Katherine Heigl, the most outspoken member of the Grey's Anatomy cast (well, after Isaiah Washington) sounds off on pregnancy, growing up Mormon and her weight-loss struggle in the July issue of Glamour. In fact, she even reveals the secret to avoiding the pressure to stay thin in Hollywood: Throw out the scale! "It makes you kind of crazy," she says.
See interview highlights below as Heigl, 28, who is set to marry her fiance, singer Josh Kelley, in October, gets candid about falling in love and where she sees herself in 10 years.
On what prompted her to publicly chastise Isaiah Washington: "At the time, I was a girl whose best friend had been hurt. I was mad, I'd had a glass or two of champagne, and an interviewer asked me about it. Later, when I watched it on the news, I thought, I'm totally going to get in trouble for this. I knew I wasn't playing the political game, the network wants us to promote a healthy, happy environment, and I'm usually all for that, but that particular incident really infuriated me, and I couldn't hold my tongue. I think it's really pathetic there's still so much bigotry in 2007, and I would speak out again if the situation arose."
On whether it felt weird pretending to be pregnant: "No, because the prosthetic belly felt so fake. Plus, my character was this super-in-shape reporter, so I had to lose ten pounds for the role. When I do get pregnant, I highly doubt Ill be one of those women who don't look pregnant from behind, I'll be that chick who looks pregnant from her ankles up."
On whether it was hard to lose weight for the role: "It was awful! I remember once reading an article about Jessica Alba, who is the most beautiful, most in-shape person alive and how committed she was to her regimen. And I thought, There is no way in hell that will ever be me. I can't only eat fish and vegetables or work out seven days a week. Then suddenly I was that person and I was shocked. But I could never maintain it. I like food too much!
On how she ignores the pressure in Hollywood to stay thin: "When I see some of the people who are glorified in magazines these days, who are so thin it's bordering on sickness, I just feel exhausted. I would hate to think that young girls in high schools across America think that's what they're supposed to look like."
On who she thinks has a healthy body in Hollywood: "Jennifer Aniston and Halle Berry are both in amazing shape. They look phenomenal but they don't look sick. Then there's Kate Winslet: She's confident, beautiful, talented and sexy and she owns it. Early in my career, I read an interview she gave about how the industry wanted her to lose weight; she basically gave them the finger and said no. I remember thinking, I can do that too. I don't have to look like one of these genetically superior people in order to work."
On when she knew Josh Kelley was The One: "We definitely had chemistry at first sight. In the beginning, I was a little intimidated because I thought I was more into him than he was into me. But I was tired of playing games, tired of playing it cool, tired of trying to remain in control of my relationships. So I was honest about how I felt, he was honest right back, and within a month and a half I was completely in love with this guy."
On growing up Mormon: "I am really supportive of the Mormon church and so profoundly grateful for the childhood I had. It's hard work to grow and change and be honest with yourself about your mistakes, and I think that the Mormons handle that beautifully. The faith I grew up with has influenced every decision I've made in my life, well except for the bad ones. [laughs]
On coping with the death of her brother who died in a car accident when she was seven: "I think about what our lives would be like now if he were still alive: what he'd be doing, where he'd be living, whether I'd see him often, whether he'd have kids. These are the things you think about when someone dies, all the potential that never was. It stays with you forever."
On where she sees herself in 10 years: "I hope to have children and the sort of family traditions where we eat together every night. But my career is also super important to me. I don't think I could ever be a stay-at-home mom. So I'll have to find a way to combine the two in a healthy and productive way."
