Grey's Anatomy: Death to Izzie?

[DigitalLeonardo]

Is Katherine Heigl dead to the producers of Grey's Anatomy

Maybe.

Latest buzz hissing from the set of the ABC hit is that creator Shonda Rhimes may be entertaining the idea of killing off Heigl's Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens because of the now infamous remarks Heigl made about the upcoming Emmys.

Lest you forget, Heigl took herself out of the running for this year's Emmy race because she felt the writers failed to give her enough good material to work with last season.

"It's not good there," a source tells me of the Grey's Anatomy set. "Shonda is pissed. They're thinking of killing her off. They want Izzie dead."

While a dead Izzie may never happen, it would be an ironic twist, because industry insiders have long speculated that Heigl wants to ditch the show.

Going public with her Emmy complaint only increased speculation that she wants out of her contract to focus on her red-hot film career. Heigl may have picked up an Emmy last year, but since then she's become a box-office golden girl with flicks like Knocked Up and 27 Dresses.

A rep for Rhimes said, "I haven't heard anything about that." Reps for Heigl and ABC declined to comment.

So now it's your turn: Do you think it's time for Izzie to go to the great emergency room in the sky? Does Heigl have what it takes to leave television behind for the movies? Leave your comments below.

Yahoo Canada


What do people think? Kind of a stobby outlook on her part, for a series with about 10 main characters how can she expect to have the main story? Season 2 and 3 had VERY hearvy Izzie storylines, I mean Denny was the major season 2 plot. Plus, the writers strike...

I really don't want Izzie dead... but I wouldn't mind her leaving the hospital - cause truthfully I think Katherine Heigl will have a few more good movies, but I don't think she is that great of an actress to keep it up. I wouldn't be surprised to see her back on TV in 5 years.

Oh well...

[Thomas]

You know, I don't find Katherine Heigl to be wrong at all. And I don't see where you got the "...how can she expect to have the main story?" because what she said was that she didn't feel she was given any material that was Emmy worthy, and truthfully, she wasn't.

I say kudos to her, if this means that someone like, Yunjin Kim (Sun from LOST) gets the award, so be it. Shonda Rhimes needs to get off her high horse and learn to take criticism. She's so used to getting so much praise for her writing, that her ego has become huge.

Honestly, the Emmy's are bullshit anyway, and if Katherine Heigl did submit something, she would have won- and it wouldn't have been because she deserved it. So, she pretty much allowed some other actress, who truly deserved it, to win, which I think is very graceful. Shonda's the one being a real bitch about it. Going so far as killing of the character?

Well, If she does kill Izzie, I hope Katherine Heigl submits the death scene next year and wins an Emmy for it, just to send a big eff you to Shonda Rhimes.

[LRae12]

I too think what Katherine did was classy. You're right Thomas, her storyline was a bit silly and pointless this season, really not emmy-worthy stuff at all. The last season was a different story, of course. So, I think it was big of her to step down from any nomination. I hope that this death thing is just a rumor, because I think it would be tragic for the show to loose Izzie, the main characters are a unit in my mind, and for me the show won't work the same without Meredith, Christina, Izzie, McDreamy, McSteamy, George, Bailey, the Chief, and Alex all working together. But I wouldn't put it past Shonda. They wrote out Burke because of IW's gay comments, which I think was also very petty and childish to do. (the firing). Oh well, I guess we'll see.

[Veverka]

I thought lately the character of Izzy was given crap- she goes from being a strong woman who fought tooth and nail to get into the program, has a meltdown, fights again to get back in, we find out she has a daughter... then... nothing. She's unable to find any backbone to teach her interns, unable to get over the fact she's not part of George's special club anymore- I don't buy that. I think Izzy was screwed over- she's the Xander of Grey's- Buttmonkey, check. It's done in a different way, but all the same, she's the character who gets the most junk storylines. Unlike Xander- I don't really think NB had a good chance to show if he could do something extraordinary- we (imo) have seen Katherine be extraordinary- she was amazing throughout the Denny's death storylines. I also think Izzy was completely shafted in terms of this- a character risks everything to be with a patient, he dies anyways, and then half a season late she jumps into bed with George? I think not.

Okay. End rant. Summary- I think losing KH would be a major loss. I am also one of those people who doesn't like movies and only goes to see movies that TV stars are in... I think the huge advantage of TV is character development. But, if the character doesn't get a chance to develop, what's the point?

[Nikki]

I am just about to finish season 3 on my Grey's Anatomy re-watch and the character Izzie was one of my favourites until George married Callie. I do agree season 4 gave her nothing really to work with, but if she's a great actress she'll know that she can't have an Emmy piece handed to her every time, sometimes the story as a whole is more important, and in an ensemble cast it can be someone else's turn to shine.

I think her stepping down for the Emmys was a bit cheeky, publicly announcing something that should maybe happen in private.

But I don't think that killing her will achieve anything other than annoying the fans and potentially ruining any further storylines with a character that should be the most likeable of them all!

Also I don't generally buy into stories from any Yahoo site. They will publish my thoughts on what should happen and make it what is happening

[Veverka]

I do agree season 4 gave her nothing really to work with, but if she's a great actress she'll know that she can't have an Emmy piece handed to her every time, sometimes the story as a whole is more important, and in an ensemble cast it can be someone else's turn to shine.

See, I quite agree with this, I just think that while the story should be able to encourage an ensemble cast, taking a character and giving her crappy out of character storylines is not the way to do so.

So yeah, a person shouldn't expect to be the star in a group cast, but I don't think that's what KH did.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

I haven't really been following the story, but I LOVE it when people step outside the PR bubble and say things they shouldn't. It gives me a happy. Too much spin spoils things.

[Nikki]

See, I quite agree with this, I just think that while the story should be able to encourage an ensemble cast, taking a character and giving her crappy out of character storylines is not the way to do so.

So yeah, a person shouldn't expect to be the star in a group cast, but I don't think that's what KH did.

It often happens though in a cast that big. They brought in the new interns and they focused on Meredith/Lexie and Derek and it just became that 30 minutes of a 40 minute show was about other storylines.

I think so many characters have suffered, Bailey is another one, I adore her and until half way through this season I noticed she maybe had 3 lines an episode. Not good. But you don't hear her complaining publicly, making the show look bad.

I adore KH but I think she thinks she's better than this, which she probably is, but thinking it and saying it like that are very different and I do find that it shows how the team aren’t working together to bring us good television.

[Veverka]

I adore KH but I think she thinks she's better than this, which she probably is, but thinking it and saying it like that are very different and I do find that it shows how the team aren’t working together to bring us good television.

Admittedly I have only jumped on the Private Practice bandwagon a matter of days ago, but I'll find it interesting to really compare the shows once PP has had a little longer to establish itself. Because a big difference so far is that the PP cast is smaller. Now, whether it stays that way remains to be seen, since GA didn't start as big as it is now, but maybe it will. But it must be much easier to have a smaller team work together, I would guess. Less individual agendas.

[buffyholic]

I agree with KH, the writers did nothing for her character on season four. It?s all about Derek and Meredith and, frankly it bores me. Izzie is one of the main reasons why I love season three so much. And if she wants to make movies, be my guest!

Off topic, is it just me or do the women of the show (except Addison and Christina) get badly treated and written? They portray them, mostly Meredith as annoying and a little spoiled. And they are doing the same thing with Lexie, imo. And the Derek/Meredith is really starting to grate me. If season five continues their soap opera, the show will lose a viewer.

btw, sorry about the ramble, I just had to vent!

[Heather]

Shonda Rhimes stated that she did write Izzie in a comedic role for the first half of the season simply because that's where the storyline was. As for the last half of season 4, Katherine Heigl specifically asked Shonda Rhimes to write Izzie lightly because she wanted to pursue her film career and that's what Shonda did.

I agree that Katherine Heigl was in no position to even be nominated for an Emmy this year, but to openly blast the writers when she specifically asked for a light/little storyline? To openly blast the people that provide her with the scripts that allow her to "earn" Emmy's (I'm still convinced that the Emmy's feel compelled to nominate at least 2 of actresses every year but prefer to nominate 3 - which is such B.S.)? To openly blast the people who CREATE your show? That's poor ethics. Keep it to yourself. Keep your withdrawal from the Emmy ballot to yourself. Don't go publicizing all of it just to either: A) Get your face in the papers or B) Stir up controversy.

Seriously! Can "Grey's Anatomy" not get through a single season without major behind-the-scenes issues?

However, to the delight of some Izzie fans, TV Guide and other sources are reporting that her storyline will be major and could possibly even play a central role in season 5. Shonda Rhimes wouldn't comment on this, though.

[buffyholic]

I agree with you, Heather. Every season has to have something really scandalous backstage. Remember Isaiah Washington`s controversy? That was also bad. Even some colleagues said he acted bad on having that attitude. I don?t know, but I think all these dramas have to do with the fact that there is a lot of celebrities involved in a show. Too many big stars and sometimes, their egos get in the way. That?s my opinion!

[Willow's Tara]

I do agree that KH doesn't get enough storylines inGA, infact she's one of my favourites next to Callie, Christina and Eric Dane's character not to mention Addison for when she was on. Actually I wouldn't mind if she did more movies, because most of them have been good (knocked up for example), and I think if she thinks she can do better, be better then she is and needs better, then go out and do it. Nobody says you have to do a show for the next five years, and if she doesn'tr think she worthy of an emmy then that's her choice.

Btw, Izzie does seem like a side character, and most sides usually get less storylines then the main one because it's always centered around them despite that the sides could do so much more when given the chance, to list a bunch of actors off my head: Katherine, Amber Benson, Emma Cauifield, Lisa Kudruw Who btw I kept getting mixed up with Katherine at one point), and plenty of others who could have made the show better.

[DigitalLeonardo]

Btw, Izzie does seem like a side character, and most sides usually get less storylines then the main one because it's always centered around them despite that the sides could do so much more when given the chance, to list a bunch of actors off my head: Katherine, Amber Benson, Emma Cauifield, Lisa Kudruw Who btw I kept getting mixed up with Katherine at one point), and plenty of others who could have made the show better.

But she IS a side character... I mean yes, she is pretty up there, but still the series is not called Izzi's Anatomy, so she will always be a side character.

And I disagree about your list... I think Amber and Emma got ALOT of air time for being side characters (especlly since Amber was never a main character... er... well whatever, one episode). And I think Lisa Kudrow was main, she got ALOT of story, that was one thing about friends everyone was pretty balanced by the end. Even if one season it seemed like this, another would make up for it, like Phoebe having the babies, and meeting her dad and her step brother and what not. Some pretty good story lines.

And Heather thanks for sheding some light, its kinda just totaly supports my statement early on. She seems like an actress that is high maitnance, and I bet she wasn't at first (and on Roswell) but I'm guessing that Emmy went to her head

[Dark Ages]

I think Katherine is being the biggest bitch. Gray's Anatomy is what made her who she is today. Before GA she was in films split years apart and they didn’t get good ratings. The last TV series she was on (Roswell) Which I like but it only lasted for three seasons. Katherine needs to quit biting the hand that feeds her.

The show is called GRAY'S Anatomy not Steven's Anatomy. Personally I want Katherine gone, I don’t want Izzy dead, but leave the hospital. Katherine doesn’t disserve the role. When the movie deals stop rolling in, she's not going to have nothing to fall back on. And now she's put a bad rep out for herself and a lot of people probably don’t want to work with her. She need to be thankful she's gotten this far.

[Thomas]

''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'' she decided against competing. ''In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials.''

She never said anything truly negative about the show. She simply said the SHE was not given material that SHE FELT was Emmy worthy. She did not say, "I was given crap that was so bad that it doesn't deserve an Emmy. Not only was I given crap, so was everyone else. The show in general was crap this season. By the way, I want more screen time!"

What she said could translate to, "I did not feel my material was Emmy worthy because I wasn't given any major story lines because I asked for it.," just as easily as it translated to, "I was given crap that was so bad that it doesn't deserve an Emmy. Not only was I given crap, so was everyone else. The show in general was crap this season. By the way, I want more screen time!"