Shonda Rhimes' 'Time' 100 Tribute To Sandra Oh Is SO Full Circle For This 'Grey's' Pair

Sandra Oh and Shonda Rhimes have so much appreciation for each other, and it's honestly heartwarming to see. Rhimes wrote Oh's Time 100 tribute, and it's clear the Scandal creator has a ton of respect for the Killing Eve actor.

Long before Oh starred in the BBC America series — for which she earned an Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Drama — she starred in Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy for almost a decade. In the "100 Most Influential People" writeup, Rhimes praised the actor's ability to play both of her most popular characters, Eve Polastri and Dr. Cristina Yang, with finesse. The showrunner wrote,

"One of the greatest gifts of my creative life has been the opportunity to write words to be spoken by Sandra Oh. The reason is simple: Sandra Oh is a virtuoso. She treats dialogue like notes of music — every word must be played, every syllable correctly toned."

Rhimes went on to write that Oh has "always been an extraordinary actor."

"Ten years of playing Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy made her place in the acting landscape undeniable," Rhimes noted of the six-time Emmy Award nominee. "Her award-winning turn as Killing Eve's Eve Polastri makes her legendary."

In her tweet about the Time writeup, Rhimes also pointed out a special connection she and Oh share. It turns out, the first time the Grey's Anatomy creator was featured on the magazine's list, Oh wrote the tribute to her. Their relationship really has come full circle, which will warm Grey's fans' hearts.

Back in 2007, Oh praised Rhimes in the Time 100 list, noting the rise to fame that came with her Grey's success. "Watching that introverted, creative and independent spirit struggle and learn so quickly to manage and balance and truly own all that power was like watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon," Oh wrote of the showrunner. "She did it with self-deprecating humor, brutal honesty and no small amount of grace."

That wasn't the only time the showrunner was featured on the list, either. In 2013, Oprah Winfrey wrote about Rhimes for the Time 100, praising her for increasing on-screen representation for people of color. And representation was a theme in Rhimes' new writeup about Oh, too.

"With her nuanced characters, Sandra Oh has chosen to fearlessly take up space in a universe that has not always made space for her. Now, the power of her talented presence makes space for others," Rhimes wrote about the Killing Eve star. "And that is a gift to every artist of color who follows in her footsteps."

In an interview with InStyle published last month, Oh shared that she's still in touch with Rhimes, years after leaving Grey's. "She's a busy lady, but I still feel a bond with her," Oh told the magazine.

Fans hoping the actor will return to Grey's shouldn't get their hopes up, though. When asked about the possibility of playing Cristina again, Oh said to InStyle,

"It's extraordinary how much people love Grey's and still love the character. I appreciate it. And I guess the show is continuing its relationship with the character, but I am not. I left and have worked really hard to let go. It's like a beautiful relationship, but you have to be mature enough to say, 'Baby, I love you. I had a good time, and now I'm moving on. We had a great 10 years, but now I'm going to be single for a little while.' And then it's, like, I find a new relationship."

Still, even though Grey's is in Oh's past, she still has a strong bond with Rhimes as well as with her former costars. Ellen Pompeo shared Oh's Time cover on Instagram, writing,

"ITS ABOUT TIME. @iamsandraohinsta is celebrated for the epic talent she is!! Cannot wait to read @shondarhimes love letter to her. Two women who have made such a difference in lives of women in this business who felt unseen. However incredibly talented they both are...their impact on this business has been immeasurable. Congratulations Sandra ❤️"

Oh has moved on from the medical drama, but she's still on great terms with former costar and boss. If the Time writeup and Pompeo's Instagram post are any indication, the three of them will always have a special place in their hearts for each other. And it's nice to see how their friendships have evolved over the years, because they are supportive of each other's endeavors.