'''Katherine Marie Heigl''' (born November 24 1978) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles on the TV series ''
Roswell'' and ''
Grey's Anatomy''.
Biography
Early life
Heigl was born in Washington, DC to Paul Heigl (a German American accountant) and Nancy (an Irish American); she was raised a Mormon. A few years after Heigl's birth, the family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut, where her older brother, Jason, died in 1986 of injuries suffered in a car accident. Despite their grief, the family decided to donate Jason's organs, which motivated Katherine to become a strong proponent of organ donation.
When she was nine years old, an aunt visiting the family decided to take a number of photographs of the young Heigl. After returning to her home in New York, the aunt sent the photos to a number of modeling agencies, with the permission of Katherine's parents. Within a few weeks, Heigl was signed as a child model.
Career
Almost immediately, a client slated Heigl for use in a magazine advertisement. Television jobs soon followed, the first in a national spot for Cheerios cereal. It was not long until she landed her big-screen debut in the 1992 movie ''That Night''. After meeting quick success and enjoying her new-found career, she realized that acting was her passion.
Heigl appeared as Christina Sebastian in Steven Soderbergh's Depression-era drama ''
King of the Hill'' before being cast in her first leading role as Nicole in the 1994 comedy ''
My Father The Hero''. During this time, Heigl continued to attend New Canaan High School, balancing her film and modeling work with her academic studies.
She then appeared opposite Steven Seagal as Sarah in the 1995 action thriller ''
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory''. Despite an increased focus on acting, she still modeled extensively, appearing regularly in magazines such as ''Seventeen''. She took the lead role in Disney's made-for-television film ''
Wish Upon a Star'' in 1996. Heigl's parents divorced in 1994. After her high school graduation in 1997, she and her mother moved into a 4-bedroom house in Malibu Canyon, Los Angeles, and her mother became her manager.
thumb|left|200px|Heigl with Jason Behr and Brendan Fehr in a promotional shoot from ''
Roswell''.
In 1998, she co-starred with Peter Fonda in a re-working of the classic Shakespearian play ''
The Tempest'', set during the American Civil War. Later that year, she starred in the horror film ''
Bride of Chucky''. In 1999, Heigl turned her attention to television when she accepted the role of Isabel Evans on the science
