Kate Walsh is slated to return as Dr. Addison Montgomery in the forthcoming 19th season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” the role she’s portrayed since the medical drama’s Season 1 finale in 2005. Walsh’s Addison was also the main character on “Private Practice,” the first “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff, which aired on ABC for six seasons from 2007 to 2013.
Walsh participated in a multi-episode plotline on “Grey’s Anatomy” last season, in which Addison returned to Grey Sloan Memorial to perform an uterus transplant on a patient who later miscarried. Addison mourned the loss of her ex-husband Derek (Patrick Dempsey) with his sister Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) and his widow Meredith during her Season 18 appearances (Ellen Pompeo).
Walsh expressed excitement about returning to “Grey’s Anatomy” to portray Addison for the first time since “Private Practice” ended, adding, “I was extremely satisfied and delighted by it.” She also kept the door open for further guests. Walsh noted at the time, “No one knows what the future holds.” “But for the time being, this is what we’ve got planned: just have Addison drop in and see what happens, what occurs.”
Addison will return: her first appearance will be in the third episode of the new season.
On October 6, “Grey’s Anatomy” season 19 will make its ABC debut. For the first time, Meredith Pompeo, the character around whom the show has centred since its 2005 debut, will play a less prominent role. Pompeo, who is also an executive producer, will only appear in eight episodes this season, as was previously announced in August, despite Meredith’s narration continuing to open and close each episode. She is producing and acting in a future, unnamed limited series for Hulu under the banner of her Calamity Jane production business.
Of course, Pompeo is irreplaceable, but a bevvy of new cast members have joined “Grey’s Anatomy” to play the hospital’s new surgical interns, including Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Alexis Floyd, Niko Terho, and Midori Francis.