Katherine Heigl, the former Grey’s Anatomy star, said she struggled with her Hollywood career because she “overloaded” moviegoers with romantic comedies.
“I had an amazing time. I love romantic comedies. I was so stoked to be doing them. But maybe I hit it a little too hard,” she told Marie Claire UK magazine. “There’s nothing wrong with them, but maybe I overloaded my audience. I should have done a superhero movie or a psychological thriller.”
The Knocked Up actress, who left Hollywood in 2009 to live with her family in Utah, is returning to the small screen to star in the new NBC show State of Affairs, which she is also helping produce.
“There’s still a part of me that’s a Hollywood animal as well,” she told Marie Claire UK.
But she said in the interview that back in 2009, she had to stop and re-evaluate her career after performing in The Ugly Truth, 27 Dresses and Knocked Up.
“This thing that was my best friend for a long time suddenly turned on me,” she said of Hollywood. “And I didn’t expect it. I was taken by surprise and angry at it for betraying me.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Noah Rayman at noah.rayman@time.com