‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Alum Returning for Season 19 in Recurring Role

A familiar face is set to have a significant role in the next season of Grey’s Anatomy. Variety reported that Kate Walsh, who portrays Addison Montgomery, will recur on Season 19. While Walsh previously teased that she may be back, more details have been released about her tenure in Season 19.

Walsh last appeared on Season 18 for a multi-episode storyline. During her time on the show, she mourned the death of her ex-husband, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), and bonded with his widow, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Walsh will next be seen in the third episode of Season 19. The season will premiere on ABC on Oct. 6. 

Based on a recent interview that she did with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, it seemed as though Walsh was on board with coming back to the ABC drama. She told the outlet in June, “Who knows? There is-there’s a possibility. I don’t know what I would do.” The actor went on to say that she had been involved in conversations about possibly returning to the series, saying, “We’re chatting a little bit about the possibility of coming back for something, but I don’t know yet. But yeah, I just know that there’s going to be massive, just a lot in store for the next season, a lot of changes, a lot of really cool, I think new beginnings and different, just different places that the show is going to go.”

For her previous return to Grey’s Anatomy, Walsh spoke with Entertainment Tonight about what it felt like to step back into Addison’s shoes. She said that being back on the set was “completely surreal,” and added, “Like, there’s no way to even articulate it. I knew it would be odd but it was so emotional, and so big and yeah, beyond, because when’s the last time you’ve ever gone back to a job that you started 18 years ago that you left 10 years ago?” Walsh went on to say, “It’s such an iconic show, it was such an important show for me in my life, in my career and so [executive producer/showrunner] Krista [Vernoff] and I had been talking and trying to find a time where it was the right time for Grey’s and storylines and scheduling and all of that. And I thought, you know what? This is the right time.”