Contrary to popular belief, Katherine Heigl would “never say never” to returning to Grey’s Anatomy to reprise her once-pivotal role as Izzie Stevens. The actress, 42, made the revelation during a virtual interview on E! News’ Daily Pop on January 27. “You know, I just, I don’t know,” she muttered before leaving a possible Grey‘s return up to chance.
Katherine, who was promoting her new Netflix drama, Firefly Lane, was a main fixture on Grey’s Anatomy, a Shonda Rhimes-created series, from 2005 to 2010. She departed from the show mid-way through its sixth season — but, not before could find herself at the center of behind-the-scenes drama.
In 2008, the controversy began when Katherine withdrew her name from Emmy consideration. “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, I withdrew my name from contention,” she said at the time. “In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials.”
While Rhimes, at the time, didn’t take Katherine’s comments to heart, the 27 Dresses actress felt remorseful. “I was really embarrassed. I went in to [showrunner] Shonda [Rhimes] and said, ‘I’m so sorry. That wasn’t cool, and I should not have said that.’ And I shouldn’t have said anything publicly,” Katherine said in 2016, while on The Howard Stern Show. “But at the time, I didn’t think anyone would notice. … I just quietly didn’t submit and then it became a story, and I felt I was obligated to make my statement, and [I should have just said], ‘Shut up, Katie,'” she recalled.
While fans most likely won’t see Katherine scrubbing up alongside her former Grey‘s costars, she’s “incredibly grateful” for her new gig as Tully Hart in Netflix’s new drama, Firefly Lane — which releases on February 3.
“Every single one of us have probably had that experience, where you try and stand up for something, or put your foot down about something, or if you’re hysterical or difficult, or being a bitch — that didn’t exist on this set,” Katherine said during Daily Pop, admitting, “There was none of that and you felt really protected and I’m incredibly grateful for the experience, it was phenomenal.”
Netflix‘s Firefly Lane is based on Kristin Hannah‘s best-selling novel of the same name. The new series tells the story of Tully and Kate Mularkey (played by Sarah Chalke), who meet as young girls on Firefly Lane and become best friends through an inseparable 30 years of ups and downs.