After two decades and even her own spinoff, Kate Walsh still finds it “incredible” to be a part of the Grey’s Anatomy family.
The actress recently reflected on reprising her fan-favorite role as Dr. Addison Montgomery on Shonda Rhimes‘ long-running medical drama amid major changes both in front of and behind the camera.
“It’s incredible to be back,” Kate shared on The Kelly Clarkson Show Jan. 25. ”The younger actors that are the new set of interns, they grew up watching the show and you’re like, ‘Oh, hi.’ It’s funny to be the elder statesman of the show. They’re so beautiful. All of them are such great actors.”
The Emily in Paris star has been back at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in a recurring capacity for the last two seasons since her initial introduction to the Grey’s universe during the season one finale in 2005. After departing in season three for her spinoff Private Practice—which ran for six seasons between 2007 and 2013—Kate eventually reprised her character in season 18.
And as she noted, the show’s continued success all comes down to the behind-the-scenes crew, including soon to be departing showrunner Krista Vernoff.
“The writers—Krista Vernoff, Meg Marinis, Jamie Denbo, all of them—Krista is, was Shonda’s right-hand woman,” Kate explained. “So, she’s been there and they’ve been there since the beginning, a lot of these writers, they’re just incredible.”