CHRIS LOWREY
OTTAWA Jan. 14, 2019
It was a big night for Ottawa native Sandra Oh at the 76th annual Golden Globes awards as the actress took on hosting duties – and also took home an award.
Oh won the best actress in a drama award for her work on the show Killing Eve.
As she was accepting her award, it was a chance for Bristol native Valerie Twolan-Graham to sit back and reflect on the time she spent with the star.
“It was certainly incredible to see her hosting,” Twolan-Graham said.
Twolan-Graham was Oh’s drama teacher and coach at Sir Robert Borden High School in Ottawa from 1985 to 1991.

She said Oh was a high achiever – serving as the co-chair of the student council as well as forming the first environmental committee at the school.
“She could have gone into any field of work,” Twolan-Graham said.
Despite the heavy workload for Oh during her high school years, Twolan-Graham said she always maintained her passion for acting.
“She was planning on auditioning for the National Theatre School as early as grade 11,” Twolan-Graham said.
In fact, Oh turned down a Journalism scholarship to Carleton University – one of the top programs in the country – in order to attend the National Theatre School of Canada.
She planned to go back to university if acting didn’t work out, but that backup plan quickly went by the wayside.
Before she even finished her studies at the theatre school, she was cast in a movie called The Diary of Evelyn Lau.
Although Oh has had a highly successful acting career, this was her first major award. Twolan-Graham said she wasn’t surprised that Oh – or “Sandy” as Twolan-Graham calls her – has risen to such a status.
“She’s tenacious and she’s willing to put in the hard work,” she said.
Despite the highs that Oh has reached career-wise, Twolan-Graham said she’s still as grounded as ever.
She said that Oh’s best friend from her days at Sir Robert Borden was sitting at the table at the Golden Globes with Oh’s parents.
“She still has such humility,” Twolan-Graham said.