Katherine Heigl Rejects Emmy Possibility, Slams "Grey's" Material

LOS ANGELES — Katherine Heigl won't be chewing her manicure at this year's Emmy ceremony: She says she didn't seek a nomination because "Grey's Anatomy" failed to deliver the goods for an award-worthy performance.

Heigl, who was honored as best supporting actress in a drama last year for the ABC series, declined to put her name in consideration for a bid, a spokeswoman for the actress said Wednesday.

"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 organization" decided against competing, Heigl said in a written statement provided by her publicist, Melissa Kates, who was contacted by the AP.

"In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials," added Heigl. She plays Dr. Izzie Stevens on "Grey's Anatomy," which slipped in the ratings this past season but remained a top 10 show.

An after-hours message left with a publicist for "Grey's Anatomy" creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes was not immediately returned Wednesday night.

Heigl, who shot to box-office success last summer with the comedy "Knocked Up," has established herself as one of Hollywood's rare voices of candor.

In a Vanity Fair magazine interview published in January, she called the hit film "a little sexist" and said that it painted women as "shrews, as humorless and uptight," while the male characters were lovable and goofy.

Heigl also was outspoken when "Grey's" castmates Isaiah Washington and T.R. Knight clashed last year over Washington's alleged use of a homophobic slur.

"I'm going to be really honest right now, he needs to just not speak in public. Period," Heigl said at one point of Washington, who ended up being booted from the medical drama.

Nominations for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced July 17. The ceremony is Sept. 21.

Comments

[Eric8869]

Does she know how short a shelf life actresses in Hollywood get? How many television has beens are there? TONS

She needs to also put down the cigarettes before she becomes a wrinkly hag.

[bushisatraitor]

I first saw her on the worst television show I've ever seen, Roswell. She was a terrible actress then, and she has not improved much. I thought actors made sure not to bite the hands of their writers, as their character on a TV show can be easily killed off. Maybe that is her intention, and she thinks that she is too big for the small screen.

[DanOregon]

Memo to Ms. Heigl, you can withdraw from Oscar consideration for 27 Dresses as well. I like Heigl, but throwing the people who have made you a bankable actress (Shonda Rhimes and Judd Apatow) under the proverbial bus, won't likely encourage others to want to work with you.
My guess? She'll be on a FOX sitcom in two years.

[lutzi]

That sounds about right. But then again, the more whining that actors do, the "hotter" they become. Look at The Hulk.

[Dailyfare]

I agree with you, DanOregon (except for the part about the Fox sitcom). Complaining about your roles is not a way to get new ones. It's ungrateful. You don't take these disputes public. You work them out in private. Complaining in public - unless under extreme circumstances - is just bad business.

[ATL78]

Interesting. Personally, I thought last year's storyline, with Dinny, was absurd! Yet, she accepted an award for it?!?! This year's story with George was weak but at least believable.

[gonavy]

She was trying to get out of her contract, but they would not let her. I guess her new strategy is to be difficult so they will let her go.

Maybe she thinks she is the next George Clooney.

[kevinmcd]

I have only seen the show a couple of times. It is highly overrated. It sucks! I am surprised that she is even up for any award but I applaud her for bashing the lousy writers. And she is so accurate about "Knocked Up." Though parts of Knocked Up were mildly amusing, it was obvious the writers were men sympathetic to men and not so much to woman.

[RobertAndropolis]

Ms. Heigl might serve herself well by asking the following before opening her mouth to paps: "Will what I am about to say affect me negatively in any way?" Instead of pointing fingers at the writers, already under the gun from the writer's strike, what she might have done is addressed the writing team and producers about her quality concerns behind closed doors. Now with her "sexist" charge against "Knocked Up," Ms. Heigl sounds like what celeb fans most detest in their targets: a high-mainentance diva in complaint of her millionaire status.

[mathme]

Oh, come on, the writing was totally hack for the last couple seasons.

[XME]

Yup, I barely made it through the season before this one, and they completely lost me last season. Season one was fantastic, but it's gone down since then.

[PineyWoods]

She still took the money to be on the show, though, didn't she? You don't insult the people who are paying you, especially if they're paying you millions. It's unprofessional. If her job isn't good enough for her, she should do something else.

[carpediva]

did she never see the "Friends" episode when Joey talked sh*t about the writers?
Dr. Drake Ramoray ("it's Portugeeeese") wound up falling down an elevator shaft.
yeah, i'd love to see her get the shaft, all right. every time she opens her mouth, it's like.... um, don't.

[Furby]

Katherine, remember what happened to Sean Young for being outspoken? Never heard of her? I rest my case.

[chicklette]

She's right on both counts: Knocked up, although very funny, did portray the men and the women as stereotypes.

And her character's story lines sucked this season on Grays, but then so did most of the season. Hopefully they'll do a better job overall next season.

[Siryn]

She is right. The Izzie-George story was a horrible turnoff and was not Emmy-worthy material. Izzie got off scot-free (pretty much) for what she did with Denny and has had no real development since, as a doctor or a person... not since the ferry incident where she had to drill into the head of a guy pinned under a car. I think the episode of her doing surgery on a deer for a kid is exemplary of the character and the kind of work she's had this season.

[liberalsrheros]

i'll bet the writing for her character improves immensely now. i'll bet the writers have a few poignant death scenes written for her.

[pandarzan]

My Dear Ms. Heigl, It isn'twhat your are given to work with, it's what you DO with what you are given to work with.

The Academy thanks you for your magnanimous donation of the award you surely would have won, to someone who acctually will give a sh*t about winning it.

[SOOKOOYAH GURL]

I hate this lowlife woman.

#1 - she is an opportunist.

She never deserved the Emmy she got, so if we are being honest - she should give that back.

Secondly, if she feels that way she should keep her fat bumpy face mouth shut.

And for the people who haven't seen the show, you need to keep your thoughts to yourself because how could you have an objective discussion on something you don't know?

Greys anatomy is a great show and in fact, this ugly person is the weakest link.

How she got an Emmy over Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh, Sara Ramirez, Katie Walsh is beyond me.

[brizzle]

wow...hate much?

[wedgie]

Hmmmmm. Interesting post.

I LOVE THIS HIGHLIFE WOMAN.

What an amazingly candid and intelligent person Catherina Heigl is.
The more I read about what she says the more I want to watch her work in the future. Her recent success and her comments about quality lead me to believe that she will demand and get good scripts worth shooting.

Gray's Anatomy is an overblown soap opera.

**

[SweetJudith]

I really do think she is a wonderful person.

[Strywever]

Well. We know what's important in THIS person's life! ROFL!

[Veronica]

Seriously! Jesus Christ, lady!

SOOKOOYAH_GURL sounds like a bitter old maid. Taking the comments of an actress so personally is just pathetic. And, of course, Katherine Heigl is ugly as well! LOL.

I'm sorry, SOOKOOYAH, if you found my "bitter old maid" comment to be sexist. I don't think you're a bitter old maid. Now that I think of it, you're more like a 10-year-old pissed off that another girl just dissed Hannah Montana. Oh no, she dih-ent!"

Good stuff.

[fignozzle]

i , too, am tiring of her putting down everything she does.....

[conniedogs]

I'm just not big on her. I don't understand why she gets the attention she does. But with that said, I believe she's setting up an exit strategy. She's had a little success in movies and she feels shes gotten too big for the show.