- Katherine Heigl, 44 says Hollywood now has a delicateness it didn’t have before.
- Emmy-winning actor, John Travolta, says it is easier to be yourself and not be labeled difficult.
- She said, “Firefly Lane” allowed actors and showrunners to be creative and helped her concentrate her career.
This is an as-told to essay that was inspired by a conversation with Katherine Heigl. This essay has been edited to be more concise and clear.
It was quite a shock to see my first success as an actor. Yes, it was something I’d always dreamed of, worked towards, and hoped for, but it’s such a long shot — the odds are not great.
It was a hard decision to make. My 20-something self looks at me and says, “Yeah girl, you got a bit ahead of yourself.” But I’m also kind of OK with that — she was young. She was very excited.
More than anything, I was glad to have. Finally it was done!. For many, the nature of the industry is up-and-down. One minute you might be very successful, the next it will dim.
And it certainly did for me — there were My projects didn’t perform as well I had hoped.I did, and for a time I said yes to projects that I wasn’t passionate about. I chose based on what I perceived to be successful, rather than my heart. I was unable to spend time with my young children and regret some of these sacrifices. It was hard to learn from it all.
It was probably when I turned 40 that I realized I needed to define what success means to me — what I want it to look like, what I’m willing to give up for it and what I’m not. My career was completely different after I did that: it felt more secure, comfortable, and my own.
Hollywood is very different now than it was when it was first created.
Since my first day, the industry has seen a significant shift.
Example: We had an example for “Firefly Lane”. intimacy coordinator on set — a person whose job it is to ensure that actors feel comfortable during intimate scenes. She’d talk to directors, producers, whoever, and say, “This is what they’ll do, and this is what they won’t” — and then the actors don’t get asked again. This was something that I hadn’t heard of before.
My initial reaction was to say, “Hey, we’ve been around this block a few times, I don’t need that much attention.” Then I realized that it was a good idea. That’s the way it should be. It was truly a blessing.
There have been many times when I was forced to do something that I wasn’t comfortable with.
It is a complex industry. There’s a lot of money on the line, a lot of people involved, and a lot of opinions that are sometimes presented as fact — so it’s very hard to stand up for yourself when there’s no one to back you up. You are often called difficult for your efforts.
There is a delicacy about Hollywood today that was absent at the start of my career. People are more sensitive about what they ask for and how they ask.
At one point, I decided to speak out about working conditions. Work hours. I’m 44. I’m tired. I can’t work crazy hours. And we shouldn’t have to — we’re making entertainment, not curing cancer or world hunger.
These battles are much easier than they were in the past. It will be even more rewarding for the young actresses.
Some of the change is being driven by the emergence of original streamer material
Filming for streamers is quite different from filming for linear TV. Instead of filming episodes by episode, we shot two episodes at once. It was a little confusing for “Firefly Lane” because we use a lot of time jumps — so not only are you bouncing between two different scripts daily and scene to scene, you’re also bouncing between three decades.
Typically, with studios, you have your big readthrough of the script, get all your studio notes, and then you get all the network notes and producer notes — there’s a lot of input. That was something I didn’t feel as much when working on a streaming program. After they have given the green light, you can just go. Maggie Freeman (our show’s creator) might have experienced something different, but for me, it felt like we were being left to our own devices. It’s been wonderful. Sometimes, there are too many cooks in the kitchen.
I enjoy streamers as a viewer because I like binging. I love it when multiple episodes are available at once. This allows me to watch in my own time. I wait to see my favorite shows on a network such as HBO. I don’t usually watch it right away. I say, “Nope. I’m going show discipline and won’t watch it until all episodes are watched.”
Netflix is a total sham.Love is blind” episodes. I thought, “I want the entire thing right now!”
“Firefly Lane” has helped me to focus on the things I want from my career.
“The Greatest Show on TV” is my absolute favorite right now.Scratch“On Netflix, starring Zoe Saldaña. It brings out the emotions and relationships we are all familiar with in a beautiful manner. It also made me think “The English” with Emily BluntIt was simply extraordinary.
“Steel Magnolias” is my all-time favorite movie — I can quote it. A family tragedy happened to me when I was a youngster. It was a relief to see a story of sorrow and grief being told by actors who were both funny and human. As an actor, I would love to be able do the same.
The script for Firefly Lane was my first encounter with the script. At that point in my career, I had no idea what was next. I didn’t have a plan. I had been wondering, “What do YOU want to do?” Katie? What career direction do you desire? What kinds of stories are you looking to tell?
It’s a shame that I took so long to ask those questions in my career. When I started to see the value in my career, I knew I had to be clearer on what I wanted. I also needed to make sacrifices for my family.
I was in Toronto, working on “SuitsWhen I received the first “Firefly”, script. I purchased the book and began to cry as I was so moved by the story.
It was everything I had hoped for in my next project. It had the heart, love, exploration of grief, humor, and all the other things I needed. I also love that it’s about women — it’s not a romance between lovers, it’s about two women and their lifelong love for one another as friends. I feel like ThisThis is the story I want you to tell.
Eboni Boykin Patterson at if you want to share your Hollywood story if you work in Hollywood eboykinpatterson@insider.com.
