Katherine Heigl‘s meteoric rise in Hollywood started with her breakout role in Grey’s Anatomy.
Heigl played medical intern Dr. Izzie Stevens in the medical drama for six seasons. Her acting in the series cemented her place amongst Hollywood’s A-listers and transformed her into a bankable movie star.
The star recently celebrated her 45th birthday in style (Taylor’s Version) with some help from pop icon Taylor Swift herself.
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Heigl shared a snap celebrating her 45th birthday with friends, wearing shirts inspired by the Cruel Summer singer’s Era’s Tour poster.
Instead of the shirts featuring Swift’s face, Heigl and her friends wore a replica of the poster with different pics of the actress and the text “Forty five Katie’s Version”, in reference to the singer’s remastered albums.
“So grateful to these extraordinary women for making their way to Utah to celebrate my 45th with me!” the Grey’s Anatomy star wrote to Instagram.
“It was truly a magical couple of days just soaking in all the love and laughter and soul renewing connection.”
“I love you guys so much and thank the heavens every day that I am making this journey through life with you all by my side!” she directed at her friends pictured partying it up with the star.
In 2007, Heigl was at the top of her game. She was the first Grey’s Anatomy actor to win an Emmy for their performance on the program. Heigl had also received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 and 2008.
However, her descent was equally as swift, and suddenly the beloved actress had a lot of explaining to do. And in June 2023, she finally addressed the behind-the-scenes rumours that have plagued her for more than 10 years.
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What happened to Katherine Heigl’s career?
In 2008, Katherine Heigl was expecting another Emmy nomination for Grey’s Anatomy. However, she pulled out of the race saying she didn’t deserve a nomination because the writing for her character wasn’t good enough in season 4.
“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 organisation, I withdrew my name from contention,” she said in an official statement.
“In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials.”
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In 2012, veteran showrunner Shonda Rhimes addressed Heigl’s choice to pull herself from contention in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“On some level it stung and on some level I was not surprised,” Rhimes told Winfrey of Heigl’s 2008 statement. “When people show you who they are, believe them. I carry that [mantra] with me a lot. It has served me well.”
What exactly did Katherine Heigl say about Knocked Up?
Heigl’s Emmy incident may have just blown over. But it coincided with her making some controversial comments about her role in Judd Apatow’s critically acclaimed comedy Knocked Up.
In a 2008 cover story for Vanity Fair, Heigl told Leslie Bennett that she had some personal problems with the film.
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Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl finally reunite after ‘feud’
“It was a little sexist,” she said. “It paints the women as shrews, as humourless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys.”
“It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days,” she continued. “I’m playing such a bitch; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you’re portraying women? Ninety-eight per cent of the time it was an amazing experience, but it was hard for me to love the movie.”
In 2016, Heigl seemed to backpedal on her remarks about the film and considered issuing an apology to Apatow.
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“I liked the movie a lot. I just didn’t like me,” Heigl said during an interview on The Howard Stern Show in April 2016.
On her character, Heigl said, “She was kind of like, she was so judgemental and kind of uptight and controlling and all these things and I really went with it while we were doing it, and a lot of it, Judd allows everyone to be very free and improvise and whatever, and afterwards, I was like, ‘Why is that where I went with this? What an arsehole she is!'”
“I’ve thought about writing a note,” she said. “I feel embarrassed. I don’t want to feel insincere on any level.”
She also recalled how she’d issued an apology to Rhimes after her Emmys statement that caused an uproar at the time.
“I went in because I was really embarrassed. So I went in to [see] Shonda and said, ‘I’m so sorry. That wasn’t cool. I should not have said that.’ And I shouldn’t have said anything publicly,” Heigl added.
“But at the time, I didn’t think anybody would notice… I just quietly didn’t submit and then it became a story, and I felt I was obligated to make my statement, and [I should have just said], ‘Shut up, Katie.'”
What movies was Katherine Heigl in?
Despite her reputation taking a hit, Heigl landed three leading film roles: 27 Dresses (2008), The Ugly Truth (2009), and Life As We Know It (2010).
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However, the job offers soon began to slow down. She was cast for a small role in New Year’s Eve (2011) which was a flop at the box office.
Heigl then signed on for the lead role in One for the Money (2012), which bombed and only grossed US$36 million (approx. $53 million). The same year, she expressed interest in returning to the show that catapulted her to fame: Grey’s Anatomy.
“I really, really, really want to see where [Izzie] is,” she told E! Online during promotion for One for the Money.
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“I just want to know what happened to her and where she went and what she’s doing now,” she continued.
“My idea is that she actually, like, figures it out, and finds some success and does really well in a different hospital. She was always floundering, you know, and so she was always one step behind the eight ball and I want to see that girl take some power back.”
But show-creator Rhimes didn’t seem tempted by Heigl’s renewed interest in the show.
“I think it was really nice to hear her appreciating the show. At the same time we are on a track we have planning,” Rhimes told TV Guide in 2012. “The idea of changing that track is not something we are interested in right now.”
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By 2014, there was no denying that industry had turned its back on Heigl. “This thing that was my best friend for a long time suddenly turned on me,” Heigl told Marie Claire in 2014.
“And I didn’t expect it. I was taken by surprise and angry at it for betraying me.”
In 2014, she also starred as the lead in the espionage thriller series State of Affairs.
What is Katherine Heigl doing now?
In 2018, Heigl’s career seemed to take a turn for the better when she was cast in the legal drama Suits.
When Meghan Markle left the show to marry Prince Harry, Heigl stepped in as a new character to replace the Duchess of Sussex. It was the TV comeback that Heigl’s remaining fans had hoped for.
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“Joining Suits was the perfect organic way to not only collaborate with an E.P. I admire deeply, but to also become part of a show and cast that I am an immense fan of,” Heigl told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I have watched Suits from the very beginning and feel incredibly lucky to be the newest member of the Pearson Specter Litt family.”
She also went to star on Netflix’s Firefly Lane, television series Our House, and film Fear of Rain.
In June 2023, she sat down with former Grey’s Anatomy co-star Ellen Pompeo and addressed her career freefall in-depth.
“I was so naïve. I got on my soapbox and I had some things to say, and I felt really passionate about this stuff,” Heigl said during an appearance with Pompeo on Variety‘s ‘Actors on Actors’ series.
“I felt really strongly. I felt so strongly that I also got a megaphone out on my soapbox. There was no part of me that imagined a bad reaction.”
“You were just a little ahead of your time, lady,” Pompeo joked.
How much is Katherine Heigl worth?
Heigl is reportedly worth US$30 million (approx. $45 million), according to celebritynetworth.com.
Does Katherine Heigl have kids?
Heigl and her husband Josh Kelley share three children: Nancy Leigh Mi-Eun Kelley, Adalaide Marie Hope Kelley, Joshua Bishop Kelley, Jr. They have been married since 2007, and are still going strong.
There’s no doubt that the actress has had a tumultuous career but it appears that Heigl is finally back on track.
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