Sandra Oh says her 'Killing Eve' success 'has a profound meaning' for her parents

The 48-year-old actress - whose mum and dad are both South Korean immigrants - opened up about the moment she showed them a billboard for the hugely popular drama, and the sense of pride they felt on a number of levels.

Speaking in the new issue of PORTER magazine, she said: "This is what I really love about my parents.

"Not only is it, this is my daughter on this billboard, it's absolutely an Asian face too, and that has a profound meaning for them, which we don't need to talk about, but I know they carry it.

"And I know they carry it for everyone in their generation."

The Canadian-born star admitted it can be "very intense" feeling like a representative for Asian-American women, and it's something she sometimes needs space from.

She explained: "[I feel the impact most] in the way young people of colour, not just Asian, come up to me and say whatever is in their heart. It's very intense.

"There are moments when I can hold it and there are moments when I need to step away. Because there is a lot [in that community] that is not yet metabolised."

Meanwhile, Sandra revealed how her parents initially struggled with the idea of her pursuing acting, with her mother comparing the art form to "prostitution".

She said: "[My mom had] this very old-school mentality that acting is one step above prostitution, and the first thing I do is play a prostitute [in a TV film about Canadian poet Evelyn Lau].

"It aired and the next week at church some people were not [supportive]. But I never felt any pressure because [my parents sided with me] and that was clearly very difficult.

"The only thing I remember [my mom] saying to me afterwards was, 'That must have been very hard.' It's amazing the ways we feel understood by our parents."