‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Kate Walsh To Return In Season 18 As Addison

Denise Petski and Nellie Andreeva
·4 min read
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UPDATED with Walsh’s Instagram video: Kate Walsh will be back on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, reprising her role as Addison Forbes Montgomery in the upcoming 18th season, we’ve learned. She’s set to appear in multiple episodes.

Walsh’s Addison is a world-class gynecological and neonatal surgeon. She was once married to Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and has a loaded history with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). A specific storyline for her arc in Season 18 was not revealed.

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<img class="wp-image-1234826741" src="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg&quot; alt=" - Credit: Derek Kettela" width="349" height="196" srcset="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg 1000w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=660,370 660w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=910,511 910w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=250,140 250w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=380,212 380w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=296,166 296w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=248,139 248w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=200,112 200w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=270,152 270w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=60,34 60w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=352,198 352w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=110,62 110w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=285,160 285w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=640,360 640w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kate-Walsh-.jpg?resize=800,450 800w" sizes="(max-width: 349px) 100vw, 349px" />Derek Kettela

Walsh first appeared on Grey’s in the Season 1 finale as Derek Shepherd’s estranged wife in one of the show’s most famous, jaw-dropping scenes. Initially set as a recurring, Walsh’s role was expanded to a series regular. During Season 3, Grey’s creator Shonda Rhimes created a spinoff built around Walsh’s character, Private Practice, which saw Addison move to Los Angeles to start a new chapter. Walsh left Grey’s at the end of that season to headline the offshoot series, which ran for six seasons.

While on Private Practice, Walsh returned to Grey’s for several guest-starring stints, most recently in Season 8’s “If/Then” episode. She has appeared in a total of 59 episodes on Grey’s.

The “If/Then” episode, which aired in Feb. 2012, also featured Kate Burton who also is making a return to Grey’s in the upcoming season for multiple episodes.

They follow the surprise comebacks last season of former Grey’s stars Patrick Dempsey, T.R Knight, Chyler Leigh and Eric Dane. Walsh’s return mirrors that of other popular main cast member, Kim Raver, who also returned to the medical drama as a recurring after being away for several seasons. She is now again a series regular.

Walsh’s other television credits include the role of The Handler in the first two seasons of Netflix’s praised The Umbrella Academy, based on the comic book series of the same name. She most recently recurred on Netflix’s Emily in Paris. Her film credits include Honest Thief, opposite Liam Neeson, a starring role in indie drama, Sometime Other Than Now and she can also be seen in the sci-fi flick, 3022, streaming on Amazon.

Grey’s Anatomy‘s season 18 premiere is set for Thursday, September 30 at 9/8c on ABC.

Walsh confirmed her return Thursday on Instagram, saying “I’m so excited to be home again.” Watch her video below.

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A post shared by Grey's Anatomy Official (@greysabc)

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