Kate Walsh Bio

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Kathleen Erin "Kate" Walsh (born October 13, 1967) is an American film and television actress, currently known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery on the ABC dramas Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

Kate Walsh: Early life

Walsh was born in San Jose, California and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. According to a commercial interview that Walsh did for Cadillac, she explains that her father is Irish and her maternal grandfather came from Italy. Her mother Angela lives in Nevada and Walsh has four older siblings. She has two sisters and two brothers, Sean and Joe, who are film-makers. Walsh studied at University of Arizona for a while where she got involved in regional theatre. She now lives in Los Angeles. Her father came from Navan in Co.Meath, Ireland and he emigrated to America where he met Kate's mother.

Kate Walsh: Career

Kate Walsh - Early career

Walsh was a model in Japan during the 1980s where she also taught English as a second language to Japanese students. She moved to Chicago and worked with the Piven Theatre Workshop. She performed on National Public Radio in the production of the radio play Born Guilty. Walsh later moved to New York City and joined the comedy troupe Burn Manhattan on June 27, 1987, performing in a number of Off-Broadway plays.

Kate Walsh - Television roles

After playing Cathy Buxton in the "Stakeout" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street in 1996, her first major television appearance was in 1997, when she appeared on The Drew Carey Show as Carey's character's girlfriend Nicki. She wore a fatsuit in some episodes of the show, as the Nicki character was a formerly obese woman who lost weight and slowly started to gain it back. She went on to portray Carol Nelson in HBO's The Mind of the Married Man television series, and played Norm Macdonald's romantic interest in the sitcom The Norm Show. Walsh also made a notable guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Mimosa, a transsexual. She sometimes appeared in sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. She had a recurring role on Karen Sisco as Detective Marley Novak in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, she was cast in the ABC series, Grey's Anatomy, as Dr. Addison Montgomery, the estranged spouse of Derek Shepherd ("Dr. McDreamy", played by Patrick Dempsey).

It was announced in February 2007 that Walsh's Grey's Anatomy character Addison would be in a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy that began airing in September 2007. Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Amy Brenneman, Chris Lowell and Audra McDonald have been cast in the spin-off, which has been given the name Private Practice. Walsh returned to Seattle Grace as a guest star for episode thirteen in Season 4 and episodes 15 and 16 in Season 5 of Grey's Anatomy. She is currently playing the character of Addison Montgomery in the second season of Private Practice, for which ABC has ordered a full season of episodes.

Beginning in September 2007, Walsh has appeared in television commercials for the 2008 Cadillac CTS. She is also the current spokeswoman for Caress' Exotic Oil Infusions body wash.

Kate Walsh reports that she is considering returning to Grey's Anatomy.

Kate Walsh - Film roles

The crime drama Normal Life marked her film debut; she played the sister of a bank robber played by Luke Perry. She portrayed a kleptomaniac in the film Peppermills. Walsh also appeared in the cult movie, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2. She had her first significant role in a major Hollywood production as Will Ferrell's wife in the family comedy, Kicking & Screaming, alongside Robert Duvall and Mike Ditka. Walsh has also appeared in several other films with Ferrell, including Bewitched (also with Nicole Kidman) and an "alternate film" to Anchorman titled, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie.

In 2003, Walsh appeared in Under the Tuscan Sun, with Diane Lane and Sandra Oh. She played the partner of Grey's Anatomy co-star Sandra Oh's character. Regarding her various lesbian roles, Walsh said: "Do I give off a girl-on-girl vibe, I wonder? Or is it because I'm tall? I guess the chicks just dig me!"

Walsh was also set to star across John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in the supernatural thriller 1408, but she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Walsh is set to be starring alongside Dennis Quaid and Paul Bettany in the biblical horror film Legion, due out January 22, 2010.

Walsh will make a cameo appearance in the new MGM film, Hot Tub Time Machine, starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson. The film is scheduled to be released on February 26, 2010.

Kate Walsh: Personal life

Walsh married movie executive Alex Young on September 1, 2007. They were married in the Ojai Presbyterian Church in Ojai, north of Los Angeles. On December 11, 2008, it was announced that Young filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage. On December 24, 2008, Walsh counterfiled for divorce, contesting the date of separation listed in Young's divorce papers.

Kate Walsh: Social and political activism

Since the summer of 2007, Walsh has been the spokesperson for Narcolepsy Network, working to promote national awareness of narcolepsy through infomercials and DVDs.

In January 2008, Walsh participated in a video for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called, "Yes We Can", produced by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. She also campaigned for Obama in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

In July 2008, Walsh was nominated as a candidate on the Unite for Strength slate for a place on the national governing board of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in elections scheduled for 18 September 2008. On September 18, 2008, Walsh was elected to serve on the SAG board for a three year term. Walsh ran as a candidate with the Unite for Strength party who won 6 of the 11 Hollywood Division seats which were up for contention in the recent Screen Actor's Guild National Board elections.

Walsh supports pet adoption and frequently campaigns for the cause. On February 7, 2008, she cut the ribbon to a new dog adoption centre named Pedigree(R) Dogstore in Times Square.