Speculation resumed , however , when Dean Morgan returned to the show for a second time in its fifth season . Cast member James Pickens , Jr. announced that both Heigl and T.R. Knight were set to depart from the show , but he later retracted his comment . During the course of the fifth season , Izzie was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma ( Stage IV ) which spread to her liver , skin and brain . Following the show 's one-hundredth episode wrap party , Heigl revealed she did not know if Izzie would survive , as no one on the production team would disclose her character 's fate to her . It was confirmed in June 2009 that Heigl would return as Izzie for the show 's sixth season . Heigl 's appearances in the season were sporadic , seeing Izzie depart and return twice . Although she was scheduled to appear in the final five episodes of the season , Heigl requested that she be released from her contract 18 months early , and made her final appearance on January 21 , 2010 . Heigl explained that she wanted to spend more time with her family , and did not think it would be respectful to '' Grey 's Anatomy '' viewers to have Izzie return and depart yet again . Michael Ausiello spoke further on Katherine Heigl 's perspective on Izzie 's departure . He said , " Katherine thinks her Jan. 21 farewell - while not originally intended to be her last episode - oddly works as a bookend to Izzie 's story . " Even though there 's a part of me that would like to go back and do the quick Izzie farewell , " she says , " I also think that my last scene - where Meredith says to Izzie , ' Please do n't go , This is your home , ' and Izzie 's response was , ' No it ’s not , not anymore it ’s just a place I Worked and I can do that anywhere ' - was kind of tragic and appropriate all at the same time . When I was playing the scene I was really trying to convey that , for Izzie , that was a lie that she had to tell herself to have the courage to have to move on . " In August 2010 , Rhimes stated that she did not feel Izzie 's character arc — specifically her relationship with Alex — had fully concluded , and hoped to give proper closure to their relationship in the seventh season . She later confirmed that she had intended to kill off Izzie off-screen , but opted against this a day later as she felt that it would destroy Alex , rather than give him closure . Instead , she concluded : " I 'm open to seeing Izzie again . So if she Katherine were to come back , we would be thrilled to wrap up her story . But if she does n't , we 'll just move on . " Heigl also went on to say in October 2010 that the character returning to show looks bleak because , " that chapter is closed , and it 's sad . And it 's hard . " She also felt that Izzie coming back to the show would , " just feel manipulative . " However , in January 2012 , Heigl stated in an interview that she has asked the producers if she could return to the show to give closure to Izzie 's storyline : " I 've told them I want to return , " she said . " I really , really , really want to see where Izzie is . I just want to know what happened to her and where she went and what she 's doing now . My idea is that she actually like figures it out , and finds some success and does really well in a different hospital . She was always floundering you know , and so she was always one step behind the eight ball and I want to see that girl take some power back . " She later went on to say that she regrets leaving the show , " Oh yeah , sometimes , yeah . You miss it . I miss my friends . It was a great work environment ... and it becomes a family . I spent six years together with these people every day ... you grow up together , in a way , " and again commented on Izzie possibly returning to the show , " I always felt that if they wanted me to come back and sort of wrap up that storyline ... I want them to know that I 'm down with it if they want me to , but I completely understand if it does n't necessarily work ... They 've got a lot of story lines going on there . " But in March 2012 , Shonda Rhimes said that there are no plans at the moment for the character to return , " I think it was really nice to hear her appreciating the show . At the same time we are on a track we have been planning . The idea of changing that track is not something we are interested in right now . " Three years later , Rhimes said she has completely moved on from the idea of Izzie coming back , " I ’m done with that story . I ’ve turned that idea over in my mind a thousand times and thought about how it would go . And I do n’t think so . " Heigl believes that the '' Grey 's Anatomy '' writers incorporate much of the actors ' personalities into their roles , and that Izzie is a " super moral " version of herself . Episode " Bring the Pain " , which aired as the fifth episode of the second season , was originally intended to be the final episode of the first season . Rhimes explained that Izzie 's character in this episode came " full circle " from her role in the pilot : " Izzie , so vulnerable and underestimated when we first meet her , is the girl who removes her heart from her sleeve in " Bring the Pain " . " Discussing Izzie 's personality in a 2006 '' Cosmopolitan '' interview , Heigl assessed that she is " immensely kind " and patient . When Denny died in the season two episode " Losing My Religion " , Rhimes discussed the impact it had on Izzie , noting that Izzie is forced to abandon her idealism , which in turn leads to her letting go of medicine . In the aftermath of Denny 's death , Heigl came to believe that Izzie was not cut out to be a doctor . Executive producer Betsy Beers explained , however , that Denny 's death served to make Izzie more mature , and Heigl affirmed that " At the beginning of the third season they were trying to show how lost Izzie was . She lost her optimism . She realizes now that life is difficult , but she still tries very hard to see the best in people . " In order to demonstrate Izzie 's dislike of George 's love-interest Callie , Rhimes penned a scene which she deemed one of her favorite moments on the show , in which Callie urinates in front of a stunned Izzie and Meredith . Rhimes assessed that : " I love that Mer and Izzie respond with all the trauma of having viewed a car crash ... the point is Callie pees and Izzie tortures her a tiny bit about the hand washing and that made me overjoyed because that ’s the kind of thing people do . " Discussing Izzie 's relationship with Alex in a 2006 '' Cosmopolitan '' interview , Heigl assessed that " Even when Alex was a complete dirtbag to her Izzie , she forgave him and gave him another chance . And he really screwed her over . ... To go for a guy like that is to say I want to be damaged . ' " Writer Stacy McKee deemed Izzie 's moving on from Alex to patient Denny Duquette " karma " , as Alex previously treated Izzie badly , yet as he begins to realize his true feelings , he is forced to watch her embark on a romance with " the undeniably handsome - and totally charming " Denny . Series writer Blythe Robe commented on Izzie and Denny : " I love the way Izzie lights up when she 's around him . I love their relationship because it 's so pure and honest and completely game free . " Writer Elizabeth Klaviter noted at this time the way Izzie " seems to be sacrificing her reputation because of her feelings for Denny . " When Izzie deliberately worsened Denny 's condition to move him up the transplant list , series writer Mark Wilding questioned the morality of the actions , asking : " is Izzie bad for doing it ? Is she tremendously irresponsible ? She cut the LVAD wire for love so does that make her action understandable ? " Rhimes discussed costuming choices in the scene which saw the interns gather around Denny 's deathbed , explaining : " Meredith and George and Cristina and Callie and Alex are all dressed , not for a prom , but for a funeral . Everyone in dark colors , everyone dressed somberly . As if they were in mourning . Only Izzie is in happy pink . Only Izzie looks like she did n’t know this was coming . " Following Denny 's death , Heigl approached Rhimes to ask when her character would next have a romantic liaison . Rhimes explained that " Izzie does n't sleep around " . Heigl expressed a desire for Izzie to reunite with Alex , explaining : " I believe on some level , there 's a connection between Izzie and Alex. He can do honorable things even though he 's cutting and sarcastic . I would like to ultimately see them together , if not this season , then next . " Yahoo! Voices wrote that Stevens in the third season " has become more condescending and passive aggressive herself , more than anyone else . " Heigl was critical of her character 's development in the show 's fourth season , particularly her affair with George , which she deemed " a ratings ploy " . Heigl explained : " They really hurt somebody , and they did n't seem to be taking a lot of responsibility for it . I have a really hard time with that kind of thing . I 'm maybe a little too black and white about it . I do n't really know Izzie very well right now . She 's changed a lot . " Attempting to rationalise Izzie 's actions , Heigl later assessed that : People who are so infallible , perfect and moral tend to be the first to slip and fall . But I would love to see how she deals with the consequences of what she 's done , because what ’s interesting is when people make decisions that shake their world , they suddenly have to go , ' Woo , I did n't know I was capable of this . ' I 'd like to see Izzie take some culpability . Heigl was nominated for the " Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series " award at the 2007 and 2008 Golden Globe Awards for her role as Izzie . She was named " Favorite Female TV Star " at the 34th People 's Choice Awards , and awarded " Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series " at the 2007 Emmy Awards . Prior to the ceremony , considering Heigl 's chances of winning the Emmy , '' Variety 's '' Stuart Levine assessed of her performance : " Heigl has little difficulty reaching Izzie 's highest highs and lowest lows . Showrunner Shonda Rhimes puts a lot of pressure on Heigl to carry many intense storylines , and she 's up to the challenge . " Levine also noted , however : " There are times when Izzie becomes completely irrational during crisis situations , which may bother some . " Fox News included Izzie in its list of " The Best TV Doctors For Surgeon General " . The character was listed in Wetpaint 's " 10 Hottest Female Doctors on TV " and in BuzzFeed 's " 16 Hottest Doctors On Television "
34th People 's Choice Awards
34th People's Choice Awards
Izzie Stevens