Katherine Heigl of Greys Anatomyportrayed Dr. Isobel (Izzie) Stevens for almost six seasons from 2005 to 2010.Frequently in storylines with co-star T.R. Knight, who played Izzies BFF George OMalley,Heigl was surprised when writers had the besties take a romantic turn.

While Heigl enjoyed working closely with Knightley, she felt conflicted over the storyline. With George married to Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) at the time, Heigl felt Izzies actions were out of character.

In season 3, the friendship between George and Izzie turned physical after a night of too much alcohol. After confessing his actions to Callie, George embarked on a romantic relationship with Izzie. Heigl didnt think the plot twist was in line with her characters values.

That was kind of a big change for Izzie, wasnt it, after she was so up on her moral high ground, Heigl told Vanity Fair in 2007. They really hurt somebody, and they didnt seem to be taking a lot of responsibility for it.

Heigl wanted to remain true to her character and struggled with Izzies deviating from her wholesome persona.

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I have a really hard time with that kind of thing, the Greys Anatomy alum revealed. Im maybe a little too black-and-white about it. I dont really know Izzie very well right now. Shes changed a lot. Im trying to figure her out and keep her real.

While she didnt fully agree with the shift between George and Izzie, Heigl realized that Greys Anatomy producers had to keep things interesting and hold their spot as a top-rated show.

It was a ratings ploy, the Suits actor remarked of the Izzie-George coupling. It was absolutely something that shocked people it wasnt predictable, and people didnt see it coming. Its our fourth season; theres not a lot of spontaneity left.

Heigl knew the series producers and writers needed to continually attract viewers, but she didnt want to compromise the integrity of the show.

Business is business, I understand that, she explained. But I want there to be some cooperation between the business end and the creative end, so theres some way of keeping it real.

Heigl revealed she was initially all for the romance between George and Izzie, mainly because it meant more time with Knight.

I was really excited about it in the beginning, she toldEntertainment Weeklyin 2010. I got to work more with my best friend and thats awesome.

When viewers werent buying in to the love story angle of the two pals, George and Izzie went back to platonic status. Clearly, Knight also held Heigl in high regard and enjoyed their time together on set.

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A lot of us care way too much what people think, he told Vanity Fair. But its refreshing to have someone who speaks the kind of truth where your mouth just drops. To her, being up-front and straight with people is paramount. Theres a real freedom to that that Im still working on, but shes already got it. Its intrinsically who she is.

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Why 'Grey's Anatomy' Alum Katherine Heigl Described the Izzie-George Affair as 'A Ratings Ploy' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet