Where Does Katherine Heigl Go From Here?
Katherine Heigl is either a genius or an idiot, or perhaps a little bit of both. Either way, it's hard to see what she's angling for here.
Her direct slap at Grey's Anatomy writers by withdrawing her name from Emmy Award consideration due to the "insufficient material" given her character has renewed speculation that the blonde bombshell wants off the ABC medical drama STAT.
She's under contract for two more seasons of Grey's Anatomy, though, and most likely can't make her departure happen because she feels like it.
Unless Heigl burns so many bridges and becomes such a liability that the show's writers decide to eliminate her from the series of their own volition.
Amazingly, Heigl makes about $200,000 per episode of Grey's Anatomy, an absurd amount of money by any measure. The potential to make even more money through movie roles is certainly there, but it's also more fleeting.
One can't help but wonder why Katherine Heigl would be so quick to turn her back (publicly no less) on Grey's Anatomy, the show that made her a household name.
Admittedly, it's been a rough stretch for Katherine Heigl and her character, Izzie Stevens, on Grey's Anatomy. The writers' strike did not help matters.
Even before that, though, the writers may simply be running out of news things for Izzie to do. Once she got together with George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) and that didn't work out, her character seemed to be drifting a bit.
Which brings us to an issue that such a large, ensemble cast is bound to run into once a show stretches into its fourth season ... and beyond.
With so many characters and so many interpersonal relationships, the show runs the risk of running out of plausible and entertaining plot lines.
That, in turn, causes frustration among its audience, but perhaps even more among the actors themselves. The day may come Grey's Anatomy will feel the need to write in new characters and write out old characters.
What do you think? Would the Grey's Anatomy cast be better or worse without Katherine Heigl - and what should be done with her character?
June 18th, 2008 8:04 AM
Katherine Heigl My name is Paul Birch Im 40 years old
my question for you is why would you leave the best medcail show.My orpinion is it would be a huge mistake.Katherine Heigl I realy think your extremly
tatled actress.Mrs Heigl Im a huge fan of yours since the show first started. I personaly dont want you to leave the show.That"s how much this fan loves you.Paul Birch
June 18th, 2008 8:12 AM
I think she's just an ungrateful, spoiled actress. If it wasn't for Grey's, she'd be nothing. True, she has made a few movies, but were any of them really blockbusters??? Personally, I couldn't care less if she left.............good riddance!
June 18th, 2008 9:12 AM
Why don't we wait what she will say about all these things. I think what she meant when she said that she doesn't deserve to be nominated because her role on this last season was not as heavy as before is true and I think the writers took it the wrong way....maybe the media exaggerated the whole situation. I'm sure she is aware that the writer have to adjust her role to accomodate her movie schedule and maybe that is the reason why she said that she doesn't deserve to be nominated because of what they agreed to do. This is not the first time that she said something and was misunderstood. She is just being honest about her role in thsi season is not worth giving an award for.
June 18th, 2008 9:22 AM
I wish you people would STOP jumping down her throat! it annoys me. she has a REASON for doing this. and she's right greys isn't what it used to be. it's become boring lately so give the poor girl a break. jeez.
June 18th, 2008 9:42 AM
it's a show... she's an actress... get over yourselves... although it's my fav show... but what ever... she's a grown up she can handle it... she don't our two cents!!!
June 18th, 2008 9:58 AM
It's totally fine with me if she won't be in the show anymore, but maybe to other people it won't. But I think she should stay in the show...without Izzie their won't be cupcakes and no one to cook for Meredith. lol
June 18th, 2008 10:27 AM
I think she should stay, but I think it's incredibly rude to do what she did. So she didn't get great material, her best storyline died with Denny, and personally, I'd like to see them bring that around next season. It's the actress/actor that makes the part, not the material.
But, I don't think she really got over Denny, I think George was the "hero" who was there through it all, and that "relationship" was nothing more than overcoming her grief. I think there's a bigger role for Izzie next season, and I hope Katherine doesn't blow it because she thinks she's ready to move on.
June 18th, 2008 11:33 AM
At this point I think Katherine needs to thinks long and hard about this. She also needs to choose her battles carefully. It would not be pleasant if this gets out of hand a legal battle with ABC is not what she wants.
June 18th, 2008 11:58 AM
I say put her in a coma for the rest of her contract. Let the others visit her room like they use to do to really old guy. I think that would be a huge wake up call for her.
June 18th, 2008 12:51 PM
I wouldnt mind seeing her gone! She must really love doing crappy movies ("knock up" is by far the most gross movie ever made and saying F**k in every sentence does not make it any better i expected more from her in that movie but she sucked!) instead of being on the best TV show ever..Seriously the show isnt called HEIGL ANATOMY is it ? Get off your high horse
June 18th, 2008 1:14 PM
I really want her to stay. Her character was annoying for a while, but now it seems like she's getting back to normal. If she leaves, I don't think the show will be the same. I mean, she is in decent movies, but to leave GREY'S ANATOMY!!!!! She's gotten an Emmy off of this show and has she gotten an Oscar yet???? Seriously!!
June 18th, 2008 1:44 PM
Her character has been annoying for a long time. And it's extremely rude that she made these comments publicly. I think her BIG ego is getting the best of her!
June 18th, 2008 1:51 PM
It would be worse if she left - she is absolutely fantastic - but the reaction to her comments has been ridiculous. She did a decent and honourable thing and its been blown up into something it isnt. Also the fact is the writing wasnt great - but it seems only the press and fans can comment on that. As for the money thing..she is on $6 million a movie thats 30 episodes of Grey's Anatomy...and she has 4 movies in the pipeline..and one just completed. Do the math :)
June 18th, 2008 2:03 PM
KATHERINE: Here's the thing-- I am a fan of Izzie. I have been a fan of yours since the beginning of GA. I'm trying hard to stay a fan of yours. At the beginning of GA, you brought this down-to-earth, realness to our quirky, beautiful, from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks, trying-to-make-something-of-herself Izzie. The things that have come out of your mouth lately are leaving me with the idea that your down-to-earth-ness is turning into an overinflated ego. YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE, IN PART B/C OF GA AND THE AWESOME WRITING THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THE SHOW. Do everyone a favor, and publicly explain your prior remarks and your withdrawal from Emmy consideration and APOLOGIZE TO GA WRITERS AND FANS WHO LOVE YOU. We do not want you to leave the show. We do not want Izzie to go. KNOCK YOUR EGO DOWN A COUPLE NOTCHES BEFORE LIFE DOES IT FOR YOU. Cuz honey, your human. Your not above all the rest. Your talented and beautiful-- and to tell you the truth, one of your most beautiful qualities was that down-to-earth freshness that made us fall in love with Izzie Stevens. You are human. Act human. The withdrawal from Emmy consideration comes across as nothing but a self-righteous, sacrificial put-down of all other eligible actresses, as if you're better than they are, not to mention the insult to the writers who helped build Katherine Heigl, the actress.
Again, I urge you-- publicly explain your prior remarks and your withdrawal from Emmy consideration and APOLOGIZE TO GA WRITERS AND FANS WHO LOVE YOU. Then you can reassure us that our hopes are the truth-- that you ARE worthy of the adoration we fans bestow on you. If you are not, well, say goodbye to your fans.
June 18th, 2008 2:58 PM
well like i said before i am gonna miss her if she leaves .. but then again she's part of the show .. she made a mistake, she was ungrateful to the show .. but she's part of the show .. i am not a fan of her but i am a fan of the show and i don't want it to become a mess or lose its name as the most watched show in america so i don't want her to leave .. the show has already gone bad enough when Isaiah and Kate left and i don't want that to happen again with Katherine .. so i ask her to apologize to the GA writers and her fans and be grateful for the show that made her who she is now and just to remember that her movie career could turn against her just as it made her successful
June 18th, 2008 3:10 PM
I have not heard or read anywhere that Katherine Heigl herself has said she wants out of the show. Is there any real reference to it anywhere?
June 18th, 2008 3:20 PM
that's so weird that they would make such a big deal about her 200k salary when both Ellen and Sandra both get that much. While she is not the star she is integral part of the show. Her work is excellent and have already garnered an Emmy. I think if Sandra is getting it so should Heigl. There's a Heigl prejudice on this class
June 18th, 2008 3:25 PM
I think that she is going over the top a bit cuz Knocked Up and 27 Dresses weren't exactly the best movies out there. I think she's being kinda conceited cuz I mean if it weren't for Grey's Anatomy nobody would know her. I don't know whether she should leave or stay, my only concern is how would they make her character leave without it being completely random? They'd have to invent a whole new story line. Which might make the show interesting, but still it's hard to determine that. I think that withdrawing from the Emmy nomination was in her eyes and potentially a good move because I think that she initially wanted to withdraw because she felt that she didn't do enough to deserve an Emmy, however it came across completely wrong. Then again, this is just my assumption and all of these articles are biased, and so nobody will truly ever know the pure truth. On the other hand, if this got all explained, it would make life so much easier because this seems like a big misunderstanding. Unless Katherine did decide to be a 'star' and feel that she is superior to her other cast mates.
June 18th, 2008 4:15 PM
I really don't think the show can survive without the actors that helped launch it. Remember, two people hava already left, Isaiah Washington and Kate Walsh. If Katherine leaves also, the show would have to either write terrific stories... or it will do down to the toilet to cancellation... Of course, let's pray nothing happens, and that problems may be solved.
June 18th, 2008 4:55 PM
i have mixed emotions i think she is great at what she does but she is selfish i think shonda is giving her these parts to turn the show into something good for her she just needs to shutup and wait to see what happens. the show would certainly be different without her she is a great doctor plus she just got the clinic im sure that shonda will run on that but now i think she burned her bridge with shonda and the other writers.
June 18th, 2008 5:06 PM
I think Katherine needs to stay on the show, not because the show would be nothing without her or really needs her, but to stick it to her. Without the show, she would have no film career. She seems to be ungrateful. Letting her go would only mean she got her way. She can "suffer" two more years on one of the best shows on television today.
She is also hypocritical. During the Isaiah scandal, she said that he should not have said anything to the press because it would reflect poorly not only on him but on the show. What she did is no different. She appears to have lost her class.
June 18th, 2008 5:57 PM
I loved Izzie in the show. She was actually my favorite character, but we all have to admit that though she may have been rude to publicly diss GA's writing staff, what she said was actually true. GA's plot lines have been more and more frustrating every episode last season, except for the finale, perhaps. If it was frustrating for us, I imagine that it is doubly so for an energetic and eager-to-achieve actress like Heigl.
But I do agree with everyone else that the right thing to do would have been to say she was withdrawing from the competition and left it at that.
June 18th, 2008 6:03 PM
okei, the show would not be greys anatomy without Meredith, Izzie, Cristina, George, Derek and Alex, so she can really not go, i LOOOOVE the shows, and i Love meredith, i like Izzie but she is not my favorate, but really, it would not be the same.. and i'm sure she is not thinking about to make more monney in movies, maybe she just likes it more wants to try something else.. but SHE CAN NOT GO, and she is a bit unreasonable.. soooo i hate to she her go, an yeah, the show would not be the show without the INTERNS!! :)
June 18th, 2008 6:09 PM
I'm with you gin810 - I will not miss her if she goes. I think it is pretty obvious she wants to be and may see herself as a movie star... Maybe she is trying to set things up to get herself written off as a way to be able to focus on her movie career. She is a good actress and true there were not may Izzie central storylines this season. Thus is the life of an actor/actress in a large ensemble cast series. Suck it up and deal Katherine. Be glad you have a steady job in Hollywood. If you want to go be a movie star the put on your big girl panties and ask to be written off.
June 18th, 2008 8:46 PM
At first I thought she was being tactless with her comments about withdrawing from Emmy consideration. Now seeing this thing drag on the way it is by this website and news outlets, I now believe this is being blown out of proportion. She never said the writers sucked. She simply said she was not given enough material for an Emmy worthy performance. Thats not saying the writers are terrible. They just didn't give her great story lines, which after watching this season, is true. I'm tired of hearing the bullshit that "any good actress can make it Emmy worthy, despite what the story is". I don't think Meryl Streep could give an Emmy-worthy performance saving a fucking deer in the back of a truck. I think her intentions were good, yeah should could've said she wasn't submitting her name for personal reasons and leave it at that. However this public flogging of her is too much. What I don't understand, she won an Emmy for the show, at the highest catagory so far that this show has earned, and the storyline she is given is pretty crappy. I can understand not giving her the juciest, because yes, lets be fair to others, but the writers gave her absolute crap. At first I thought maybe she is being ungrateful, but now I think she was being completely hosest, whether we like it or not.