Has Katherine Heigl Become America’s Anti-Sweetheart?
With her latest movie Life as We Know It coming in below expectations and unable to dethrone leftover film The Social Network at the box office, a lot of people are now openly questioning the viability of rom-com queen Katherine Heigl. This is the second Heigl movie in a row that has underperformed badly with her previous vehicle Killers grossing only $47 million at the North American box office with a budget of $75 million. While movie studios were willing to put up with Heigl’s mercurial personality when she was one of the few truly bankable female movie star, this may soon become a different story if she cannot reliably open her own brand of movies anymore. More importantly, Heigl’s habit of complaining about everything may be starting to catch up with her and affect how profitable her movies are: Has Katherine Heigl become America’s anti-sweetheart?
Katherine Heigl began acting in 1992 but only became famous after starring, leaving and then dissing the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. She broke into the exclusive ranks of A-list stars with Judd Apatow’s monster hit Knocked Up which racked in nearly $150 million in 2007. She then went on to star in 27 Dresses which grossed $76.8 million, and The Ugly Truth which (stupefyingly) made $88.9 million domestically. With a current quote of about $13 million, she is a very heavy investment for movie studios trying to get her service but in an era where truly bankable female actresses are few and far between, she is the only rom-com star able to get a project green-lighted with her mere involvement. Unlike the vast majority of her competition, Heigl truly carries her own movies, co-starring next to B-list actors such as James Marsden, Gerard Butler, Ashton Kutcher or Josh Duhamel.
Over the course of her blockbuster career, Katherine Heigl hasn’t been afraid to voice her opinions on all matters, calling out Grey’s Anatomy‘s writers for how bland their scripts are, or biting the hand that gave her a career by stating that Knocked Up is “a little bit sexist”. She is known around the industry to be unpleasant to work with on set, so much so that insiders believe her pool of potential male co-stars is quickly shrinking because no one who has ever worked with her is willing to do so ever again. Her reputation did not get better when she also reportedly stopped showing up for work in the middle of the sixth season of Grey’s Anatomy. Real or not, the perception is that Heigl is an ungrateful diva but in an industry full of them, why has she become the star that everyone loves to hate?
For one, the quality of her movies have steadily declined since her breakout performance in Knocked Up. Critics have been increasingly negative in their assessment of her movies and Heigl has nearly become synonym with sexist, cliched, and unremarkable romantic comedies. For all her strong feminist views and opinions, Mrs. Heigl seems very quick to forgo her beliefs to star in sexist and misogynistic movies. Another factor is that she has invariably played the exact same stereotypical character time after time: a beautiful, neurotic, uptight, career-oriented woman who progressively loosens up once she realizes Mr. Right Guy is standing right in front of her. Are audience getting tired of watching her playing the same character in the same brand of comedy over and over again? Certainly, we have no idea whether she has the talent to play another type of character but some variety would be quite helpful for her career over the long-term.
After two bombs in a row and given the baggage she is carrying, Heigl is probably starting to feel the heat. Due to her difficult personality, studios and audience will have very little patience for more faux-pas on or off-the-screen. Granted she is nowhere near the situation of Kristen Bell, for example, whose days as a leading lady are most likely over after a downward spiral of flops. The question is whether Katherine Heigl will remain Hollywood’s undisputed rom-com queen or fall to the level of a Jennifer Aniston, a middling movie star who dreams of what could have been.
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55 Comments
Couldn’t agree more. Today’s horrible selection of rom-coms is going to take it’s prisoners down with it, and Heigl hasn’t shown that she’s capable of anything else.
Have having a name for yourself as someone horrible to work with is possibly the worst thing you can do in Hollywood. Sure, people like Ed Norton have that said about them to, but Norton also proves that if you listen to him, the movie becomes much better because of it.
To an outsider it feels like Stuart Townsend is having some problems on set aswell. He has been replaced in two big franchise films (Aragorn part in LOTR and Marvel’s Thor) that cant be good for his reputation. I don’t know the reason for these sackings but it sure sounds like he has his fair of responsibility aswell as the directors.
Never heard about him taking part as actual Thor, but heard he was cast as one of the three heroes that help Thor along the way….as far as Aragorn, they had realized that they cast the part way to young, and decided to young, and called up Viggo. Viggo had never heard of the series, but his son was an avid fan and had overheard the phone conversation. Next thing you know, Viggo is on his way to New Zealand, and the Weathertop scene was his first day there.
Stuart was not on as the lead in THor but I still feel its quite devastating being sidestepped way into production two times on such big franchise movies. Gotta be something more behind that than poor casting.
Great post with a lot of truth in it! The only thing I disagree with is Jennifer Aniston. She was very high in that list when ranking stars bankability through invested funds compared to star salaries. She may be an underdog but she has a career compared to a lot of stars. You are right about Kristen Bell she started of really good but have done some really poor choices recently, at least she goes for more diversity in her parts than Heigl does.
Aniston alienated a large portion of her 30-and-over base by doing that GQ cover. That really made a lot of women go, “Slut!” and turn on her.
Wow thats so not an issue outside the US. I think she is still known from friends foremost in the rest of the world and thats whats keep selling the tickets.
Thanks Joel. Absolutely, I’m not saying that Jennifer Aniston is a nobody, simply that she is just getting work but isn’t a superstar.
I was referring to the fact that she lost a lot of popularity when doing a GQ cover. These things dont travel outside the US and if they do, most international countries dont care.
As I said she is probably the star that has the most frantic fan base in a certain age group thanks to her role as Rachel in friends. She was huge in the 90′s.
Heigl was never all that great to begin with so I’m glad. Maybe this means less crappy rom-coms with her face on the poster.
I was surprised when she broke so big with Knocked Up. Haven’t seen it yet myself but If I am not totally wrong she wasn’t even the first choice to start with. I read somewhere that she was a late replacement for some other actress.
Hate is a strong word, I’d go with indifferent. I think her acting chops is mediocre at best, and like Aniston, she’s kind of playing the same role over and over again. She doesn’t have the inherent likability of say, Sandra Bullock, who’s still watchable even in bad movies. I’d say give other more talented young starlets a chance, Hollywood, perhaps then Heigl will at least try to be more versatile in her acting.
You are so right. It kind of sums up Sandra Bullock in a great way! I loved All About Steve thanks to her character. Amy Adams has those kind of qualities aswell she is never the rotten apple in her movies.
Amy Adams has the likability of an American Sweetheart, but her choices as an actress are far more interesting.
Even if I can hate a Sandra Bullock movie, I can’t really hate her. Must be that “star quality” thing about her.
In my book they are the two biggest female stars out there and its much because they always deliver, even when appearring in silly movies like All About Steve and Leap Year.
I like Reese Witherspoon kinda xD I think that the internet and twitter has taken the mystery out of the movie star.
Adams and Bullock manage to stay out of gossip blogs and keep that air of likability.
Is Reese even on the twitter bandwagon? In Europe we havent been oversaturated by her in the gossip press. So I am not sure thats a valid argument to why she would be less of a star than Amy Adams or Sandra Bullock. Reese feels to me at least as shy and introvert towards the press as Amy and Sandra.
Reese isn’t shy or introvert
It’s just that she has for the most part disappeared off the map because she seems to make movies only once a year. She was really tabloid fodder for a while but it seems to have waned out the past few months. Sandra Bullock had plenty of attention just earlier in the year when she split with whoever she was married with. She has always been extremely good at sheltering herself from this kind of attention so it went away quickly.
Someone like Amy Adams is never going to be much of a focus in terms of tabloids simply because she isn’t as big a movie star and doesn’t lead the type of glamorous life that people love to gossip about.
I think Reese was everywhere on Gossip sites when she was with Jake G. – it was like, oh look! they bought ice cream, we must featured them on our magazine.
Bullock was only hounded by the media for the split, but prior to it or now for the matter, she seems to lead a quiet life.
It’s like how they say about Johnny Depp – he’s a huge star, but he’s seldom shot wherever he’s with his family. He manages to stay under the radar… at least as much as it is possible for someone called Johnny Depp xD
Castor: I am not agreeing with your prediction for Amy as you may know. I actually think that her house hold qualities may grow thanks to her living a non hollywood life. I remember when she released som statements about her newborn baby. It was really tasteful compared to Brangelina having a press division only focusing on press releases about their kids or whatever is on their mind that doesn’t have anything with the industry to do.
Amy: Johnny Depp is a great example of someone who have handled it well. In Europe we have never been exposed to all that fuss about Reese. I just recall a bunch of articles when she broke up with Ryan Philippe.
Haven’t seen Leap Year, but Adams is definitely likable and sweet. Reese is in the same category, but she seems to have jumped off the rom-com train and show what she could do.
I feel that same way about Bullock. When she got her Oscar I was enraged, but at the same time I wasn’t mad at her, I actually felt bad she was getting so much heat. It wasn’t her fault. She does seem like a genuinely gracious and sweet woman and that goes a long way.
All About Steve was absolutely atrocious imo but Sandra Bullock did her best with what she had, and you still have to respect that.
I think that Heigl’s biggest problem is that she doesn’t have that “star quality” – I see her as a girl that other girls hate, and it feels like once guys get to know her, they don’t like her either. You should at least be one or the other~~~
I think her acting ability or choice of role – to our average filmgoers – have little to do on their decision whether to dish money on one of her movies or not. Must be that movie star thing too. Plus, if she’s dissing the people she works with, then no one’s ever going to write “the perfect role” for her, take the perfect photo of her. etc., and soon people will just disappear. Even Joan Crawford knew to treat everyone on the crew right (and apparently her fans), they were the ones making her fabulous on screen, and the ones making her a star.
I think that Heigl’s biggest problem is that she doesn’t have that “star quality” – I see her as a girl that other girls hate, and it feels like once guys get to know her, they don’t like her either. You should at least be one or the other~~~
So true! I have never thought of characteristic traits like this but you have her down real good. I think producers and scriptwriters should take these factors in account when developing scripts a lot more.
As I understand it Heigl produces a lot of her own stuff (together with her mom) nowadays, thats probably a big factor why seem to have such a big control over scripts and how she portrays her characters. If she’s producing she has everyone in the palm of her hands.
well, then – if she’s producing, then she’s not very intelligent dealing with her own film acting choices. And then we’re dealing with a whole lot of bag of issues – ego.
- this a friendly msg to Heigl -
Take a step back. Either quit acting and produce for other people, or get a producer to help you produce the films.
I just don’t like her movies.
The sad thing is Heigl is falling into many of the pitfalls that kills many shooting stars in Hollywood. You’d think they would learn at least a little bit. One quick IMDB search will bring up thousands of actresses who were quasi-big for a decade, then became nobodies. And all of them have done exactly what Heigl is doing. Take no chances, repeat film formula with minor twist, hope for the best. After 10 years, even those who want the same thing all the time eventually begin looking for someone new. It’s just the way people are.
Rom-coms certainly pay much better than taking a small supporting role in some movie with some dramatic weight or starring in an indie film for union scale. At best, Heigl and her manager-mom are shortsighted, and at worse, they are in the business to haul as much money as possible until their luck runs out. How can you explain that the complete lack of variety in movies and roles?
I think all celebrities are short sighted. Very few live in a world where there are people constantly working in their best interest. Managers, publicists, etc are all people who, usually, have been around long enough to know that celebrity seldom lasts. I think it’s that exact attitude that makes the lifestyle so self-destructive.
The main problem is that Heigl does the same role over and over. She’s all, “Oh, this guy’s a complete jerk and yet I’m in love with him!” in every frickin’ movie she’s in. For God’s sake, read the stupid script once in a while.
Plus, I think she only does them for the paycheck.
Very solid points!
Excluding 27 Dresses, what film has she really carried on her own? She was good in Knocked Up but it was Apatow’s success with the 40 Year-Old Virgin that brought people into the theatres. Plus, Seth Rogen was the one who became a much bigger star off of that film, not Heigl. As for The Ugly Truth, that awful movie made money off of Gerald Butler’s sex appeal more than anything else. He was able to pull in all the women who loved looking at him in 300 mere months earlier.
Heigl is talented but does not have the range to be the next Roberts, Bullock, etc. Nor should Hollywood try and make her into one. I remember when, before Heigl, Jennifer Garner was suppose to be “the next Julia girl” after 13 Going on 30? Look where that ended up. If anyone has a shot at being the next Roberts or Bullock it is Zooey Deschanel.
Give other actresses a shot at these roles. I’m sure they would be, at the very least, more pleasant.
Great post Castor! She is clearly someone who bought her own press before the ink dried on the copy.
Being dismissive of the creators of Grey’s did it for me. Seemed a bit ungrateful especially when you are not the main character on the show. At least David Caruso was a lead on NYPD Blue
As much as I loooooooooooathe saying it, it makes me wish the late 90′s early 00′s Julia Roberts could return. At least she had the right idea and I’ve never been a fan of hers. She chose her roles smartly, and played likable characters, but also added diversity in the roles she chose, never straying too far out of her range of abilities. Everyone who ever worked with her raved about how wonderful she was and all of Hollywood still adores her even now and though I cannot stand her personally, she’s proved she knows what it takes to make it as a true Rom Com Hollywood starlet. Jennifer Aniston and Katherine Heigl are examples of desperation to reach that glory and in doing so took any roles that offered them a paycheck and what they thought their audiences wanted. I’m also glad you pointed out Heigl’s hypocrisy in often playing roles that are the opposite of what she claims to be. She can sod off. I purposely will avoid a movie because her names in the title and aside from Jack Black there are few other actors that hone that treatment from me.
Ahh reminds me of that article that appears once in a while about how true “movie stars” are really over.
Hehe Jack Black gets the same treatment from me. I don’t know Katherine Heigl and neither do the vast majority of people, I think she needs to cultivate her image a lot better if she hopes to have a lasting career as a movie star.
Really? I think Heigl is all over those gossip rags and supermarket tabloids. Obviously not to the extent of Aniston, for example, but she’s still fairly regular. I hate to stereotype, but I think that’s her market. I think she’s a name to the people who go to that one horrible romantic comedy they release six times a year.
True she might be a public figure in terms of tabloid coverage but I’m not going to go and say I know her and call her a bad person etc… lol. Certainly, her image has been painted into a negative light and she only has herself to blame.
The closest thing to late 90′s early 2000 Julia Roberts is probably Sandra Bullock right now and she is actually older than Julia! Amazing!
Julia’s career has staggered for some now thanks to choosing some really bad films and clinging onto her staggering fee that hardly anyone wants to pay nowadays (I read on IMDB that both The Blind Side and the Proposal was offered to Julia and at least one of them she demanded to much in pay that the producers offered it to Sandra instead.
Yes! Sandra actually thanked Julia for the roles!
It’s because Sandra’s just cool like that xD I actually imagine Bullock a lot like her character on Miss Congeniality – snort laugh and all. xD
For her, I think it all really comes down to picking the right projects. From the second I saw the trailer, “Life as We Know It” never struck me as anything that could earn either critical or commercial potential. If she is being sent enough scripts, she just has to be diligent enough to pick the right ones, because we all know how few worthy romantic comedies are being made in Hollywood right now.
Hi Castor, interesting article, very informative. I like Catherine Heigl as an actress, but she does seem to go for the same kind of films. Hollywood is a pretty unforgiving place, especially for up and coming starlets, lets hope she can hold out and prove that she is dynamic as well as talented.
My own favourite Heigl story is that she turned down an Emmy nomination for her second-to-last season of Grey’s Anatomy claiming the writers didn’t give her material to work with (“I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination.”).
And the following year, featuring her hugely! dramatic arc featuring her death from a long-term illness (which is Emmy bait) she… didn’t get a nomination.
I hate to badmouth people on the internet, but she just seems like a bad person.
Gerard Butler is B-list? Really? Judging from the talent, box-office or variety? Anyway, I really like his movies and think he is talented (judging from Dear Frankie, Butterfly on a Wheel and Law Abiding Citizen, not P.S. I love you or 300).
Anyway,if Katherine is A-list, I have no problem classifying Gerard Butler in another category. Now, I used to love Heigl back when she was starring in Roswell (so they were aliens in high school, I was in high school at the time as well).
As far as Grey’s Anatomy was concderned, the show’s sense of humor and watchability comes and goes. She did an OK job as a drama/soap opera actress so I didn’t really know why she suddenly became a romcom star. She is better at drama. Even when she is over the top, she is less over the top than her comedic roles.
As cliched as some of it was, I had a good time with The Ugly Truth. I was bored with 27 dresses and Killers was OK. She really needs to stop acting in romcoms for a change. Or maybe she just wants to become Jennifer Aniston?
But maybe she deserves another chance. I mean Justin Timberlake is starring in David Fincher movies now, after all…
Ahah ok I was a little harsh on Gerard, he is still very much in-demand and can still carry his movies, no matter how bad
I guess I’m a little disappointed that he hasn’t really done anything noteworthy since 300.
As you said, she needs to back off the rom-coms for a little bit, make some movies where she plays other type of characters so we can see her in another light. Even Aniston tried to diverge from her Rachel character and had some minor success at it.
Ha ha, 300 is one of the few Butler movies I don’t get. But in my defense, I was never much a fan of the comic book and the movie’s cinematography. Had a better time with Watchmen;)
Yeah, I know Rachel is doing some diversifaction but what’s with her hair and scripts? Would it kill her to try a different color, style and well, image in general? and be in a movie where there is like no romance? Am I dreaming?
You are asking for too much. It’s Jennifer Aniston we are talking about
Katherine and Jennifer Aniston are really interchangeable whenever you want to make a BAD romantic comedy. I wish they would making chick flicks and torture another genre.
This woman is the epitome of annoying and her movies bomb because they’re terrible. She has the charm of a rock, I saw Life as We Know it the other day and kept wishing they had killed her and kept Christina Hendricks.
I totally agree.I have not seen one of her movies that I liked.
I think being a bitch is more likely to hurt her career than the role repetition. That can be fixed by just branching out, but if you have a reputation of being difficult to work with i think it would be hard to dispell that notion(And considering how stressful the movie-making process is, i don’t think people would be willing to deal with a difficult co-worker)
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