Will Sandra Oh Ever Win An Emmy Award? Is The Real Issue About Racism In Hollywood?

Katherine Heigl one of the stars of the ABC hit show Grey’s Anatomy has made some controversial statements removing herself from the nominations for this year’s Emmy awards.

Heigl said “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention.”

Heigl also said “In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials.” The latter statement is a total dig at the writers on Grey’s Anatomy. Heigl is ungrateful, selfish, petulant, and immature.

Now some people may think Heigl is being “noble” but really she isn’t. Heigl obviously thinks she is the star of Grey’s Anatomy but she’s not. Ellen Pompeo is the star of Grey’s Anatomy not Katherine Heigl. Sandra Oh has a more prominent role on Grey’s Anatomy than Katherine Heigl as well.

Heigl doesn’t get it, she is not the “star” of Grey’s Anatomy and she will “never” be the female lead on the show. It is clear to me, that Heigl’s ego has gotten too big she obviously can’t handle being in a supporting role on Grey’s Anatomy.

Heigl does have a strong supporting role on the show. Heigl is taking her frustrations to the media and public in hopes of getting kicked off of Grey’s Anatomy but it won’t happen. Heigl is too important to ABC and they won’t terminate her contract.

Katherine Heigl is known for being outspoken she blasted Isaiah Washington last year in the press. I thought Heigl’s comments about Washington last year were totally out of line as well. Does anyone remember Heigl also complained about not receiving the same salary as Sandra Oh last year? Heigl has since received a salary raise. It appears Heigl is also jealous of Sandra Oh because she has a more prominent role on Grey’s Anatomy then Heigl.

However, Heigl’s comments demonstrates a lack of class and professionalism. It is clear, Heigl thinks she is too a big a star to be on Grey’s Anatomy anymore. The ratings for Grey’s Anatomy have taken a hit this season due to the writer’s strike. However, Heigl probably thinks Grey’s Anatomy is slowing down her red hot film career.

Don’t feel sorry for Heigl though, she makes millions from Grey’s Anatomy. Since  Grey’s Anatomy is now in syndication Heigl is going to make even more money. However, Heigl’s comments this week reeks of arrogance and petulance.

Everyone knows Heigl’s film career is on fire she was the female lead in Judd Apatow’s comedy “Knocked Up” the film grossed $ 148, 768, 917 at the domestic box office. The worldwide box office for “Knocked Up”  was an incredible $219, 001, 261.

The production budget for Knocked Up was only $30 million dollars the movie. After the success of Knocked Up, Heigl complained to the media saying the movie was “sexist”.

Heigl proved she can headline a hit movie by herself with her next film 27 Dresses . 27 Dresses was released earlier this year in January which is usually a slow month for the movie studios. However, Heigl proved she has an  audience. Heigl is everything Hollywood loves she is young, attractive, blonde, and she is talented.

The domestic box office for 27 Dresses was a healthy $76, 808 654 and the worldwide box office was $158, 062,108. The budget for 27 Dresses was only $30 million dollars. The bottom line is, Heigl’s career is sky rocketing she is in high demand. Heigl’s film salary is $6 million per movie and she will definitely make even more money. The quandary for Heigl is, the fact she has a contract with ABC and most of the year is devoted to filming Grey’s Anatomy. Heigl wants to make movies she doesn’t want to be on Grey’s Anatomy anymore.

However, Heigl has to remember she never would of gotten the big film roles if she wasn’t a star on Grey’s Anatomy. Grey’s Anatomy put Katherine Heigl on the map in Hollywood. If Heigl wasn’t a star on Grey’s Anatomy she never would of gotten the attention of the power brokers in Hollywood. Heigl shouldn’t be slapping the writers of Grey’s Anatomy in the face with her backhanded comments.

What about Canadian actress Sandra Oh? Where is Sandra Oh’s Emmy award? Where is Chandra Wilson’s Emmy award? Where is Ellen Pompeo’s Emmy award? I thought it was kind of odd that Katherine Heigl won because I always considered her to be the weakest link on Grey’s Anatomy.

Does anyone remember Sandra Oh? Yes Sandra Oh was one of the stars of the hit comedy “Sideways” a few years back but she wasn’t the star of that film. Also, I am cognizant of the fact Sandra Oh has won a Golden Globe award and SAG award for her brilliant performance on Grey’s Anatomy.

It is nice that Sandra’s talent has been recognized by Hollywood. However, Sandra Oh isn’t being offered any leading lady roles despite the fact she is a superior actress to Katherine Heigl. Despite Sandra Oh’s incredible success on Grey’s Anatomy she is still only being offered secondary film roles.

The question is why? Why hasn’t Hollywood given Sandra Oh her breakthrough opportunity to shine on the silver screen? Nobody can say it is because the public doesn’t know Sandra Oh because she is famous. Is it an issue of race perhaps? It definitely appears to me that race is a factor here.

Katherine Heigl fits into the Hollywood category of the pretty, young, white, American, woman she already has a built in audience. Sandra Oh is viewed as an anomaly an Asian Canadian actress that was able to make it big in America.

It is interesting because in Canada Sandra Oh was always one of our biggest stars. Sandra always was a leading lady in Canada she was never second fiddle to anyone in Canada. The problem is Canadian films simply don’t generate enough international media attention or make enough money.

I remember Sandra Oh from the 1993 film “The Diary Of Evelyn Lau”. I was stunned at Sandra’s incredible acting talent. Oh followed up the Evelyn Lau movie with “Double Happiness” and she also starred in other Canadian films such as “Last Night”. Sandra Oh realized she had to move to America in order to have a profitable acting career.

Sandra Oh is successful, she is a working actress and she has some acclaim in Hollywood. Katherine Heigl should be lucky she is blessed her career is thriving some struggling actress would gladly take her role on Grey’s Anatomy. Why is Heigl even complaining? Isn’t Heigl making enough cash?

Sandra Oh is in a similar predicament as another actress of colour Parminder Nagra. Nagra is the star of hit British comedy “Bend It Like Beckham”, yet her co star Keira Knightley eclipsed her. Even though, “Bend It Like Beckham”, was a huge international hit grossing over $76 million worldwide.Parminder was never offered any leading lady roles. The truth is despite Parminder’s beauty and talent she is not getting the leading lady roles because she is a South Asian British woman.

Keira Knightley is a talented actress, I am not going to knock Keira but I find it odd that she is so much more successful than Parminder. Parminder should be the star of “Tulia” about the Indian American actress Vanita Gupta but of course we already known African American actress Halle Berry won that role. So what is an Asian actress supposed to do? It has got be so frustrating for Parminder and Sandra that inferior talents such as Katherine Heigl are getting the big roles while they are still in the background in supporting roles. It makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs it is so unfair.

Parminder is a British woman of South Asian descent Hollywood refuses to give South Asian actresses leading lady roles. People can say there is no “demand” for South Asian women but the truth is South Asian women aren’t even given a chance to smash the glass ceiling.

Now Knightley is a big star while Pariminder is still on ER. Parminder is a solid actress she is a star but just like Sandra Oh she is a woman of colour. Women of colour in Hollywood have it the hardest because they have to deal with the racism and the sexism of the film industry.

It is tough for women of colour to reach the top in Hollywood they have to have “cross over” appeal to reach a mainstream “white” audience. Hollywood won’t give Pariminder or Sandra the leading lady roles because they don’t think the public wants to see Asian women in leading roles. However, Hollywood is wrong. Hollywood refuses to even give Parminder Nagra or Sandra Oh the opportunities to shine in leading lady roles. Why can’t Asian women even be given a chance to reach the top?

I am not suggesting Oh and Nagra have to be in big budget movies. Nagra and Oh aren’t even getting the female lead in independent film either!

Hollywood doesn’t know what to do with Sandra Oh and that’s a shame.I honestly believe if the right screenwriter, or producer, and director would give Sandra the right material she could easily get an Oscar nomination due to her incredible talent.