Doing the rounds to promote her latest romantic comedy, Life As We Know It, Katherine Heigl was asked, on-camera, what she makes of her “image problem.” (Less euphemistically known as the “everyone thinks Katherine Heigl is an ungrateful shrew because almost every time she opens her mouth she says something ungrateful or shrewish” problem.) Heigl’s response was — surprisingly! — great. All of the qualities that have typically been her undoing — aggressive forthrightness, scathing criticality, general opinion-having — were suddenly put to good use, making for a straightforward, clear-eyed acknowledgment that, yes, she has a problem. The result: an unusually likable Katherine Heigl!
Watch her undefensively answer the question, asked at the two-minute mark:
Sure, there’s a smidge of self-satisfaction in the “nothing I said was particularly scandalous” line, but otherwise, not bad! Thoughtful! Charming! Of course, even with this newly expressed self-awareness, Heigl is still Heigl: Just yesterday she said her husband can be “very self-absorbed.” (Tone! Maybe she should hire some people to follow her around and scream that at appropriate intervals?) For her to maintain this temporary likability boost, she’s going to have to do more than admit she has a problem; she’s going to have to stop doing the things that are the problem. But, a nice start.
