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Kate Walsh Revisits Her Famous Addison Montgomery Character: Read Her Q&A! (Exclusive)

Kate Walsh
Kate WalshJohn Sciulli/Getty Images

Paging Addison Montgomery! Kate Walsh has moved on from her days at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, but fans will always remember Addison’s ambition, humor and sophistication. Oh, and that time she blindsided Meredith Grey with her “I’m Dr. Addison Shepherd” bombshell! Us Weekly recently caught up with the Everyone’s Crazy But Us actress, who opened up about her work on Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and more.

For Walsh, the character and writing is what drives her to join a certain show — not just if it’s a comedy or drama. “That’s how it was with me with [Grey’s and Private Practice creator] Shonda [Rhimes]. With her really strong scripts and the same with Fargo, which was like a perfect script and it was just an awesome experience,” Walsh, 48, told Us, while promoting her new holiday campaign with Boston Market.

Related: TV's Most Shocking Deaths: Major On-Screen Moments From Television Shows

She added: “I really like a character to kind of sink into and find as many different facets as I can.” (Walsh helped to create “holiday hacks” with the company by using their sides as the base for delicious recipes.)

Kate Walsh and Patrick Dempsey
ABC/SCOTT GARFIELD

Check out what else she told Us in our Now and Then series:

Where do you think Addison Montgomery would be today?

I have no idea! I relied on the mind of Shonda Rhimes and all the writers for so long that — who knows! She could be on her third husband, she could be still with Jake [Benjamin Pratt]. She could have, like, three more kids.”

What did you love most about playing her?

“I loved everything. I loved how smart she was and capable and how fallible she was. It made it a really fun character to play and Shonda’s really good at that — at creating very multifaceted characters.”

What was your favorite episode?

I remember I loved the car crash episode of Private Practice. That was really fun. It was like making a little movie.”

Kate Walsh and Benjamin Bratt
Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images

Did you have any idea that there would be a spinoff when you signed on to Grey’s Anatomy?

“No, not at all! I was thrilled; it was exciting.”

And do you have a favorite scene from Grey’s Anatomy?

I mean I loved all of them so much. It was an awesome, huge chapter of my life. . . . What’s great about the culture now is that there’s so much content, there’s so many ways to do it. So it’s thrilling, like, a whole new generation of Grey’s fans [who] are able to sort of have access to it on the internet and watch it. And Private Practice as well. And for that I’m really grateful. But for me it was like a time in my life. I’ve kind of moved on.”

What was it like to work with Shonda?

She and I loved working together. We had a great experience and that’s always a positive. Doing something else for her — works for me!”

Did you know they were going to kill off Addison’s ex-husband, Derek Shepherd [Patrick Dempsey]?

No, I didn’t! I didn’t even know. No, that was when I found out.”

Kate Walsh
John Fleenor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Did you take a prop home from Grey’s Anatomy or Private Practice?

I may have taken a, like, nameplate or something, but I don’t know where it might be. Like a poster of Private Practice.”

What are three things that fans could find in your trailer?

There’s a good chance you’d find some sour cream–and–onion potato chips. Probably some kind of Pilates equipment and definitely a picture of cats and dogs.”

 

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