Pics of ‘Ugly Truth’ Premiere

Another day, another interview with Katherine Heigl apparently talking smack about “Grey’s Anatomy.”

The up-and-coming romantic comedy queen was pushing her newest flick, the amusing-looking “The Ugly Truth,” on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” and just couldn’t stop herself from complaining about how long the “Grey’s” overlords worked her when she returned for the upcoming season. (Her character, terminally ill doctor Izzy, was flatlining as the last episode ended, and was pondering riding an elevator to heaven with former lover George, who, judging from the fact that portrayer T.R. Knight isn’t coming back, is really, most sincerely dead.)

“Our first day back was Wednesday, and I keep saying this because I hope it embarrasses them . . . a 17-hour day,” she told Letterman. “I think it’s cruel and mean.”

I don’t know Katherine Heigl – I happen to think she’s a talented actress with a possible future as a screwball comedienne in the vein of Sandra Bullock. I believe that she may have been trying to make a joke, because she was talking to the host of a funny nighttime talk show. I also know that if I were an actress with a history of running my mouth about the people who pay my salary on my day job, but who somehow escapes being fired, I would find something else to joke about. Heigl is popular, and Izzie, despite being one of the most whiny, annoying characters on television today, is too. But since we’re in a recession, and a climate where much better actresses on better shows are now unemployed (“Samantha Who?’” Christina Applegate, “Lipstick Jungle”‘s Kim Raver) I’m not sure that even appearing to be biting the hand that made you a millionaire is wise.

In case you have better things to do than follow the blow-by-blow of a stranger’s employment disputes, here’s what’s gone down – in 2007, Heigl temporarily cut off salary talks with “Grey’s” during negotiations for a raise, with ABC issuing a statement that said, in so many words “We’ve offered Katherine more money than she was getting, but just in case she’s thinking about being cute and quitting, our nifty little contract here says that’s not gonna happen. Good luck, and see you at work on Monday!”

Then last year, Heigl told reporters that she had taken her name out of consideration for an Emmy nomination because she didn’t think she’d been given work worthy of one (and to be clear, I agree with her – It’s better for all involved if we all forget that whole “Izzy and George explore their tru wuv even though he’s married to a goddess-like woman and she’s laying claim to him like he was her favorite Monopoly game piece” storyline.) Again, that’s very candid, but not necessarily smart when you’ve been openly salty with your bosses.

Having never been on the set of  ”Grey’s Anatomy,” I don’t know what Katherine Heigl’s work enviroment is like (she recovered from her comments to tell Letterman how it was like being with family), but I assume she’s not chained to a wall and fed only scrapple tossed to her from a moving truck. I also know that while 17 hours is a very, very long work day, other professionals sometimes work that long too. Like nurses. Who don’t make millions of dollars. They should. But they don’t.

What I can’t figure out is why Heigl, who has another year left on her “Gray”‘s contract, doesn’t just nod and smile and say “Yeah, back for at least another year! Lots of other projects, too!” and wait until she’s done before she runs her mouth? Is she trying to get fired? The show hasn’t been great lately, so they need all the ratings they can get, and having a movie star bound to you by soundtrack for another season is probably a good thing.

I hope “The Awful Truth” is good, and I hope the best for Katherine Heigl’s career, because somebody should be doing well in this awful economy. I just don’t know what’s to gain by her flapping her lips, if she’s got to show back up to work the next day? I hope show runner Shonda Rhimes doesn’t hold a grudge…

What do you think?

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