During a broadcast, Katherine Heigl, who camped Izzie Stevens in “Grey’s Anatomy”, confided to her former co-star Ellen Pompeo (Meredith) an anecdote for the less unusual concerning a key episode.
Over its 19 years of existence, Grey’s Anatomy has had many iconic episodes that continue to make people talk today. Among these key moments, fans of the medical series surely remember the first episode of season 4, in which Izzie tried by all means to save the life of a deer.
This sequence, sometimes considered ridiculous, also marked Katherine Heigl, its interpreter, who recently revealed that she had remained in contact with the animal… well, in a way!
“I worked again with this doe…”
Last June, during the issue of variety “Actors on actors”, Ellen Pompeo, who camped for almost 20 years Meredith Grey, and Katherine Heigl, who lent her features to Izzie Stevens, found themselves for the first time since the departure of the latter.
The opportunity for the two actresses to look back on their experiences in Grey’s Anatomy, to express their regrets but also to remember the highlights of the series.
While Ellen Pompeo evokes the sometimes ridiculous nature of the fiction created by Shonda Rhimes, taking the episode of the doe as an example, Katherine Heigl takes the opportunity to reveal a rather unusual anecdote to her.
The actress who was recently in season 2 of Always there for you on Netflix has indeed confided to have worked again with the same animal. “I worked again with this doe years later“, she explains, laughing. “I am not joking”.
Faced with the disbelief of Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl continues her explanation: “I am not exaggerating ! I worked with this doe years later on another show I was on. I was like, ‘I know that doe. I saved her in Grey’s Anatomy.’”
“And you were sure it was the same doe?” then retorts his former co-star. “No, they told me. But it would have been crazy if I recognized her.” Katherine Heigl, however, did not specify in which series this unexpected reunion took place.
The start of trouble for Katherine Heigl
If the episode of the doe marked the viewers, it is not only because of the unusual side of the scenario. Longtime fans of Grey’s Anatomy know very well that this plot had caused great tension between Katherine Heigl and Shonda Rhimes, the creator of the medical series.
In 2008, she had thus refused an Emmy Award nomination, the actress considering that she had not had, according to her, sufficient material in this season 4 to deliver a good performance.
In the summer of 2009, she spoke on the set of David Letterman’s late show of working conditions that she no longer accepted. The following year, in 2010, Katherine Heigl announced her hasty departure from Grey’s Anatomy, citing family reasons at the time.
The interpreter of Izzie Stevens also took advantage of the show “Actors on Actors” to express his regrets about his departure. Will these excuses allow him to make a surprise return in season 20 of Grey’s Anatomy? Only time will tell.
The first 18 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are already available in full on Disney+.