Is Katherine Heigl Being Sabotaged By Grey's Anatomy Writers?
The Katherine Heigl hate continues. New York magazine television writer Emma Rosenblum wrote an angry open letter to the Grey's Anatomy actress on NYM's Vulture blog today, in which she suggests that perhaps the material Heigl was given on Grey's did not "warrant an Emmy nomination" (as the Knocked Up star so publicly and rudely stated) because the writers were deliberately trying to screw her over. Regarding complaints that Heigl's character, Izzie, was exasperating and intolerable this past season, Rosenblum asks Heigl: "Have you ever thought that maybe the writers are incorporating your own personality into that of your character?" Some of you commenters suggested that last week as well. Wouldn't that be a wonderfully tricky stratagem of the writers? Burn her character to the ground. We're sure it's happened before...
Remember poor Brenda Walsh? She pouted and crooked-eyed her last after the Beverly Hills 90210 kids' first year of college. Shannen Doherty, who played the once innocent Brenda, was saddled with silly story lines about violent and criminal animal rights activism and a new dream of becoming a serious stage actress. She became the smoky loner, and, at the end of the season may have casting couched with her gross, Sheriff of Nottingham-esque drama teacher. Not a pleasant picture. The next season it was explained that Brenda was in England and wouldn't be back. Tiffani Amber-Thiessen moved into the house. End of story. Doherty is a notoriously difficult, tempestuous, and at times violent actress, so could the writers have been darkening-up Brenda to reflect their frustrations with Doherty? Mysteriously she was cast on another Aaron Spelling show a couple years later, the mesmerizingly bad Charmed, only to be handily dispatched after a couple of seasons. And why? For bad behavior.
Clashing with the behind-the-scenes creative folk is a good way to get axed from your show, whether it's done slowly (like in the possible case of Heigl/Izzie) or quick and painful. Rosemarie DeWitt, who played the hippie/beatnik mistress Midge on AMC's Mad Men, reportedly rubbed the show runners the wrong way and so her character was hastily written off. (Though, hm, IMDB says she'll be back in an upcoming episode). Ms. Heigl could learn a thing or two from these ladies (and many gentlemen, too) who foolishly bit the hands that fed them. Though maybe it's already too late. People tell me (you couldn't pay me to watch that odious piece of shit show) that Izzie was redeemed on Grey's by the end of the season, but maybe they're just giving her a swan song. Or, maybe, though the writers hate her, they were kindly reminded by execs that it kinda helps to have a budding movie star on your show, so all efforts to hold on to her should be made.
What do you think? Grey's watchers (why? why??), can this Izzie be saved?