Katherine Heigl is best known for her work on Grey’s Anatomy, and in fan-favorite rom-com movies like 27 Dresses and Knocked Up alongside Seth Rogan. She now stars in the hit Netflix series Firefly Lane, which has sparked something of a career comeback for the actress. Heigl recently opened up about why it was important for her to move out of Hollywood after having children, just like many other celebrities who went in similar directions, so to speak.
In an interview with E News, the rom-com actress talked about what is most important to her, highlighting the role that family plays in her life. Heigl also revealed that her decision to build that family — which comprises husband Josh Kelley, two daughters, a son, eight dogs, and three cats — played a big part in the later decision to put Hollywood in the rear-view mirror, with everyone moving to a ranch in Utah. Speaking of her children, she further detailed:
I didn't know how to raise them in L.A. So I felt like I could do it here. I could be more on top of things that scare me and I could be more on top of the kinds of friends they have and places they're going, the kind of activities they're involved in—and what the hell they're doing on their phones!
Heigl now spends most of her personal time on the Utah ranch, many many miles away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, as well as from the Vancouver locations where Firefly Lane filmed. The actress also explained that the move away from California was a healthy change for her, as she was able to find a more peaceful state of mind through more simplistic ways of living. She continued:
I could kind of decompress and let that hustle part of me go—a little bit. I don't know that in any career you can ever completely stop hustling, but being able to separate it a little bit and choose those times of hustle versus just being in it constantly was really important to me.
It is quite understandable why someone invested in family life would want to live away from such an industry-centered city like Los Angeles. Many other celebrities beyond Heigl have made similar decisions in recent years. Chris Hemsworth and his family all live in Australia, where the Marvel alum grew up. John Krasinski and Emily Blunt split their time between London and New York with their kids, as they have stated that they find Hollywood to be suffocating. Ryan Reynolds, James Van Der Beek, and Matthew McConaughey have also decided to move away from the center of the industry for more separated personal lives, and that's just a small pool of examples.
Heigl clearly isn’t alone in her opinion of Hollywood, and I’m glad she found a quieter form of happiness in a place that helps her feel more grounded. And while filming for shows and movies may take her away from her loved ones for weeks or months at a time, at least she knows there's a safe haven out there with her name on it.
Because of course, fans are also thrilled to see her back on the small screen for Season 2 of Firefly Lane and more. She has another miniseries in the works, Woodhull, for which she's set to star. So we will be seeing even more from the actress in the near future, even if she'll be Utah-bound before and after.
You can catch Katherine Heigl in Firefly Lane with a Netflix subscription, with Season 2 set to debut on April 27. In addition, all seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are available on the platform for fans wanting to revisit Heigl’s iconic run on the series. For more information on other projects coming to the streaming service this year, make sure to consult our 2023 Netflix movie release schedule.
