As far as fame goes, Katherine Heigl‘s is the kind no-one would actively seek.
Her career has been plagued with rampant and aggressive criticism, with those weighing in taking aim at both the personal and the professional, Heigl’s acting overshadowed in conversation by those who seek to bring her down.
But now, years after enduring what seems like a tsunami of the most unattractive criticism out there, Heigl has finally revealed the burden of what it meant to be Hollywood’s most talked about, and perhaps most unpopular, actress.
In an interview with news.com.au, Heigl told the website it took a long time for her to come to terms and be able to process a very public discourse of hate.
“I didn’t deal with it well in my 20s. I was so self-conscious and self-doubting, and even now, it’s hard not to care when you feel judged unfairly,” she said.
More than anything, the former Greys Anatomy star says age has been a crucial determinant in being able to navigate who she is amongst the criticism.
“At a certain point, I had to think, ‘Who do I really, really want to like me?’ and that question saved me because there aren’t many people. I want my husband to like me, my family, and I hope one day my children will like me.
“I have to be honest, I’m a very neurotic person, but just growing older has lessened that feeling of shame.”
Perhaps most interestingly, Heigl felt during those tumultuous years that if those around her are voicing their criticisms about her, then they must be true. A kind of where-there’s-smoke-there’s-fire self-destructive mantra, it seems.
“When somebody says something negative about me I have a tendency to think, ‘They must be right! I must be an asshole!’ but I think age has helped me deal with criticism,” she said.
Heigl has since escaped the Hollywood bubble, moving to Utah in 2010 with her musician husband Josh Kelley. The couple were married in 2007 and are raising their two daughters Naleigh, 7, and Adalaide, 4, with another baby on the way, due in January.
Top Comments
Well like most of us here I don't have any idea what she is actually like to work with, but I think the comments she made about Knocked Up were exactly what I was thinking. She said something along the lines about it was another movie where the guys are portrayed as lovable screw ups and the women as neurotic and shrill. (my words I can't recall her exact words but was similar sentiment). I not only agree with her 100% I would take it further that what I thought annoying is that it is another movie where a 'hot' woman is really insecure about themselves and whether the 'average to loser' type guy' is into them, and desperate to be with this guy. In the real world it would not only be the other way around, but the average guy would probably not have a hope in hell with someone like her, and if they did it would be them crying about why the woman doesn't want a future with them. That is what annoyed me about that Knocked Up movie and just about every Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler movie, they are such average guys but the plot is always how super hot women are making fools of themselves to be with them. Even in Bad Neighbours, Seth is with Rose Byrne, I mean on what planet would that happen?
I don't mean that Seth etc don't have an attraction in their own goofy way, but to try and make themselves seem like sex gods that gorgeous women would be neurotic over is just so unrealistic. What movies never show you is there are just as many gorgeous women slinking away from disastrous one night stands to guys who are desperate to be their boyfriends. None of this is ever portrayed in movies, giving the impression that the men are always the love it and leave them brigade.
I really hated that movie Knocked Up for exactly those reasons, and have avoided all Seth's movies for these reasons and found him deeply unattractive, however I did watch him in a movie with Barbra Streisand where she played his mother (Road Trip? can't recall the name) and it was the first time I liked one of his movies and thought he was kind of cute, and that was because he wasn't trying to pretend that he was some kind of sex God, he was playing a part that actually suited his physicality and he came across as a sweet guy in that role. He should do more of that stuff, leave the sex God stuff to Ryan Gosling etc.
Something the article fails to mention, that it was (in part) a lot of her own behaviour that brought the hate to her. She was difficult to work with, behaved like a diva, yelled and belittled people, and so she quickly became the "actress no one could work with".
Unless you've worked with her I wouldn't take those words as gospel... That's all part of it isn't it?! Other's have said how wonderful she is etc - why is it so much easier to believe the negative without question?
Not to mention starred in a lot of stinkers