Katherine Heigl Taking Grey’s Anatomy Hiatus
Katherine Heigl Taking Grey’s Anatomy Hiatus
Brian Orloff and Cynthia Wang
September 2, 2009
Seattle Grace is losing another doctor - at least temporarily.
Katherine Heigl, 30, is taking a leave of absence from Grey’s Anatomy to film a new movie, the romantic comedy Life as We Know It.
An ABC rep cannot confirm the exact length of time she will be out of pocket - EW.com is reporting a 5-episode hiatus - but tells PEOPLE, “Katherine is taking time off to film a movie. The producers at Grey’s have accommodated past things like that before. It’s a cast of 13 and it is a true ensemble so the show is mindful [of other commitments].”
Heigl’s departure is set to begin this month, last into November and will be explained on screen, EW reports. Meanwhile, fellow castmate Ellen Pompeo is due to give birth to her first child in October and is expected to take maternity leave around the same time - an overlap that’s “all being worked out,” the rep tells PEOPLE.
The rep also notes that none of these events were surprises for the show. “Shonda [Rhimes] has had plans in place for a very long time.” But don’t expect producers to reveal how they will explain where Izzie is during Katherine’s hiatus.
In related casting news, show producers announced that three new characters will join the cast in recurring roles. They will be played by Nora Zehetner, Robert Baker, and Jesse Williams.
In June, T.R. Knight announced he was leaving the ABC drama after months of speculation.
source
Grey's Anatomy: Find Out Why Izzie Stevens Leaves Seattle Grace
September 2, 2009
by Jennifer Godwin
Yep, it's true. Katherine Heigl is taking a break from Grey's Anatomy this season to go off and shoot a Josh Duhamel movie.
But what's shocking, and what shapes the entire sixth season of the series, is the truth about why recently married cancer survivor Dr. Izzie Stevens is vanishing for multiple episodes.
We've got the exclusive storyline scoop on why Izzie goes AWOL-scoop that also explains how the show will get along without Ellen Pompeo during her upcoming maternity leave.
Want to know about the major shake-up coming to Seattle Grace? Read on.
According to inside sources, this season of Grey's Anatomy is overwhelmingly defined by the merger of Seattle Grace and crosstown rival Mercy West. Yep, Seattle Grace is about to double in size, bringing in a slate of new doctors and paving the way for major shake-ups in the season to come.
What does this mega medical merger mean for our favorites? Well, Dr. Izzie Stevens is getting fired. Yes, fired, as in dismissed or downsized. Izzie gets laid off in the big merger and vanishes for a handful of episodes while Heigl shoots her next movie, Life as We Know It.
The shake-up also provides cover for Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave. She'll fade into the background while new doctors, administrators and nurses (played by the likes of Robert Baker, Jesse Williams and Nora Zehetner) fill in the gaps our MIA faves leave behind.
Producers are, however, working to keep Meredith Grey in as many eps as possible. This week Pompeo is banking footage for her maternity leave by shooting scenes for two episodes at once.
The Seattle Grace-Mercy West merger storyline is part of a long-term plan hatched by producers and ABC execs to make Grey's Anatomy a viable going concern for years to come. (We hear they want something like an ER that could continue for 15 years or more.)
No matter who's pregnant, moonlighting or otherwise unavailable, the writers will have a large, endlessly expandable palette of characters and situations with which to work. So, going forward, if Patrick Dempsey needs to shoot a movie (as he will, later this season), the new and improved Seattle Grace permits plenty of wiggle room in schedules and storylines.
source
Brian Orloff and Cynthia Wang
September 2, 2009
Seattle Grace is losing another doctor - at least temporarily.
Katherine Heigl, 30, is taking a leave of absence from Grey’s Anatomy to film a new movie, the romantic comedy Life as We Know It.
An ABC rep cannot confirm the exact length of time she will be out of pocket - EW.com is reporting a 5-episode hiatus - but tells PEOPLE, “Katherine is taking time off to film a movie. The producers at Grey’s have accommodated past things like that before. It’s a cast of 13 and it is a true ensemble so the show is mindful [of other commitments].”
Heigl’s departure is set to begin this month, last into November and will be explained on screen, EW reports. Meanwhile, fellow castmate Ellen Pompeo is due to give birth to her first child in October and is expected to take maternity leave around the same time - an overlap that’s “all being worked out,” the rep tells PEOPLE.
The rep also notes that none of these events were surprises for the show. “Shonda [Rhimes] has had plans in place for a very long time.” But don’t expect producers to reveal how they will explain where Izzie is during Katherine’s hiatus.
In related casting news, show producers announced that three new characters will join the cast in recurring roles. They will be played by Nora Zehetner, Robert Baker, and Jesse Williams.
In June, T.R. Knight announced he was leaving the ABC drama after months of speculation.
source
Grey's Anatomy: Find Out Why Izzie Stevens Leaves Seattle Grace
September 2, 2009
by Jennifer Godwin
Yep, it's true. Katherine Heigl is taking a break from Grey's Anatomy this season to go off and shoot a Josh Duhamel movie.
But what's shocking, and what shapes the entire sixth season of the series, is the truth about why recently married cancer survivor Dr. Izzie Stevens is vanishing for multiple episodes.
We've got the exclusive storyline scoop on why Izzie goes AWOL-scoop that also explains how the show will get along without Ellen Pompeo during her upcoming maternity leave.
Want to know about the major shake-up coming to Seattle Grace? Read on.
According to inside sources, this season of Grey's Anatomy is overwhelmingly defined by the merger of Seattle Grace and crosstown rival Mercy West. Yep, Seattle Grace is about to double in size, bringing in a slate of new doctors and paving the way for major shake-ups in the season to come.
What does this mega medical merger mean for our favorites? Well, Dr. Izzie Stevens is getting fired. Yes, fired, as in dismissed or downsized. Izzie gets laid off in the big merger and vanishes for a handful of episodes while Heigl shoots her next movie, Life as We Know It.
The shake-up also provides cover for Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave. She'll fade into the background while new doctors, administrators and nurses (played by the likes of Robert Baker, Jesse Williams and Nora Zehetner) fill in the gaps our MIA faves leave behind.
Producers are, however, working to keep Meredith Grey in as many eps as possible. This week Pompeo is banking footage for her maternity leave by shooting scenes for two episodes at once.
The Seattle Grace-Mercy West merger storyline is part of a long-term plan hatched by producers and ABC execs to make Grey's Anatomy a viable going concern for years to come. (We hear they want something like an ER that could continue for 15 years or more.)
No matter who's pregnant, moonlighting or otherwise unavailable, the writers will have a large, endlessly expandable palette of characters and situations with which to work. So, going forward, if Patrick Dempsey needs to shoot a movie (as he will, later this season), the new and improved Seattle Grace permits plenty of wiggle room in schedules and storylines.
source