Katherine Heigl has been on camera since she was 9 years old. But the flashbulbs have never been brighter than they are now for one of the stars on the hit ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.”

The 27-year-old blond beauty, who plays Dr. Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, said she’s still adjusting to the challenges of overnight fame. But she’s digging the perks: One acting gig helped Heigl find her fiancé, singer-songwriter Josh Kelley. She was hired to star in his music video, and the two ended up engaged.

Kelley was by Heigl’s side when she was honored recently by Cosmopolitan magazine. Editor Kate White hosted an intimate dinner for Heigl to celebrate her appearance on the cover of December’s issue. The actress’ manager/mom and TV co-stars T.R. Knight and Kate Walsh were also there to toast Heigl’s success.

Later, she took time out to talk about the pressures and pleasures of celebrity.

AP: What’s it like to become instantly famous?

Heigl: It’s weird. I’ve been doing this for so long and I always imagined what it might be like to have this success, but you can’t really know what it will be like. The most pivotal point was at the “upfronts” (where broadcasters present programs to advertisers) in New York last year. People would come up to me and tell me how much they loved the show, and New Yorkers just don’t do that! The excitement for the show was just unbelievable. I’ve been waiting 15 years for this kind of success and I’m just so grateful and really thrilled. It’s definitely overwhelming at times.

Is there a downside?

With all the magazines, there’s so much access into people’s personal lives. You feel watched all the time and it feels like you can’t be yourself, like you can’t go to the grocery store unless you’re wearing a cute outfit and look perfect. But I feel like I’m learning how to live with it and be myself regardless of judgment or criticism. All I really care about are the people I love. It is overwhelming. I think it takes experience.

What’s it like to see yourself on the cover of Cosmopolitan?

This is huge for me. I’ve always read Cosmo and loved the covers, the fashion spreads and the sex advice. It feels sort of like an out-of-body experience, like it’s happening to someone else.

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Two of the sexiest doctors on primetime TV are teaming up, and only “Extra” has the full scoop on their new TV movie.

“ER’s” newest hunk John Stamos stars as a gay wedding planner in the original A&E movie, “Wedding Wars.” “Grey’s Anatomy” stud Eric Dane plays Stamos’ straight brother.

“[It’s] a light, frothy romantic comedy with, obviously, an important message,” Stamos explained.

When “Extra” caught up with John on the set of “ER,” we were the first to show him this week’s issue of the gay and lesbian magazine, The Advocate, with John as the cover boy promoting the movie.

But just how concerned is he about the magazine’s headline, which says, “Would You Take This Man?” Let’s just say he doesn’t sweat it.

“I don’t care what anybody says,” Stamos insisted. “It was funny; I got a call today from someone who said that there was a big debate in some hair salon because I was on the cover. They said, ‘Exactly, we knew he was gay. Isn’t he gay?’ The girls were saying, ‘No, he’s not gay!’ I’m proud to be on it.”

John’s cover boy issue of The Advocate hits newsstands Tuesday, and “Wedding Wars” premieres Dec. 11 on A&E.

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Actress Ellen Pompeo attempts to keep her fiance from watching her steamy sex scenes in TV drama Grey’s Anatomy by insisting they do their laundry when she knows the clinches will air.

Pompeo recently became engaged to music producer Chris Ivery and she goes out of her way to make sure her famous TV scenes with co-star Patrick Dempsey don’t upset him.

The actress admits that watching herself cavorting with Dempsey on screen is a little embarrassing and one recent hot-tub scene was definitely not must-see TV in her house.

She says, “I thought I was being really clever in distracting him right at nine o’clock and I asked him if he could help me with the laundry so that he wouldn’t see that portion of the show.

“Then, 20 minutes later, he realised, ‘The show’s on and we’re not watching it.’ I said, ‘That’s OK, we can get to it.’ He said, ‘Oh well, I have it TiVo’d so we’re OK.’

“I knew it (the steamy scene) was right in the beginning so I thought, ‘If I can just sort of pre-occupy him for 15 minutes, I’m good.’”

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Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo and her boyfriend, record producer Chris Ivery, are engaged, PEOPLE has confirmed.

Ivery proposed to Pompeo on Friday, her 37th birthday, after breakfast at home. “She was surprised and thrilled,” the actress’s rep tells PEOPLE. Ivery presented Pompeo with a 3.5-carat emerald-cut diamond in a platinum setting from jewelry designer Tacori.

Pompeo and Ivery, 37, both Boston-area natives, grew up minutes away from each other, but didn’t meet until pals introduced them in Los Angeles in 2003. They didn’t start dating right away. “We were friends for six months; then one night she just looked different to me,” Ivery told PEOPLE in October.

Their relationship is laid-back. “We had a great day yesterday,” Pompeo told PEOPLE. “We walked on the beach, then we came home, took a shower and went out for sushi. Then we laid on the couch with the dogs and watched TV.”

Pompeo added, “We were six degrees our whole lives, so I feel like we were sort of meant to be. We’ll get married eventually, secretly.”

According to Pompeo’s rep, no wedding date has been set.

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Kate Walsh’s character Addison Shepherd may have broken up with Dr. McDreamy, but she isn’t splitting from Seattle Grace any time soon. The Grey’s Anatomy star, 39, talked to PEOPLE about heating up with McSteamy, facing off against CSI and her first big splurge (hint: Patrick Dempsey is to blame).

So what’s the deal on the new guy, Eric Dane (a.k.a. Dr. McSteamy)?
He’s like a statue. Every time he pauses, he’s just gorgeous. And so nice and so talented.

Is this the end for Addison and Derek?
You’ll see some interesting things play out. There aren’t tidy beginnings and endings. It’s always messy, and – no pun intended – there’s always a gray area.

Your character wasn’t too popular with fans at first. Has that changed?
Even if fans want Derek to be with Meredith they sympathize with Addison. She’s just like every woman struggling to make a relationship work.

Were you stressed about Grey’s going up against CSI on Thursdays?
Yeah, I was nervous. CSI is a great show – I was in it! (She played a transsexual informant.) But they are two different animals. There’s room for both of us. You know, that’s why we have the TiVo.

Do anything fun on hiatus?
I mostly did press. We went all over Europe promoting Grey’s. It’s huge everywhere. (The cast) went to Monaco and got an invitation to dinner with the prince. My stylist said, “So I see on your itinerary, cocktails at the palace. Is that, like, the palace?” I was like, “Yeah, (it’s) not a club. . . . The palace!”

Has your life changed in the past year?
I (had one) big splurge, which I am driving now. It’s a 1985 Aston Martin convertible. When I moved (to L.A. seven years ago) I got a station wagon. Then I got a little car crazy. I have to say, Patrick Dempsey did influence me a lot in that area.

Any buyer’s remorse?
No! This was hand-built. It’s gorgeous – an elegant British muscle car. It makes doing errands much more palatable.

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The cast of Grey’s Anatomy is not at war. So says Justin Chambers, who plays hunky Dr. Alex Karev on the show. Chambers was out and about at last night’s Xbox 360 Gears of War launch in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and Life & Style Weekly nabbed the moody doctor for a comment.

He plays down the conflict and dishes to the weekly magazine’s blog that the on-set fight between Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey on Oct. 9 is “water under the bridge.”

“It happened awhile ago,” he tells LifeandStylemag.com. “Like any workplace, we spend a lot of time together. Sometimes we get into arguments and sometimes we don’t. We’re a pretty close-knit family. Everything’s smooth now. Everything is fine. We’re all getting along fine.”

As for fellow cast member, T.R. Knight’s, decision to come out of the closet, Justin says, “It’s all cool.”

“T.R. is a great guy,” Justin says of the actor who plays Dr. George O’Malley. “He felt the need to explain that. It’s his personal life, and God bless him.”

Cathy Beers reported yesterday that Us Weekly is detailing that the set is in conflict.

“There was lingering resentment between Patrick and Isaiah before this happened,” a set source told the mag.. “It seems like Isaiah is pissed that he doesn’t get the same attention Patrick does.”

While the debate and spin continues, actor for his part – Isaiah Washington has issued an apology in a statement to People Magazine.

“I sincerely regret my actions and the unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set,” Washington, 43, says in the statement. “Both are beneath my own personal standards. … I have nothing but respect for my coworkers … and have apologized personally to everyone involved.”

Washington got the whole ‘war’ buzz stated when he choked Patrick Dempsey after the two argued on the set.

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Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington, or Dr. Preston Burke, has released a statement apologising for his behaviour during a confrontation with co-star Patrick Dempsey aka Dr. Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd.

“I sincerely regret my actions and the unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set,” said 43-year-old Washington in the statement to People magazine.

“Both are beneath my own personal standards. I have nothing but respect for my co-workers and have apologised personally to everyone involved.”

Washington and Dempsey exchanged heated words earlier this month after a fellow actor T. R. Knight, who plays George O’Malley, arrived late for filming.

Following the incidents, reports surfaced that Washington had used a homophobic slur against Knight, who recently released a public statement confirming he is gay.

However, reports that the fracas has created an uncomfortable environment on set are not ture, according to show creator Shona Rhimes.

“The mood’s what the mood’s always been,” she told People.

“We have a group of people who are more of a family than anything else. We have our fun days, and we have our days when people are tired and the work is hard.”

During a recent appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Katherine Heigl, who plays Izzie Stevens also downplayed the incident.

“There was a little burst of testosterone in the room, and then within five minutes … they were totally fine.”

Rhimes confirmed Washington and Dempsey were still talking and working together, and said reports that Washington may be replaced by another actor were completely false.

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