Actress Katherine Heigl Is 'Rebuilding' Her Career After Years Of Being Labeled As 'Difficult'

Apr 03, 2022 by apost team

When it comes to finding fame nowadays, it usually takes more than just a great amount of talent or potential. Many people want to look up to their favorite singers, actors and athletes as role models, meaning fans hope that celebrities are just as amazing in their real, personal lives as they are in their professional careers. However, one wrong move can completely flip someone's world upside down, leaving them an outcast in La La Land.

Katherine Heigl is an actress and producer best known for her work in film and television. She has been in a plethora of highly loved films in a variety of genres, including "Knocked Up," "27 Dresses" and "The Ugly Truth." However, the show that really put her on the map and led to a world of recognition and accolades was the television medical drama "Grey's Anatomy."

Heigl starred on the show as Izzie Stevens from 2005 to 2010. To this day, "Grey's Anatomy" is still a cultural phenomenon and is highly beloved by fans. Many other stars to come from the show include Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh. Heigl's turn earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007.

However, Heigl has been very outspoken over the course of her career, resulting in some backlash from fans and critics. The actress was labeled as being difficult, but she has since apologized for her past mistakes. Now, Heigl is trying to overcome her bad reputation and regain her status as an established star in the acting industry.

"Grey's Anatomy" has been on air since 2005 and has helped launch the careers of many of its stars, including Heigl, Dempsey, Pompeo and Oh. The show was created by Shonda Rhimes, who is known for her work in creating dramatic television series. While many people are fans of Rhimes' work, Heigl seemed to not be one of them back in 2008 when she did not submit herself for Emmy consideration. 

According to Vulture, she said, "I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination." Many people were turned off by the actress' statement, as they felt she was demeaning the successful series she was a part of. However, Heigl later explained that her comments were about her, not "Grey's Anatomy." 

According to TODAY, she said, "I wasn't feeling good about my work that season. I didn't feel good about my performance and I didn't feel – there was a part of me that thought, because I had won the year before, that I needed juicy, dramatic, emotional material, and I just didn't have that, that season."

Heigl said she later apologized to Rhimes. She explained, "At the time, I didn't think anybody would notice. I didn't know that journalists would see who would submit and who didn't. I just quietly didn't submit, and then it became a story, and I felt I was obligated to make my statement." However, USA Today reported that Heigl publicly expressed her dissatisfaction about working for 17 hours a day on "Grey's Anatomy" the following year.

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The actress was also under fire for comments about her film "Knocked Up," which starred Seth Rogen and was directed by Judd Apatow. She called the film "a little sexist" and said she didn't like how it painted the women as "humorless and uptight."

Heigl's string of comments left her outcast from Hollywood, and many people labeled the star as "difficult." Speaking with the Washington Post in 2021, Heigl talked about how hard it was to change the public's perception of her. 

"I may have said a couple of things you didn't like, but then that escalated to 'she's ungrateful,' then that escalated to 'she's difficult,' and that escalated to 'she's unprofessional,'" Heigl said. "What is your definition of difficult? Somebody with an opinion that you don't like?"

The actress incessantly apologized, but it seemed to be of no use. "The more I said I was sorry, the more they wanted it," she said. "The more terrified and scared I was of doing something wrong, the more I came across like I had really done something horribly wrong." Heigl revealed she sought treatment for her anxiety and is now trying to turn a new leaf.

She has been pretty busy in the entertainment industry lately, starring in the TV series "Suits" from 2018 to 2019 and "Firefly Lane" from 2021 to 2022. According to IMDB, she is also set to appear in the TV mini-series "Woodhull." Heigl has also learned to "have a little more gentleness" for herself and has worked on "rebuilding that trust" with her fans again.

Are you a fan of Katherine Heigl? What do you think about her reputation in Hollywood? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family.