The bestKatherine Heiglmovies and TV shows reveal just why she was a go-to for romantic comedies in the 2000s and 2010s - and why she found it no challenge to transition to more serious dramas. Born in 1978 in Washington, D.C., Katherine Heigl rose to prominence in the 2000s when she co-led manybox-office dominating rom-coms. However, her career started in the 1990s, and she made her debut in the 1992 coming-of-age comedyThat Night.
Katherine Heigl’s big break came at the turn of the 2000s, when she landed the role of Isabel on the WB sci-fi seriesRoswell.From there, Heigl’s career gained significant traction, and by the end of the decade she’d appeared in several of the most financially successful rom-coms of the era. In more recent years, however, the actor has started to transition to more dramatic and emotive roles, and the best Katherine Heigl movies and TV shows reveal why she’s found this to be no challenge at all.
10State Of Affairs (2014-2015)
Katherine Heigl Plays Charlie Tucker
The mid-late 2010s saw something of a career shift for Katherine Heigl. While her rise to fame in the 2000s had been dominated by romantic comedies, over the following decade she began to transition to more serious, grounded roles. Among them was that of Charlie Tucker in NBC’sState of Affairs,the espionage thriller that reminded Heigl could be a strong presence even outside comedies and love stories.
Katherine Heigl’s Charlie inState of Affairsis a CIA analyst responsible for the daily intelligence briefing given tothe President of the United States. WhileState of Affairswould be canceled by NBC after one season, it still marked an important career milestone for Katherine Heigl, and her performance was solid throughout (especially her chemistry with co-star Alfre Woodard as President Constance Payton).
Doubt
Cast
Doubt follows a successful defense lawyer who navigates complex personal and professional challenges when she becomes romantically involved with a client potentially guilty of a brutal crime. Released in 2017, this film explores themes of trust and moral ambiguity within the legal system.
Thanks to her work on shows likeGrey’s Anatomyand, earlier in her career,Roswell,Katherine Heigl found her footing easily when she took on the part of Sadie Ellis in the CBS drama seriesDoubt.While the series didn’t survive past its first season,Doubtstill stands as one of the best Katherine Heigl TV shows thanks to the strength of her performance and her prominence in the series as the cast lead.
Katherine Heigl starred inDoubtas Sadie Ellis, a defense attorney who begins to develop a romantic connection with one of her clients, Billy (Steven Pasquale), who is on trial for the suspected murder of his ex-girlfriend.It’s a nuanced and complex role and one that allowed Heigl to display a surprising amount of range (which formed an essential foundation for her career shift toward more serious dramas).
Jenny’s Wedding
Jenny’s Wedding follows Jenny Farrell as she plans her wedding, revealing to her traditional family that her fiancée is a woman they believed to be her roommate. The film explores the Farrells' struggle to reconcile their conventional beliefs with Jenny’s relationship and the evolving societal norms.
2015’sJenny’s Wedding,from writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue, stands out among the best Katherine Heigl movies and TV shows for several reasons. Among them is that it’s the last romantic comedy of her career so far. Secondly, it’s the first that sees Heigl asone-half of an LGBTQ+ couple.Jenny’s Weddingstars Heigl as Jenny, a woman from a conservative Catholic family. When they discover she is gay and engaged to Kitty (Alexis Bledel), tensions reach boiling point.
Jenny’s Weddingis deeper than the average Katherine Heigl rom-com when it comes to its themes, as the LGBTQ+ storyline allows for some unique exploration. Prejudice and family trauma are as much part of the core focus as the romance between Jenny and Kitty, andJenny’s Weddinghas considerably more emotional complexity than many of Katherine Heigls other ventures into the world of romantic comedy-dramas.
The Ugly Truth
The Ugly Truth is a romantic comedy that delves into the battle of the sexes, centering on a pragmatic television producer who reluctantly collaborates with an uncouth relationship expert. The film explores themes of romance and the differences in gender perspectives on love and relationships.
Katherine Heigl’s rom-com career was in full swing by the time the 2000s ended, and one of her final outings in the genre for the decade was 2009’sThe Ugly Truth.Directed by Robert Uketic,The Ugly Truthis one of several Katherine Heigl movies that place her as a career-driven professional whose plans get derailed by an unexpected romance.
For morning news show producer Abby (Heigl) inThe Ugly Truth, this is when the chauvinistic Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) joins as a correspondent. The story is a relatively by-the-numbers “enemies to lovers”plotline, but one that taps into all the aspects of the best Katherine Heigl movies.It’s the quintessential Katherine Heigl rom-com, and for this reason,The Ugly Truthshould be considered essential viewing for the actor’s fans.
Life as We Know It
Life As We Know It revolves around caterer Holly and sports director Messer, who are unexpectedly tasked with raising their shared goddaughter, Sophie, after personal tragedy. Despite their initial dislike for each other, they must overcome differences and adapt to their new life circumstances while balancing careers and responsibilities.
Directed by Greg Berlanti,Life as We Know Itis a romantic comedy-drama that plays to all of Katherine Heigl’s strengths as a performer. The premise is also an intriguing one, as it focuses on Holly (Heigl) and Eric (Josh Duhamel) finding a romantic spark due to being given joint custody of the child of mutual friends following a fatal car accident.
This set up ensured thatLife as We Know Itwould stand out as a somewhat unique rom-com. Many aspects, such as navigating unexpected parenthood and the tragedy that brought Holly and Eric together, also allow for plenty of emotional scenes.These moments all serve to showcase Katherine Heigl’s abilities when it comes to dramas, and her performance as Holly cementedLife as We Know Itas a career highlight.
Suitsran from 2011-2019, and while she only appeared for the final two seasons, Katherine Heigl left her mark on the show. Heigl’sSuitscharacter, Samantha Wheeler, was introduced following a merger between Specter Litt and a rival law firm. She’s one of the most ambitious characters to feature inSuits,and Samantha shows throughout her time that overcoming difficulty and adversity to succeed is familiar territory.
Seasons 8 and 9 ofSuitsmay be divisive among the fanbase, but Katherine Heigl ensured that Samantha Wheeler was a welcome addition to the show. She was central to many key plotlines, and there were plenty of moments that ensured Katherine Heigl displayed just how wide her range as a performer truly is.Of particular note is the plotline of Samantha trying to track down her biological parents, which saw some of the strongest performances of Katherin Heigl’s career so far.
10 Best Movies & TV Shows Featuring The Cast Of Suits
Suits featured a talented ensemble cast whose work on movies and TV shows can act as the perfect Suits replacement before the release of Suits: L.A.
Firefly Lane
Firefly Lane is a comedy/drama series that shows the friendship between the unlikely duo Tully and Kate, who met at age fourteen, but they couldn’t be more different. Tully is the brash and bold girl you can’t ignore, while Kate is the mousy shy girl you never notice. But when a tragedy brings them together, they are bonded for life – forever inseparable best friends. Together they experience thirty years of ups and downs — triumphs and disappointments, heartbreak and joy, and a love triangle that strains their friendship. One goes on to fabulous wealth and fame, and the other chooses marriage and motherhood — but through the decades, their bond remains — until it faces the ultimate test.
In addition to starring as Tully, Katherine Heigl also served as a producer on the 2021-2023 Netflix dramaFirefly Lane,showing how much faith she had in the project.Based on the 2008 novel of the same name by author Kristin Hannah,Firefly Lanefocuses on the various stages of life of two women, Tully (Heigl) and Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke).
The slice-of-life drama is incredibly grounded, and allows for Katherine Heigl to display her range when it comes to dramatic, emotive scenes. While the show wasn’t the recipient of universal praise from critics, many praised Heigl and Chalke’s performance (with the negative aspects being chalked down to writing). Additionally,many reviews admitted that the show was still incredibly enjoyable despite its apparent flaws - explaining why it was received much, much more positively by viewers, and why it’s among the best Katherine Heigl TV shows so far.
Knocked Up
Knocked Up, released in 2007, follows a slacker and a career-oriented woman dealing with an unexpected pregnancy after a one-night stand. As they attempt to build a relationship, they face challenges in parenthood while reconciling their differing lifestyles and levels of maturity.
2007’sKnocked Upis one of themany Judd Apatow comediesto see huge success during the 2000s, and still stands as one of the best, and funniest, Katherine Heigl movies. Starring alongside Seth Rogen,Knocked Upmakes full use of Heigl’s skills in playing professional characters who find themselves caught up in romantic difficulties despite their best efforts. However, herKnocked Upcharacter, Alison, isn’t just thrown off course by a whirlwind romance - she falls pregnant.
Knocked Uptakes the chaos of an unplanned pregnancy after a one-night stand and weaves it into a hilarious and raunchy comedy. Katherine Heigl’s performance is a career stand-out, especially given how authentically she and Seth Rogen sell Alison and Ben (Rogen) as terrified soon-to-be parents.The pair have a palpable and believable chemistry, and it’s this that ensuredKnocked Upwould always be considered one of Katherine Heigl’s best films.
27 Dresses
27 Dresses is a romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, starring Katherine Heigl as Jane Nichols. Released in 2008, the film follows Jane, a perpetual bridesmaid who has served in 27 weddings. Her steadfast commitment is tested when her sister becomes engaged to the man Jane secretly loves. The film explores themes of love, self-discovery, and personal growth.
Of all the rom-coms from her successful run in the genre in the 2000s and 2010s, 2008’s27 Dressesstands out as the best Katherine Heigl movie. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Aline Brosh McKenna,27 Dressestakes the age-old idiom “always a bridesmaid, never a bride”and spins it out into a heartwarming 111-minute romantic comedy.
Katherine Heigl leads the cast of27 Dressesas Jane, a young woman who has been a bridesmaid at 27 weddings and is a firm believer in the concept of marriage. Heigl delivers a hilarious performance as Jane, helped by her chemistry with James Marsden as Kevin.27 Dresseseasily stands as the best Katherine Heigl movie, and stands as the prime example of why she was considered a go-to for romantic films for so many years.
10 Best Rom-Coms Like 27 Dresses
There are plenty of great rom-coms like 27 Dresses for fans of the 2008 classic, which stars Katherine Heigl and James Marsden in the lead roles.
Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama series revolving around surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The show features the professional and personal lives of these medical professionals, led initially by Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. Created by Shonda Rhimes, the series highlights the complexities of medical cases while delving into the interpersonal relationships among the hospital staff.
During her earlier career prior to her big-screen breakout movies likeKnocked Upand27 Dresses,Katherine Heigl landed one of her most career-defining roles (one that also undoubtedly opened a few Hollywood doors). In 2005, Katherine Heigl signed on to the cast of the ABC medical dramaGrey’s Anatomy.Heigl played Dr. Isobel Stevens, known to friends and fans of the show as Izzie, and she became an essential ingredient on the show from seasons 1-6.
Playing Izzie onGrey’s Anatomylanded Katherine Heigl multiple award wins and nominations. These include an Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007, and a nomination for a Golden Globe in a comparable category the same year. Izzie remains a favorite character among the fandom over 10 seasons after her tragic death, and it’s all thanks to Katherine Heigl’s performance,cementingGrey’s Anatomyas her best TV show.
