Why Katherine Heigl Makes $15M a Movie

Katherine Heigl has been murdered in the press for trashing her own roles (she called Knocked Up "a little sexist" and complained about her sub-par Grey's Anatomy material); she's been called difficult and was even fired by her own publicist—yet Heigl is the third highest-paid woman in Hollywood, scoring $15 million for two upcoming flicks. Why? It's simple, according to the president of Lionsgate: “Katie Heigl can open a movie.”

Despite sometimes awful reviews, her last three romantic comedies have made big money—leading to the inevitable comparison with Julia Roberts. Hollywood bigwigs tout her professionalism (and note that "she spends less time on hair and makeup than any actor I've ever seen," one producer tells the Daily Beast). And, gasp, she'll actually eat cheese (not a salad) during interviews. "She’s a throwback,” says one insider. "She reminds me of someone from 1948.”
(More Katherine Heigl stories.)