Cristina Yang

Cristina Yang

Cristina Yang-Hunt is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and is portrayed by actress Sandra Oh. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, Yang worked her way up to resident level, eventually becoming a cardiothoracic surgical fellow, while her relationships with colleagues Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), George O'Malley (T. R. Knight), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) formed a focal point of the series. Yang was once engaged to Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), had a relationship with renowned surgeon Colin Marlow, and has since been wed to Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd). During the series, Yang mentions she attained a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine.

Oh originally auditioned for the role of Miranda Bailey, although Chandra Wilson was ultimately cast in the part. Oh has received generally positive reviews for her portrayal, with Mark Perigard of the Boston Herald considering her friendship with Meredith to be "the secret core of Grey's". Oh has also garnered numerous awards and nominations for her role as Yang, including Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award wins in 2006. She was additionally nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series each year, from 2005 to 2009. Characterizing the character, ABC noted her competitiveness, ambition, and intelligence as her main traits, while her aggressive, and tactless attitude was highlighted as her main weakness. In May 2012, E! Online reported that Oh has signed on for two more years, along with her fellow cast members.