Katherine Heigl’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

The best Katherine Heigl movies 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 many box-office dominating rom-coms. However, her career started in the 1990s, and she made her debut in the 1992 coming-of-age comedy That 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 series Roswell. 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.

10

State Of Affairs (2014-2015)

Katherine Heigl Plays Charlie Tucker

State of Affairs Katherine Heigl

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’s State of Affairs, the espionage thriller that reminded Heigl could be a strong presence even outside comedies and love stories.

Katherine Heigl’s Charlie in State of Affairs is a CIA analyst responsible for the daily intelligence briefing given to the President of the United States. While State of Affairs would 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).

9

Doubt (2017)

Katherine Heigl Plays Sadie Ellis

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Doubt

TV-14

Drama

Crime

Release Date

2017 – 2016

Network

CBS

Directors

Adam Bernstein, Christopher Misiano, Jeannot Szwarc, Jonathan Brown, Matt Earl Beesley, Rob J. Greenlea, James Strong, David Feige

Writers

Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Don Roos, Nicole Rubio, Heather Robb

Cast

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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.

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Thanks to her work on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and, earlier in her career, Roswell, Katherine Heigl found her footing easily when she took on the part of Sadie Ellis in the CBS drama series Doubt. While the series didn’t survive past its first season, Doubt still 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 in Doubt as 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).

8

Jenny’s Wedding (2015)

Katherine Heigl Plays Jenny Farrell

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Jenny’s Wedding

PG-13

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

July 31, 2015

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

Mary Agnes Donoghue

Producers

Gail Levin, Kevin Scott Frakes, Lauren Selig, Michelle Manning, Myles Nestel, Todd Williams, Nick Thurlow, Lisa Wilson, Raj Brinder Singh

Cast

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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.

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2015’s Jenny’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 as one-half of an LGBTQ+ couple. Jenny’s Wedding stars 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 Wedding is 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, and Jenny’s Wedding has considerably more emotional complexity than many of Katherine Heigls other ventures into the world of romantic comedy-dramas.

7

The Ugly Truth (2009)

Katherine Heigl Plays Abby Richter

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The Ugly Truth

R

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

July 24, 2009

Runtime

96 Minutes

Director

Robert Luketic

Writers

Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz

Cast

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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.

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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’s The Ugly Truth. Directed by Robert Uketic, The Ugly Truth is 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) in The 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 Truth should be considered essential viewing for the actor’s fans.

6

Life As We Know It (2010)

Katherine Heigl Plays Holly Berenson

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Life as We Know It

PG-13

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

Romance

Release Date

October 2, 2010

Runtime

112 minutes

Director

Greg Berlanti

Writers

Ian Deitchman, Kristin Rusk Robinson

Producers

Barry Josephson, Bruce Berman, Denise Di Novi, Joe Hartwick Jr., Katherine Heigl, Norm Waitt, Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer

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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.

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Directed by Greg Berlanti, Life as We Know It is 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 that Life as We Know It would 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 cemented Life as We Know It as a career highlight.

5

Suits (2018-2019)

Katherine Heigl Plays Samantha Wheeler

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Suits

TV-14

Comedy

Drama

ScreenRant logo

7/10

63

9.1/10

Release Date

2011 – 2018

Network

USA

Showrunner

Aaron Korsh

Writers

Aaron Korsh

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Patrick J. Adams

    Patrick J. Adams

  • Headshot Of Sarah Rafferty

    Sarah Rafferty

Creator(s)

Aaron Korsh

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Suits ran from 2011-2019, and while she only appeared for the final two seasons, Katherine Heigl left her mark on the show. Heigl’s Suits character, 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 in Suits, and Samantha shows throughout her time that overcoming difficulty and adversity to succeed is familiar territory.

Seasons 8 and 9 of Suits may 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.

Suits-Gabriel-Macht-Harvey-Specter-Patrick-J-Adams-Mike-Ross-Meghan-Markle-Rachel-Zane

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4

Firefly Lane 2021-2023

Katherine Heigl Plays Tululah Rose “Tully” Hart

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Firefly Lane

Romance

Drama

Release Date

2021 – 2022

Network

Netflix

Directors

Michael Spiller

Cast

See All

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.

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In addition to starring as Tully, Katherine Heigl also served as a producer on the 2021-2023 Netflix drama Firefly Lane, showing how much faith she had in the project. Based on the 2008 novel of the same name by author Kristin Hannah, Firefly Lane focuses 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.

3

Knocked Up (2007)

Katherine Heigl Plays Alison Scott

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Knocked Up

R

Romance

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

7/10

2/10

Release Date

June 1, 2007

Runtime

129 minutes

Director

Judd Apatow

Writers

Judd Apatow

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jason Segel

    Jason Segel

  • Headshot Of Seth Rogen

    Seth Rogen

Knocked Up is a 2007 comedy about an unplanned pregnancy that results from a drunken one-night stand. Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl play the two leads, with Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, and Jonah Hill also sharing the spotlight. The movie was well received by viewers and received a sequel turned spin-off in 2012.

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2007’s Knocked Up is one of the many Judd Apatow comedies to see huge success during the 2000s, and still stands as one of the best, and funniest, Katherine Heigl movies. Starring alongside Seth Rogen, Knocked Up makes full use of Heigl’s skills in playing professional characters who find themselves caught up in romantic difficulties despite their best efforts. However, her Knocked Up character, Alison, isn’t just thrown off course by a whirlwind romance – she falls pregnant.

Knocked Up takes 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 ensured Knocked Up would always be considered one of Katherine Heigl’s best films.

2

27 Dresses (2008)

Katherine Heigl Plays Jane Nichols

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27 Dresses

PG-13

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

January 10, 2008

Runtime

107 minutes

Director

Anne Fletcher

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Brian Kerwin

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Charli Barcena

  • Headshot Of Peyton List

    Peyton List

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Jane Pfitsch

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.

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Of all the rom-coms from her successful run in the genre in the 2000s and 2010s, 2008’s 27 Dresses stands out as the best Katherine Heigl movie. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Aline Brosh McKenna, 27 Dresses takes 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 of 27 Dresses as 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 Dresses easily 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.

Katherine Heigl as Abby in The Ugly Truth & Josh Duhamel as Eric-Messer in Life as We Know It

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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.

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Grey’s Anatomy (2005-2010)

Katherine Heigl Plays Dr. Isobel “Izzie” Stevens

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Grey’s Anatomy

TV-14

Drama

Romance

ScreenRant logo

9/10

81

8.7/10

Release Date

March 27, 2005

Network

ABC

Directors

Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan

Writers

Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Ellen Pompeo

    Ellen Pompeo

    Dr. Meredith Grey

  • Headshot Of Chandra Wilson

    Chandra Wilson

    Dr. Miranda Bailey

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.

Creator(s)

Shonda Rhimes, Michelle Lirtzman

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During her earlier career prior to her big-screen breakout movies like Knocked Up and 27 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 drama Grey’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 on Grey’s Anatomy landed 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, cementing Grey’s Anatomy as her best TV show.

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