Katherine Heigl Says Returning to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ After Nearly 10 Years Away Would Just ‘Be Distracting’

Nearly 10 years after fans were forced to say goodbye to Katherine Heigel‘s character on Grey’s Anatomy, Dr. Izzy Stevens, the actress is addressing a possible return to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

“I haven’t [thought about Izzie] in years. I don’t know. I don’t know if I would or if I wouldn’t,” Katherine, 40, told Entertainment Tonight on the set of Suits, which is headed into its final season this summer. “I almost feel like that would almost be distracting again to, sort of, what they’ve done with that show in the years since I left… and what that’s become and what it is to the fans now.”

The 27 Dresses actress also thought her character would feel out of place for viewers. “It must feel like it would just be kind of like, ‘Yeah, we already let that go… why are you here?” she explained.

Diehard fans of the show took to social media to express their opinions on whether or not she should come back — and it seems they’re into the idea. “I’m [really] interested to know where Izzie Stevens is now [though]. Even [though] I didn’t really like her, I’m curious enough to be excited about her [possible] return to Grey’s,” one fan tweeted. “I only watched #GreysAnatomy because of @KatieHeigl. If you return, I’ll have a reason to start back watching,” another wrote.

Katherine said goodbye to the eighth longest-running scripted primetime TV series — which is actually the longest-running primetime medical series — in 2010. Following her exit, she embarked on a rom-com movie career before returning to the small screen in 2014 for State of Affairs and then in 2017 for Doubt. In 2018, the blonde beauty picked up the role of Samatha Wheeler on the hit USA legal series.

As she gears up to bid her final farewell to Suits, Katherine opened up about the fate of the show’s characters. “I am wanting to hopefully just sort of stand quietly to the side and let the people who have really built this show and make it … and have made this family together have their moment to celebrate, to honor and to be sad because I know they are,” the two-time Golden Globe nominee explained.

Check out Katherine in the ninth and final season of Suits, which premieres on Wednesday, July 17, at 9 p.m. ET on USA.