KATHERINE FAMILY

Childhood and Family

Daughter to Paul Heigl (an accountant) and Nancy Heigl (Katherine's manager), Katherine Marie Heigl was born on November 24, 1978, in Washington D.C. Along with older siblings Holt and Jason (died of brain injuries in a car accident) and sister Meg, Katherine spent most of her childhood in an old Colonial-style farmhouse in a prosperous neighborhood of New Canaan, Connecticut.

A mix of German and Irish origin, Katherine, whose nickname is Katie, tried her hand at modeling by posing for her aunt's hair care product. After the photographs were sent to several modeling agencies, nine-year-old Katie became a child model for well-known international modeling agency Wilhelmina. She immediately made her debut in magazine ads, posed for Sears and Lord & Taylor catalogs, and made her TV debut in a national commercial for Cheerios breakfast cereal. Following modeling work and commercial ads, Katie then added acting to her endeavors when she was 12 years old.

In New Canaan High School, Katie experienced a hard time balancing her academic studies with work. After the divorce of her parents, Katie, whose favorites actors are Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Jessica Lange, Marlon Brando, Robin Williams, Anthony Hopkins, and Russell Crowe, relocated to Malibu Canyon, Los Angeles (with her mother) to pursue acting professionally. Commenting about her choice, she said," I was a good student, but I had found my niche as an actress and I was already looking to the future."