Katherine Heigl's rise from a naive young girl to a super star has as much to do with her drive and determination as with her theatrical talents. In this exclusive interview to Ajay Reddy she talks The Ugly Truth, her latest flick and her co-star Gerard Butler's raunchy sense of humour [[ In your regular life, if you're out with another couple and they've got that great witty thing going, it's the most entertaining
Your character Abby is not what you would call "laid back", is it?
Abby is a really uptight chick who is super organized. She's really great at her job, but she tries to take organizational skills into dating, and it makes her a little scary . As a date she's a nightmare because she's overwhelming, she's bossy and she talks too much. But to be honest, it was really super fun to play that, probably the most fun I've had!
Tell us about the love story.
Abby and Mike's (Gerard Butler) relationship completely rocks her(Abby's) world. All her love of order and peaceful calm, he just throws out the window. She can't predict what he's going to say, what he's going to do. She's so good at sort of being one step ahead and he just kind of puts her in this position where she has to sort of throw her hands up and go with the flow, and it's actually really good for her.
So how does realisation dawn?
I realised `Hey, wait. We sort of bring out the best in each other and we're attracted to one another. What more could you want?' Laughs.
Gerard Butler cast opposite you was it a case of inspired casting?
He's really fun and has the raunchiest sense of humor and at times the dorkiest sense of humor. He tells the most ridiculous jokes that generally take me a second or two. He's charming and such a likeable guy . He is here to have a good time. And he works really hard.
You know, I have a real love of that sort of old Hollywood repartee that you don't really see much anymore. Gerry and I found that fast-paced, sparring dialogue so much fun. Even in your regular life, if you're out with another couple and they've got that great witty thing going, it's the most entertaining thing to be a part of.
And it kind of just happened seamlessly between us.
You've made comedies your forte. How is this one different from Knocked Up and 24 Dresses?
Well, what I loved about the movie was that it was sort of an insight into what men are really thinking and why women feel the way they do about their relationships. And I thought it was kind of hilarious because we've all read and seen stereotypical romantic comedies, but what I loved so much about The Ugly Truth was that it's just a bit edgier. I think they [scriptwriters Nicole Eastman and Karen McCullah Lutz] have a really fabulous, wonderful comedic voice. And the beauty of their writing is that they did nail both sides of this dynamic.
What's your personal opinion on the Women Vs. Men dynamic played out in The Ugly Truth?
Oh, I think Mike thinks there's a truth about men that women don't want to face but he comes from a place where a lot of men come from: he thinks his opinion is fact! Abby is rightfully frustrated and confused by her relationships with men and is tagged a loop when she starts to fall for a guy like Mike who doesn't appear to have a romantic bone in his body .
So you mean that the differences between them actually bring them together?
Absolutely . In his own way, Mike rocks Abby's world. There's something secretly exhilarating for her in a man who throws her orderliness out of the window.
What was it like working with director Robert Luketic?
Robert is a genius and I love him so much! He knows exactly what he wants. He doesn't exhaust his actors. His set is an open forum for inspiration and creativity. The best is when you can hear him giggling at the monitors, because you know he's happy and that he gets it; and all I wanted to do was make Robert laugh.