Katherine Heigl is temporarily hanging up her Grey's Anatomy scrubs to concentrate on her movie career.

The star has been rumored to be on the verge of quitting the medical drama for some time, after complaining about long work hours and the quality of writing for her character in the series - and now she's taking a break.

Heigl, who has starred in big screen romantic comedies 27 Dresses and The Ugly Truth, has been given permission to take a hiatus from the show which made her a star, so she can concentrate on shooting new movie "Life As We Know It."

A spokesperson for "Grey's Anatomy" says, "Katherine is taking time off to film a movie. The producers at Grey's have accommodated past things like that before. It's a cast of 13 and it is a true ensemble, so the show is mindful (of other commitments)."

Heigl's hiatus comes just weeks after castmate and pal T.R. Knight was given permission to break his contract and leave the show to concentrate on theatre projects.

Image © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)