Kate Walsh: TV star returns to Grey’s Anatomy set ahead of first appearance in three years

While Perth is as far from Hollywood as it gets, TV star Kate Walsh has found more than just her happily ever in WA after meeting local farmer Andrew Nixon on an expedition to Antarctica in 2020 and relocating to be with him shortly afterwards.

The Grey’s Anatomy alumna’s move has yielded only blue skies, with Walsh balancing her roles as Nixon’s fiance, a lead in Perth’s social scene minus the big-time attention, and a coastal-dweller as a City Beach resident — all while picking up regular screen gigs when she comes up for air.

Her latest sees the actress re-emerge on the show that launched her career more than two decades ago, teasing a one-episode reprisal of her beloved Dr. Addison Montgomery character on Thursday in a video shared to social media.

Reflecting on the series’ staggering 20-plus year history, Walsh, 58, admitted she’s had difficulty keeping her finger on the pulse of the show’s countless storylines as it rolls out its 22nd season.

“I was like, ‘Oh I want to come home, so I’m happy I’m here,” she said.

“I forget who’s still living, who’s gone, who died in car crashes and plane crashes. So I am so excited to be back.”

Walsh’s cameo was announced in early December, with the actress set to appear in episode 10, titled Strip That Down, to be released in the US on Thursday. Her most recent appearance on the show was in season 19.

Aussie fans can stay up to date with Grey’s Anatomy on Disney+ with new episodes released weekly.

Appearing as a founding cast member in 2005, Walsh departed the show at the end of season three in 2007 to lead spin-off series Private Practice which she anchored until 2013.

Appearing in the teaser video alongside Caterina Scorsone, who plays head of neurosurgery Dr. Amelia Shepherd at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial hospital, Walsh hinted there would be a “role reversal” of the pair’s dynamic.

The character arcs of Addison and Amelia have long been intertwined, with the duo sharing a close bond as former sisters-in-law as well as colleagues across both programmes.

Walsh will likely be watching the episode back from home in WA, sharing a light-hearted image of her cats on Thursday as they rifled through a new fashion delivery at her City Beach residence while Nixon watched on.

Continuing to enjoy work on hit shows since departing as a regular cast member, Walsh’s acting credits include recurring roles in Netflix’ 13 Reasons Why, Emily in Paris, and Bad Judge, as well comedy film What The F*** Is My Password? which wrapped in 2025.

With the $233 million Perth Film Studios in Malaga now completed, it may be a matter of time before Walsh eyes a foreign production and lures it closer to home.

“Around the world there’s demand for screen content, whether that’s for TV, streaming services, but also the big screen as well, and that’s not going anywhere,” Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk said on Tuesday.

While the 16-hectare site in Perth’s east is yet to confirm its first client, Thursday marked a major film milestone for WA as Netflix announced it had chosen our the State’s South West to film new TV drama Breakers, starring The Boys actor Antony Starr.

The eight-part series, from Baby Reindeer producers Clarkenwell Films, is the biggest production to take place in WA, expected to inject $19 million into the local economy.