Katherine Heigl: My Career Betrayed Me

Katherine Heigl is continuing her campaign to get back in our good graces by throwing herself yet another pity party.

The former Grey's Anatomy actress, whose career and image have struggled ever since pulling her name from Emmy consideration in 2008 by blaming the show's writing, opened up to Marie Claire about her career challenges. "This thing that was my best friend for a long time suddenly turned on me," Heigl said. "And I didn't expect it. I was taken by surprise and angry at it for betraying me."

While insiders who've worked with Heigl chalked up her downfall to her ego in a harsh Hollywood Reporter article last fall, Heigl blames it on doing too many rom-coms.

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"I had an amazing time. I love romantic comedies. I was so stoked to be doing them. But maybe I hit it a little too hard. I couldn't say no," Heigl said. "There's nothing wrong with them, but maybe I overloaded my audience. I should have done a superhero movie or a psychological thriller.

"I stopped challenging myself," the actress, who starred in the rom-com flops The Ugly Truth and Life as We Know It, added. "It became a bit by rote and, as a creative person, that can wear you down. That was part of why I took that time off, to ask myself, 'What do I want? What am I looking for?' and shut down all the noise."

Heigl now lives part of the year in Utah with her husband Josh Kelley and their two daughters Naleigh, 4, and Adalaide, 2. But she's finally ready to return to Hollywood — at least part-time — with the NBC fall drama State of Affairs.

"We made a deal [with the producers] that we will only do 15 episodes a season, so I can go back to Utah and do all the things that inspire me," Heigl said. "There's still a part of me that's a Hollywood animal as well."

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