Katherine Heigl: romance shouldn’t be Snow White & Prince Charming

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Katherine Heigl is August’s In Style cover girl, and she has some slightly harsh things to say about the genre that’s given her a career – romantic comedies. Heigl considers herself savvy on the subject of romance now that she’s been married for 18 months to Josh Kelley (that poor bastard). Heigl says that with Josh, she “met a great guy who loved me for me.” Which is great if it’s true, but I suspect Josh just keeps the peace because he’s afraid of the Wrath of La Heigl.

The best part is when Heigl drops this bombshell: “It doesn’t have to be so Snow White and Prince Charming. That’s my problem with a lot of romantic comedies.” Uh, yeah. I’m not sure if there are many women over the age of twelve who go into dating, relationships or just a romantic-comedy film thinking that it’s going to be all Snow White and Prince Charming. Or, put it another way, we can enjoy watching Sleepless In Seattle without actually believing it could ever happen:

Katherine Heigl plays a woman clueless in the ways of romance in her upcoming film, The Ugly Truth. But in real life, the actress considers herself fairly savvy on the subject.

“In my early 20s, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted,” the Grey’s Anatomy star, 30, tells In Style for August, “and if you’re just getting to know yourself while you’re in a serious relationship – it’s like you’re trying on different personalities to see what fits, but there is that real you in there somewhere.”

Heigl says she found her real self when she met singer Josh Kelley, her husband of 18 months, on the set of his 2005 video Only You. “I was fed up with trying to be somebody else, and got really lucky and met a great guy who loved me for me,” she says.

Her experiences have not only helped her learn what she wants in romance but also what she wants in a romantic comedy – and she says it isn’t always rated PG-13.

In a real relationship, Heigl posits, “you’re probably going to drop the F-bomb once in a while. You’re probably going to say some things that are kind of harsh. And you’re definitely going to talk about sex.

“It doesn’t have to be so Snow White and Prince Charming. That’s my problem with a lot of romantic comedies.”

It’s that sass and forthrightness that Ugly Truth costar Gerard Butler says made him fall madly in love with her after watching Knocked Up. “This is the sexiest, smartest, sassiest, funniest actress out there. And suddenly you get told they want you to read a script with her? I love this business!”

[From People]

Damn, Gerard Butler thinks Heigl is “the sexiest, smartest, sassiest, funniest actress out there”? I’ve said it before, but I strongly suspect my guy has horrible taste in women. Still, it’s a nice thing for Gerard to say about his costar, and judging The Awful Truth solely from the trailer, I do think Gerard and Heigl do have a lot of chemistry together.

Over the weekend, I rented 27 Dresses because I was in the mood for something light. I was surprised by several things – first, that movie sucked. The script was terrible, and every actor in it did the best they could would bad material. Secondly, Katherine Heigl is actually a half-decent actress. I have only seen in her in a couple of films, but I can see why she has fans – she’s no Meryl Streep, but she made a horrible rom-com slightly more watchable. Third, what ever happened to romantic comedies where the lead female character was strong, tough and educated? I miss Katherine Hepburn.

Photos are stills from The Ugly Truth, thanks to AllMoviePhoto.

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13 Responses to “Katherine Heigl: romance shouldn’t be Snow White & Prince Charming”

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  1. saintdevil says:

    Hey, if an overrated, fugly, annoying bitch like Heigl can find true love, so can all of us.

  2. tiddlywinks says:

    she sucks as an actress.

  3. Neelyo says:

    Agreed, Kaiser. In the 30s and 40s romantic comedies, the women often had the upper hand (although Hepburn did star in one of the most offensive romantic comedies, WOMAN OF THE YEAR). And also, they were just better actresses.

    Kate Hudson, Katherine Heigl and the rest don’t hold a candle to Irene Dunne, Carole Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur, Margaret Sullavan and Katherine Hepburn. Granted they were working with better material but they were also strong women.

    If you want to see a wonderful funny, sexy romantic comedy rent THE AWFUL TRUTH.

    By the way, what color is Heigl’s hair really? She doesn’t look good as a blond. Like a softer version of Angelica Huston in THE GRIFTERS.

  4. Maddie says:

    Barbara Stanwyck – Double Indemnity says it all. Love that movie… Heigl, Hudson, and the like are only good actresses because they play the same role in every movie not much of a stretch to me.

  5. I Choose Me says:

    I watched 27 dresses for James Marsden but I agree with you Kaiser that she’s a (half)decent actress. Heck, I’ll even go as far as to say that she’s quite watchable on the big screen. (So nice to see a female lead with actual curves) Still don’t like her though. Her personality rubs me the wrong way.

  6. Kerry says:

    I love Gerard, but he speaks of everyone he’s worked with in the superlative form. Every single one. Heigl’s ingratitude is going to catch up to her if it hasn’t already. She’s part of a trend in which non major movie stars are opening big at the box office, not unlike Gerard himself in 300. That doesn’t her special or necessary to the success of a film.

  7. PrincessJay says:

    This is what’s wrong with people. I think everyone wants all these romantic comedy movies to be “cliche” “Oh the strong actress, where is she? Oh my God, she sucks cause she’s not strong.” Nooooo, because what Katherine displays is true life, real people that will break down and cry over dumb stuff, binge eat, and be a NORMAL person. I think that’s refreshing and she’s an interesting person to watch on screen. Like she said, her husband loved her for who she was. And I think we should do the same. Who are we to judge her on her personality? I’ve seen worse actresses. She’s not that bad.

    And I completely agree with her on the whole snow white and prince charming aspect. It’s not all love and roses in a marriage. You’re going to have your problems. She’s just speaking the truth and people are pissed at her for it? I love her outspokeness.

  8. Neelyo says:

    PrincessJay, I wasn’t commenting on Heigl personally (believe me I could if I wanted to) but more so the endless parade of girls onscreen. The actresses of the 30s and 40s were strong, yes, but also vulnerable. AND they were women. So many of the actresses in their 20s now seem like overgrown girls with implants. Maybe that’s what people want.

  9. Kaiser says:

    Neeylo & Maddie – I love Stanwyck! She’s so sassy. I also love the rare turns Ingrid Bergman did in rom-coms, like “Indiscreet” w/ Cary Grant. Sigh.

    Today’s rom-com girls suck big time.

  10. Neelyo says:

    BALL OF FIRE with Stanwyck and Gary Cooper is one of my favorites. The two of them are so sexy together.

  11. nelly says:

    I dont care what people think, but for me, Katherine Heigl is a good actress (in her generation). You just can compare her to Hepburn or Grace Kelly, no way. Actresses today are made like fast-food. Two, three, four movies and they are over and never remembered again. But i can help to think that Heigl has something different than actresses like Sienna Miller,Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and so on. I’m not talking about the looks. But she is a good actress and did a great job on Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up and 27 dresses.

    Maybe, sometimes, she should shut up, but hey?! In the other hand we have Megan Fox who talks shi***ts all the time and doesn’t have any talent at all. For that, i stick with Heigl.

  12. alyssa says:

    i prefer Sandra Bullock .

  13. aw! says:

    I agree–I prefer Sandra Bullock, or for the “oldies”, Katherine Hepburn. Heigl can go away.