Sandra Oh became only the third Asian woman to host Saturday Night Live yesterday in the program’s 38 seasons, but the second in five months. The last being Awkwafina in April. Lucy Liu was the first in 2000.
The Canadian-born Oh revealed that she became an American one year ago and now holds dual citizenship. Her monologue evolved around a cultural trait Asians and Canadians share. Both have trouble with flattery. Canadians, she says, don’t like to brag about themselves and Asians have a knack for deflecting complements. Leslie Jones joined Oh to show her the secrets of American bravado.
Oh played high school nerd Mikey Day’s future girlfriend in the sketch entitled Future Shelf. Day looks into the mirror to see his buff self ten years later. He’s informed his girlfriend will be Tish, as played by Oh. Tishy, we’re told is great at giving “goo goo.” The AV Club described it as Oh’s “showiest act of go-for-broke belly laugh work.”
Even funnier was Kate McKinnon’s sketch as an 85-year old office worker who wanted something quite risque for her birthday. Oh plays one of McKinnon’s co-workers-none of who are sure how to oblige the adorable Kate. Unfortunately, Oh’s role was fairly minor in the sketch, but she’s used to it, having played on the ensemble Grey Anatomy cast for nine season.
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