream in a healthy way? And then I'm like, I'm in the room, I'm like, there's. This is the most perfect room for someone to help teach me how to scream. And then the, you know, people from the Met, it's just like go through this whole breathing exercise and then how you have to, like, you have to warm up this entire. Because it's. This head is all a resonant. And then you just send the thing up here. And so each night it was just like, I want to. Just like. That was like. That was like my high note. It was just like, I need to hit that C. I need to hit that, that, that scream. And can we talk about like you and Jesus Christ Superstar for a second?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Thank you for coming, by the way.

[Sandra Oh]

Oh my gosh, it was so exciting. It's like you come in. So Jesse plays Herod and has a show stopping number and you just come in and you do. You stop the show. It's just like you come and it's like you just eat, Eat the stage.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Thank you. You're very kind to say that. I had seen you on stage the day before and you told me that you had physical therapy that you scheduled. I've scheduled therapy at the National Theater before. I know the doctors are like, they can't always get to you when you schedule time. You gotta keep that time. You had scheduled physical therapy at 4:30. My show started at 2:30. I come in the middle of the second act. I was like, I hope you get even. Stay to see my, my performance. You stayed. Thank you. But thank you for, for coming. But also I looked at my watch before I went on stage. I was like, there's no way.

[Sandra Oh]

There's hilarious. Sandra's making it to physical therapy.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, you're very kind to come.

[Sandra Oh]

What theater? But.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

I know, I know.

[Sandra Oh]

What's that like? It's very high.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

The. Yeah, the Hollywood.

[Sandra Oh]

The London Palladium.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's old and huge.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Huge. 2200 seats.

[Indu]

Wow.

[Sandra Oh]

Can I just tell you packed matinee packed.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

It's been sold out. It's been crazy.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Amazing.

[Indu]

It is.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

It's very cool. It's very cool. Also the fact I've got to see you three days in a row.

[Sandra Oh]

That's amazing.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Well, I didn't actually see you yesterday,

[Sandra Oh]

but I saw you. I saw you.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

I was in the presence of you. You wait, you sat in the balcony?

[Sandra Oh]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Good seats.

[Sandra Oh]

It was great. Seats.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Great seats, everyone.

[Sandra Oh]

Paul, over there. Thank you. Paul.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, Paul.

[Podcast Host]

Paul is great.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, yeah. No, I'm so happy you came to see it. And it's always so good to see you. I think I told you when I met you, one of the first things I saw you in was that Diana sun play. Oh, Soft Kiss, which I. That talk about moments on stage where, like, you're talking about Cherry Jones in the Heiress. Like, there's just certain things that are embedded in that play is very. I feel like it's at the tip of my memory. Like, I remember very, very. There's electricity around the memory of that play. And just, like, the allure of the Public Theater. You know, at that time, I feel like.

[Sandra Oh]

Didn't we discuss. I think you were doing a show and I were doing. I was doing a show at the Public near the very same time. Weren't you on. On the Town?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

I was around the town at the same time. Yeah. So, like, that was a very exciting time for me because I was getting my Equity card, doing a show at the Public Theater, and Stop Kiss was happening. So I felt like I was part of that family and that community. And it was just seeing someone, you know, that I already kind of admired up on stage. I was like, oh, I can't believe I'm, like, part of this same world. You know, it was very, very cool.

[Sandra Oh]

You know, Gabby Wong, she is my cover here. When I met her as the cast. She's my understudy for the Misanthrope as the part of Alice. When I met her the first day, she said to me, when I was 16, I saw you on stage in New York City. And then I was like, what? She goes, I saw you in Stop Kiss. Can you believe this? And however many years later, then we work together.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Together. Yeah. That is really special.

[Sandra Oh]

It is so special. And Diana actually came to see the. Diana's son, the playwright, she came to see this. Yeah. Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

One thing I will say about you, and I've noticed this is you. And same with Indu, you develop relationships with people and you really carry them through your life in a way. I mean, obviously not everyone, but, like, I feel like if you identify in someone that they're meaningful to you or you're. You have an artistic vision that is in alignment with theirs. Like, you really do a great job of creating and finding moments with those people. I mean, there's that filmmaker that you did, your. What's that great film that you did that. It was like your second film that was such a big Deal. You won an award for it.

[Sandra Oh]

Double Happiness.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Double Happiness. Wasn't that. Yes. You've done several movies. Yeah. Like you've done several things with her.

[Indu]

Yes.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah. Double Happiness. And I just. I mean, it seems that way with Indu. I hope that it's that way with me.

[Indu]

Yes.

[Sandra Oh]

You know what it is? It's like you find collaborators, you know what I mean? Like, you hear about, you know, the famous collaborators, like, you know, Scorsese and De Niro or like, you know, people like that. And it took me a long time to understand. It's like, oh, I'm always searching for that outside of what my experience is. Right. Somehow thinking that, like a rich collaboration or whatever has to be with something that is out there. And then it's like if you just keep doing the work and loving the work and doing the work, suddenly 30 years go by and the meaning that you have with someone that you've been collaborating with for 30 years is so deep. Yeah, we did. Oh, my God. We did a 30.

[Guest/Advertiser Voice]

Fuck.

[Sandra Oh]

We did a 30 year reunion. Weed through for the public for a fundraiser of Stop Kiss, I guess, a couple years ago. And the entire original cast came back. Me, Jessica, Kevin, Carroll, we all came back. We all came back and we did the read. We read it three times and it was incredible. It was incredible because one, many of us have known each other that whole time and you see people go through their lives and kids and this and blah, blah, marriages and blah, blah, blah. And so you just have this richness. But you have this line that when you then come back to it, the experience is so rich. So then because your relationships are like that, the experience is rich. And then the audience gets. The audience gets it.

[Indu]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

That's so cool that you got to do that.

[Sandra Oh]

Oh, that was.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

That's awesome. Yeah, we did that with Spelling bee. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Boar's Head Spokesperson]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

We did a 10 year reunion and it was amazing, like, how much, you know, that's a musical. So we were like trying to recreate. We're like, maybe we'll recreate little pieces of the choreography. And then like, oh, my God, we remember the whole thing. And it was just like wild.

[Indu]

Yes.

[Sandra Oh]

You know, isn't it amazing how you remember those things?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah, really special. That's wild. That would be like me going back and trying to do on the Town because it's the same time. That's so long ago.

[Sandra Oh]

Yeah. But it would be very interesting. I thought in some ways there'd be so much that I would not be able to access because I'm not 26 anymore. Yeah, right. But I found it not that way. I felt like suddenly, boom, like the entire base place of who I am as a person was just so much larger. Right. So there was no way that I could find the depth of the play.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

Because I was 26.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Yeah.

[Indu]

Yeah.

[Sandra Oh]

There was something else, obviously, because I was 26. And you have the youth and you have the, the unknownness of all of it.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Right. But also it's interesting because that's like, it lives in you even though you're not. It's like dormant within you. That experience, experience and the, the, that character and like the work that you did on it. Like, I don't know, I kind of, I, I, I like to think that those things still live artistically and like within you in a dormant way. And then you come, you revisit them, and it's just like you're more informed as an artist and as a person, as a human, as a civilian. And like, you know, it just fills you in a different way. It resonates in a different way because you are a different vessel.

[Indu]

Agree.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

It's really, that's, that's so cool that you gotta do that. People will do a Twelfth Night reunion. I can't remember a lick of dialogue, let me tell ya. Nope, not a lick. Sir Toby Belch. How now? Sir Toby Belch. That's all I remember. Sir Toby Belch, how now? Sir Toby Belch. That's all I remember.

[Podcast Host]

That was a little more from my conversation with Sandra. Oh, if you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners On Me.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Dorian in Notting Hill, London. Next week on Dinner's on Me.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

You know him from Netflix's baby reindeer

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

and HBO's half man. It's Richard Gad. We talk about the surprising downside of

[Jonathan Hirsch]

overnight success, the self doubt that nearly

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

kept him from making his new show Halfman, and what kinds of stories he wants to tell.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Next Dinner is on Me is a

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

production of Sony Music Entertainment and a

[Jonathan Hirsch]

kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode, Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Join me next week.

[Guest/Advertiser Voice]

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