Biography - an account of the series of events making up a person's life.

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Katherine Heigl
born: 24-11-1978
birth place: Washington D.C.

There’s a lot to like about Katherine Heigl. Not only does the blonde beauty play one of the most amiable characters on TV, that of Dr Izzy Stevens in Greys Anatomy, but she also appears incredibly down to earth, just as happy photographed looking a million dollars as she is in a pair of tracksuit trousers without a scrap of makeup on. Add to that her assertive personality, defined by constant rants on the side of feminists, gays and underdogs in general, and Katherine Heigl really is just great. With all this in mind, we take a look at what interesting ingredients were used to cook her up.

Born in Washington D.C. on 24th November 1978, Katherine Heigl’s early years were a far-cry away from the razmattaz of Hollywood. The youngest of four children, her mother, Nancy, of German descent, was a personal manager, while her father, Paul, an Irish-German American, was a financial executive. The family moved around several times while Heigl was young, jumping from residences in Virginia to Denver, until they finally settled in Connecticut, where they lived in an old Victorian-style farmhouse in the wealthy town of New Canaan.

Sadly for her, all was not merry in middle class America, with her childhood being mired by the untimely death of her fifteen year old brother Jason. After suffering massive head injuries from a car crash, Jason fell into a coma and soon died. The parents decided to donate his organs. Heigl, who was seven at the time, has vivid memories of being disturbed by this decision. In an interview for Parade Magazine she remarked: “I remember being so upset. If he didn’t have his organs, it didn’t bode well for his coming back.” With age, Heigl grew to understand her parents’ decision to the extent that she is now a strong advocate of organ donation.

As would be expected, this tragedy had a profound effect on the family. Already religiously inclined, they were led into the hands of the Mormon Church due to the support the Church offered during this testing time. Heigl’s upbringing became even more traditional; she went to church regularly, said prayers before meals and was reportedly not allowed to date until the age of 16.

Some eighteen months on from the death of her brother, Heigl’s life started to u-turn. Upon a visit by her aunt, whom took several photos of her and submitted them to various model agencies, at nine years old she was signed as a child model at Wilhemina Model Agency.

With her wholesome looks, it did not take long for Heigl to establish herself within this industry. She was soon earning $75 an hour to pose for top catalogues, such as the Sears Catalogue. Not confined to simple stills, Heigl also found herself on national TV modelling for Cheerios cereal and the likes. This led onto greater heights, with Heigl making her acting debut in the 1992 coming-of-age movie 'That Night'. Heigl’s first lead role came two years later; she was cast in the comedy 'My Father the Hero', acting alongside Gerard Depardieu in a role that largely saw the young star prancing around in a thonged bathing suit. A year later, Heigl appeared opposite Steven Seagal in the action thriller 'Under Siege 2'.

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