Kate Walsh discovered her passion for acting when she became involved with regional theatre while attending college. After a becoming a professional model in Japan during the 1980s, Kate moved to Chicago and joined the Piven Theatre Workshop. During this time, she starred on the radio play “Born Guilty.” When Walsh decided to move to New York, she performed several Off-Broadway plays with the comedy troupe “Burn Manhattan.”
Although Kate Walsh made a one-episode appearance in the TV shows “Swift Justice” and “Law & Order,” it was only until she played the girlfriend of Drew from 1997 to 2001 in “The Drew Carey Show” did Kate gain the attention her career needed. She then appeared in the HBO TV series “The Mind of the Married Man” and the sitcom “The Norm Show,” followed by guest-starring roles in “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “Karen Sisco.”
In 2005, Kate Walsh landed a supporting role in the ABC hit series “Grey’s Anatomy,” where she portrayed Dr. Addison Montgomery. In 2007, Kate alongside her ‘Grey’s Anatomy” co-stars won a Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.” That same year, it was announced that Walsh’s character would star in the Grey’s spin-off “Private Practice,” which first aired in September 2007. Kate came back for a one-episode appearance in Season 4 of Grey’s Anatomy.
As for Kate’s film credits, her film debut was in the 1996 movie “Normal Life,” followed by a small role in “Peppermills,” “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,” and “A Day in the Life of Nancy M. Pimental.” Her first major film role was in the 2005 comedy flick “Kicking & Screaming” alongside Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall. Kate also appeared on other Will Ferrell films such as “Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie” and “Bewitched.” Walsh also starred alongside her ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ co-star Sandra Oh in the 2003 film “Under the Tuscan Sun.”
Aside from films and TV gigs, Kate Walsh is also the spokesperson for Caress Exotic Oil Infusions body wash and the 2008 Cadillac CTS. She is also a spokeswoman for the Narcolepsy Network, a group that promotes awareness of narcolepsy through DVDs and infomercials. In 2007, Kate ranked #52 in the Maxim Magazine’s “Hot 100 List.” In 2008, Walsh participated in a video for Obama’s presidential campaign entitled “Yes We Can.” That same year, she was elected to serve a three-year term as part of the national governing board for the Screen Actors Guild.