Ellen Pompeo & Katherine Heigl | Actors on Actors 

“19 seasons, I’m surprised there wasn’t a giraffe” girl was so done with greys 😂

this is Katherine’s well deserved renaissance.

"It's not a career worth having if you're bending all the time." I love Katherine Heigl. Such an inspiring woman.

As someone who grew up with Grey's and watched it from season one, I will never forget the emotional depth Heigl gave to Izzie. I will also never forget how bad she had it... She was canceled before cancel culture ever existed and just labeled a "bitch" for simply being a strong woman. Thank God she seemed to have turned things around and here's to hoping she will continue to deliver her unparalleled acting skills for many years to come.

Such a genuine and honest conversation. I love how Ellen and Katherine are unapologetically themselves.

20 years of Grey's Anatomy and Katherine Heigl is still the only actress who won an Emmy from the show. I know that must really piss off the people who fired her.

Ellen says such a beautiful and true thing at 49:15 “Nobody likes a confident woman. Theyd rather you be a woman looking for your confidence than you actually be a confident woman. Because that makes them nervous.” PREACH!!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Is it just me or Katherine DESERVES her own Late Night show? I will totally watch it

Katherine is actually a huge inspiration for women in any bussiness and was ahead of her time standing up for herself and in some ways demanding respect. She’s such a brilliant actress, she deserved more. How many men spoke against bad scripts, directors, writers or whatever and were cancelled after that for it? Everybody likes tough men, but when a woman is “tough” she’s overbearing and difficult. Bullshit

Katherine deserves an apology from the world… Ellen was right she was ahead of their time

FACT: Majority of Grey’s iconic scenes involve Izzie and that giant pink ball gown. It was that Season 2 Finale with Izzie, Denny and Alex (with Chasing Cars song) that sealed the deal for Grey’s Anatomy and promoted it from popular to phenomenal. Also, don’t forget the Season 5 elevator scene with Izzie and George wearing his army uniform. Heigl is one hellava actress.

Awe, it’s so beautiful to see Ellen protecting Katherine so confidently. I hated the way media portrayed her. It’s such a beautiful story they’ve shared. I’m thankful we got to watch them reconnect. It’s emotional for some reason.

katherine Heigl is an icon, she deserves a second chance. Ellen thank you for recognizing that.

Katherine Heigl faced so much crap from people back in the day, was called a bitch and a diva for just wanting to be respected in her work environment. Love that she didn't give up on herself.

Omg dying over the fan story… “do you know Izzy? Are you her mom?” “How old are you?” “I’m 17!!” “Goooooo away” lmao 🤣

I've always been in the "Katherine Heigl did nothing wrong" camp; I'm not a stan or anything but I've defended her a lot to friends and am always happy to see her thriving. Ellen is right that she was ahead of the curve - I think people would be a lot more receptive to what she had to say if that period of her life were happening today.

So many actor's would've backtracked their statements if faced with the same amount of criticism Katherine received. Even after 15+ years and essentially being blacklisted from the industry, she's remained unapologetic. She's truly a pioneer for demanding a higher standard for women in the workplace, especially when voicing adverse opinions.

“There’s two role roles women fit into. The victim or villain. People will only see you as one thing. And the women who are victims are only victims because they don’t have the guts to be the villain.” PREACH, ELLEN!!

Katherine Heigl was absolutely incredible in “Firefly Lane.” That show was perfection from Episode 1 through to the end.

I feel cheated of the many years of Heigl we’ll never get back because she was ahead of her time in being a fearless and outspoken woman.

I wish Sandra Oh was also featured on this interview, it would have been awesome to see all the 3 women who started the show together in conversation. It is an amazing exchange though, I loved every bit of it.

I love that Ellen is in a space where she can poke fun at how ridiculous some of the moments on the show were. She’s not holding back and you can tell Katherine is holding back. Makes sense why.

Katherine deserves an Emmy for her performance in Firefly Lane!

“But who are you? Who are you without all the opinions of who you are?” This right here is it. A lot of us don’t even know who we are because of other people. We are a different person to different people and we allow opinions of other define us. Taking a step back and tuning all the noise to look inwards and think about yourself, makes all the difference. Learning yourself for yourself fixes a need to give anyone a different version. Everyone gets one version, whether they like it or not because you no longer care about being liked or what they have to say about you.

this was everything. so happy this happened and Katherine got to tell her story and take back the narrative 🫶

I never thought I would see Katherine and Ellen together again 😭

ellen's voice is everything, very iconic and hasnt changed for years

idk if it was just me but when she started to speak about the young women in this industry towards the end - that passion in her voice & her face reminded me so much of Izzie 🥲🥺

I imagine it must be difficult for Katherine to listen to Ellen being so vocal and bold about certain things when it’s the very reason why she basically lost her career in the first place. A lot of people would’ve never made the reconnection and held resentment and anger etc. it’s beautiful to see these two women speaking so candidly about such a formative shared experience!

Can’t believe this happened

I love that this one is almost double the length of the other interviews. Such depth, rich history. Two incredible women and actors!

I really love Katherine in Firefly Lane! I almost don't want to call it a performance--feels like she's tapping into a very real part of her (and many of us) who is internally deeply vulnerable/wanting love but somehow just a tad more courageous & bold than yoked to the validation of others! Love how she brought Tully to life

I loved the way Katherine gently disagreed with Ellen about intimacy coordinators and shared her experience. Such an elegant way of having a different opinion.

This was a fantastic interview. Katherine gets the redemption she so deserves and Ellen shows she why she gets paid as much as she does. Its fascinating as there are usually two types of leaders when it comes to change, those that break free and call it out (Katherine) and those that work within the system (Ellen). Both have pros and cons. Both can be successful. Katherine was the catalyst for change on the show, Ellen was the reinforcement.

Oh my goodness, can we hear that line over and over again? ‘People can’t handle confident women. The can only handle women looking for their confidence.’ Wow that puts sooo many things in perspective! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

Katherine telling the most impactful ending on Firefly Lane left me in shock, because I'm just three episodes away from the end hahahahaha. Ellen and Katherine, you both are inspiring women! 🙂

“They don’t like confident women, they would rather you be a woman looking for your confidence” wowwwww Ellen really nailed that on the head🫢

If we're being real here: Katherine was villainized and thrown out like trash by Grey's and the entire industry for being a woman who spoke up for herself and her career in a time when that was not normalized. On the flip side, Ellen has been able to grow with the times and success of the show into a position where she can unabashedly speak up for herself and her career with no backlash. This conversation affirmed that Katherine was ahead of her time and deserves all of the success because she has the talent and morals to back it up. She walked so that Ellen could run with her "girl boss" energy.

After 100s of episodes, 100s of new actors, 100s of new storylines… She is literally still fan favorite says a lot about her work.

I loved this. Now I wish all the other original Actors would also do this. Including Sandra Oh, T.R Knight, Patrick Dempsey, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, and Justin Chambers. It would be amazing if they were all together here, and sharing their experience on Grey's Anatomy.

Katherine was the Gen Z of the original Grey's. She stood up for herself, she demanded respect, she refused to be another cog in the wheel. She was bold, and unapologetic before it was ok for women to do that. She still is, all of those things but still a very humble person who recognizes her growth, maturity and autonomy. This is a phenomenal conversation that displays deep respect for one another, even though they were treated so differently.

The original cast in those early seasons were just golden. They truly had something special and it was magic. I used to love watching Grey's but honestly i stopped watching long ago but i often rewatch those early seasons. As for Katherine, because she played Isabel Evans on Roswell, and i absolutely loved that show and all those characters, it truly holds a special place in my heart to this day, i will always respect her craft.

I will never understand why people had this perception/bad reputation of Katherine. I love her and I think she is such a great actor! She did a fantastic job in firefly lane show.

Katherine was and still is THAT BITCH. Stood up for herself, is not afraid to speak up for others and all the while is stunning while doing it all. She is a role model and I love how open she is about everything.

I love hearing Ellen echo every complaint I’ve had about Meredith for the last 5 years

"The Ugly Truth" fans know how good Katherine is.

Heigl as Izzie is one of the most iconic roles of my generation. I look at some of her scenes on Grey’s sometimes and I feel everything I felt when I was 15. She was blackballed so unfairly. Just a woman who couldn’t be silenced. And execs hate that. She was dangerous to their structure and that’s why she was the “bad guy”. She is such an amazing actress and the show lost a lot of heart when they wrote her out.

I swear for me greys anatomy was like the first show where I saw females on a powerful profession and yes these women had their drama in the work place but it showed me that women were able to succeed so well at such a challenging profession and inspired me to do more with my life💙 Izzy, merideth, Christina, Bailey, and kathrine we are thankful for you💙

This is the Grey's Anatomy reunion that I have been waiting for. The chemistry between these two women is still there.

I’ve always been a Katherine Hiegl fan. She is an incredible actress, and it’s so upsetting how the Network and Shonda treated her after she spoke out.

This kind of conversation is so refreshing. They delve into real issues and offer their genuine opinions instead of just gushing over each other the entire time.

I'll be honest, I met Katherine Heigl in Utah skiing when I was a teenager, at the Deer Valley Resort, and I was so so nervous to go up to her and say hi and introduce myself bc I was such a huge fan of hers, like she had ALWAYS been my favorite Grey's Anatomy character... And unfortunately, idk if she was just having a bad day/wasn't in the mood to be spoken to, but she was a bit rude to me. She barely acknowledged my hi and kind of turned her head around while I was trying to compliment her acting and how much I loved her character. It was disappointing, and overall she was super dismissive, which kind of broke my heart, bc not only did it take me SO much to get the courage to approach her, but it's also not the type of thing I ever do, but I had so many expectations around the experience. Like all I wanted was a convo and acknowledgment. And since I never approach celebrities, I didn't come in with prepared lines or to take a picture with her, or even looking for an autograph. I simply wanted to tell her I was a huge fan and that I thought she was an incredible actress, and yet, I didn't even really get to do that. But I'll say, I know this may sound weird, but her lack of a people-pleasing attitude and dismissiveness kinda made me have weird respect for her, like "oh this bitch isn't fake at all. she's never gonna pretend or put on a show. she is who she is." So when Ellen said Katherine isn't sweet, I'm glad she did. Because although she may be unapologetically herself, she certainly wasn't nice to me. I was 13-14 at the time (this was about 17 years ago?) and that interaction really hurt me, cuz I just wanted to give her a compliment, that's all. And I really looked up to her. So I was let down, big time. And yet I never stopped following her, or being a fan of hers, because her acting was always so real, so raw, so beautiful. I watched Firefly Lane bc of her, and wasn't disappointed. She just has THAT talent. Like that "What about me?!" scene with Denny is unforgettable. I never even told anyone that I met her, bc I didn't want to tarnish her reputation more than it had been. I didn't want her getting more heat than she already was for "being a bitch," when maybe she was just having a crappy day when she met me. And she has a right to that, bc she's human. So tbh this is the first time I'm even telling anyone about this, bc I just always felt this pull towards her, wanting to protect her. I don't know why that is, but I don't think she deserved any of the hate she's gotten. It's disgusting, that she was basically blacklisted from the industry, due to a couple of demands she made. At the same time, I'm not trying to make excuses for her, and I'm not trying to say it's ok to be dismissive or rude to a kid. I was 14 years old, at most, and it was really hurtful to feel dismissed like that. I'm a person too, and like I said a million times, I was just trying to compliment her, and she basically ignored me the entire time and essentially tried to cut the convo short by saying "thanks, appreciate it" with a tight-lipped smile and walking away before I could even finish my sentence. It sucked, lol, and it stayed with me for a while bc I really liked her. But then I realised I could appreciate the actress without idealising the person, and that that should be enough for me. So even though I personally had a not-so-positive experience with her, I never publicly bashed her, hated on her, or even told this story. (till now!) I still supported her, watched the show, and have watched her other projects since, bc I admire her work ethic, her standards in the workplace, and overall the guts she has to be a "bitch" in the industry. We do need more of those. I hope one day I get to meet her again and she's different, and acknowledges my presence, but even if not, at least I get to say that despite my experience, I never went on to hate her, pile on to the attacks, and even continued to support her as an actress. From the bottom of my heart, I honestly think she was just having a bad day when she met me, and it was unfortunate timing. (I mean I'll never know, bc idk her; maybe she's just a bitch IRL and that's how she truly always is, but I choose to believe that's not the case. Bc I want to see the best in most people, and it's better to realise celebrities are complex humans with flaws like the rest of us who mostly just hide it better, than it is to idealize them and put them on a pedestal when we don't even know them.) So seeing this interview was interesting, bc I have such a warm fondness for her and her talent and her raw unfiltered self, but at the same time, the teenager inside of me is kind of hurt from how rude she was to me. It's an odd experience. I really wish I could meet her again, to see if it was just an isolated experience.

Omg Katherine calling it "Seattle Grace" is the absolute cutest thing.

Please make this a recurring series with Katherine and Ellen. I could listen to them talk for hours.

This was AMAZING! These two women have such knowledge and it’s so amazing hearing a first hand conversation between the two. Also extra creds to Katherine the way the industry blacklisted her just for speaking about awful working conditions is so unfortunate and realistic and I loved the discussion around it. GREAT video!

Ellen calling Katherine - "Katie" has such a sweet vibe Lovely friendship!

Katherine was ahead of her time not because she should have been on Twitter, but she recognized a career where you don't stand up for yourself and your boundaries is a career not worth having as a woman in Hollywood. She persevered without the support of a major network backing her up to make her look like the good girl. She's incredible.

I will forever defend Katherine Heigl and i'll never forget or forgive what Shonda and the entire crew did to her. I'm so happy she's getting so much love these last few years, she really really deserves it!

I will always love Katherine. I grew up watching lot of her movies and started grey's because of her. This sit-down was inspiring and empowering. An interview we didn't know but we needed. I love this for her.

It was refreshing to watch the two of them together and specially Katherine. She was so brave for standing up for herself back then and even when everyone gave her ice she didn’t held back. So powerful.

I always loved Katherine's sense of humor and thought she was a great actress. I hate that we lost so many years of her career due to her standing up for herself. She was ahead of her time IMO. I'm glad she's back.

This warms my heart especially after all they put Katherine through. Glad to see her doing so well now again

This show lifted my niece from the depths of depression in 2020 and pulling her up sleeping class hours to be an honor student just coz she wants to be a doctor after Greys..she wants to be a journalist now but me and my sis are forever grateful

This conversation is soooo good. Every interview should be done like this 👏🏻

I have to say, my opinion about Katherine has completely changed because of this conversation. I let the “stories” about her dictate how I viewed her off-screen personality, how small minded of me. I felt the passion she has for protecting young actors - and I loved this beautiful example of female friendship.

“They’d rather you be a woman looking for your confidence than you actually be a confident woman.” That was the most important thing said in this conversation IMO.

It really makes me reflect on my own drama. Past friends, past “stuff” that seemed so HUGE at the time. And I’ve not lived in the public eye in the way these brilliant and amazing women have come together in such a real way and not focus this real conversation on the drama of the past - without ignoring the truth. Love this. Thank you.

These two women are absolutely incredible. I adore how they lift each other up, and have nothing but praise for all the talented people they've worked with. Their experience and wisdom is inspiring for all women. How lucky their children are to have such amazing mothers as an example

The speech that Izzy gave to Denny right before cutting the LVAD wire was the reason I started watching Grey's Anatomy. Great acting, very emotional and relatable for some intense relationships.

I love Katherine in this interview. So natural and just comfortable in her views and what she was saying. She seems a person who feels things deeply, but at the same time wants things to be right. With the controversy around her being ‘demanding’ and leaving Greys, what she said was the truth but she said it at the wrong time, in the wrong way and to the wrong people. Ellen is just so eloquent and articulate. With things on Greys that needed to change she bided her time and said the right things at the right time, the right way and to the right people. It’s just solidifies that timing is everything.

This was such an amazing interview!! Thank you, Variety, for creating Actors on Actors, and bringing Ellen and Katherine back together ❤❤

This was such a fulfilling episode! I watched Grey's religiously when I was younger and I always knew the media part of why Heigl left. I LOVE that they actually dived into that! I feel seriously happy. Bravo Katherine, Bravo Pompeo!

Not the sex with the ghost 😂😂 glad she was just as embarrassed as we were 😂😂

Izzie’s departure from Grey’s will always be one of the saddest parts of the show for me. The fact she was never given a proper send off (for valid reasons, that being) always felt so wrong for how big of a character she was - she truly was my favourite and I always would pray they brought her back even just for an episode. I’m so glad Katherine is getting her stars now, she truly deserves it and is such a gorgeous person.

Honestly the thought of Ellen watching Grey's with her daughter is really special to me because Grey's was the first show my mom and I watched every episode of together :') that was before streaming and she got the first seasons on Netflix DVDs!!

This was a great experience. Seeing the two of you talking about your careers and your lives was refreshing.

The passion that Katherine talks with about standing up for yourself specially for young girls is so heartwarming and I loved her since forever and now I love her more tbh

This conversation is basically a grown up Mer and Izzie reflecting on their lives together and the work they did together 😢 it was beautiful to watch ❤

I don't normally comment, but I was so impressed I had to. This was so lovely to witness. It's always nice to see what a healthy and safe conversation between women looks like. As a viewer I enjoyed the topics, the personal perspectives and the energy you ladies shared. Though I was watching I could also feel the mutual respect too. This shows how much growth has taken place on both of you're journeys. I Loved this. Thank you both. Just brilliant.

I LOVE THESE DISCUSSIONS!! Don't want it to ends, Takes me back in time

Hold on, Ellen never watched the completed episodes and STILL performed with the depth and understanding as if she wrote the entire script. Unbelievably talented and gifted.

Katherine Heigl is so genuine and relatable in the sense she speaks without a filter. I don't understand how she got the bad rep that she did back in the day.

I absolutely loved this discussion. Both incredible women who actively listened to each other. And so glad to see Katherine in Firefly Lane. I watched the shit out of that! More of these two please!!!❤

Thank you ladies, I've learned a lot from you both. One of the best interviews I have ever seen. Thank you for putting this out there, you have made me truly emotional. We NEED women like you to inspire and blaze the trail for all of us

The way Katherine Heigl just MADE Tully... She's an incredible actress. I'm glad she's getting a chance to be someone other than Izzy. She was incredible at both.

Katherine was probably the best actor on Greys, her and April brought real emotion to the scenes. also i loved what ellen said about women being victims or villains! True

i SQUEALED at the roswell shoutout! the show was my introduction to katherine before greys and will always hold a small part of my heart. i adored this conversation sm!

No words to express how much I love seeing these two together. More of this please!!!

I love how katherine still calls it seattle grace because she never lived through it changing to grey sloan

If they bring Izzy back, I'd watch again. They'd have to bring back Alex too.

Such a good interview! Katherine Heigl was speaking up for what was right and she was before her time!

Such a wholesome conversation. Loved it!❤ Thank you Katherine and Ellen! Not knowingly, you've become such an inspiration and truly made a difference. Brave, inspiring, enduring, human, AND superhuman. Both of you. ❤

5:35 animals on Grey 6:54 premiere 10:28 letting Meredith go 14:52 pick me girl 19:16 doctors as patients 20:58 Danny's scene 23:50 firefly lane 28:25 ellen directing 34:19 last day on set 39:00 izzie leaving 42:15 intimacy coordinator 43:30 Kate seen as villain 51:00 kate leaving Grey's

Man this is so iconic for us longtime fans! Justice for Katherine!

Really nice to see them back together again, laughing, catching up, comparing life notes and also discussing Katherine's rather loud fall from grace when she left the show that Ellen, in theory, is still a part of and how she learned from it, doesn't regret it now and has moved on. She is spot on about exactly whose approval we actually need in life...and how, in truth, it all comes down to just a few people, if not just one..being yourself. Our egos or need to be loved/liked makes us believe that we have to please everyone all the time, and most of us do so, naturally and without thinking twice....but it is when we begin to think about it that we get into trouble and think too much which usually tears us down a notch...or 5....before we realize that in the end, it is only our own approval, and that of our partner and family, which is truly important. Now I am thinking too much...Am glad I watched it.

I love this sit down so much! Spewing facts left and right. The wisdom coming from these two strong and successful women is inspiring no matter which industry it is. I totally agree on Katherine being ahead of time when it comes to her transparency and courage to stand up for herself.

I'm so happy how Katherine is getting her fire back in the eye of Hollywood. She is a truly beautiful woman.

Realizing Katherine has been off the show so long that she still knows the hospital as Seattle Grace 😭

What an incredible conversation and what two incredible women. Thank you so much Variety.

This was sooooo easy and pleasant to watch. They are so good together. Loved this so much