Dr. Addison Montgomery is returning to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Kate Walsh will again reprise her role as the beloved, veteran doctor when Grey’s Anatomy returns with season 22 in 2026. She will appear in one episode, titled “Strip That Down,” airing on Jan. 29.
Walsh last appeared in a multi-episode arc in seasons 18 to 19. The renowned OB/GYN and neonatal surgeon had a recurring role in the hit ABC medical drama’s post-Roe v. Wade storyline that saw Addison and Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) lose a pregnant patient in Idaho while trying to get her reproductive care across state lines, and making subsequent changes at Grey Sloan around abortion and reproductive care.
Grey’s Anatomy is known for inviting former stars back to Grey Sloan. This season also saw the return of Dr. Jackson Avery, played by Jesse Williams.
Dr. Addison Montgomery is the ex-wife to Dr. Derek Shepherd — the deceased husband to Ellen Pompeo‘s starring Dr. Meredith Grey, who was played by Patrick Dempsey. Walsh left Grey’s Anatomy as a series regular in 2007 to lead ABC spinoff series Private Practice, and has since recurred on Grey’s.
Grey’s showrunner Meg Marinis had teased that familiar faces would pop up throughout season 22 of the Shonda Rhimes-created series. “We’ll definitely have a couple of visits from old characters,” she told The Hollywood Reporter after the season premiered. “Meredith [Pompeo] will interact with some of those planned visits, and you might get to see Meredith in her old house.”
Walsh’s return will also coincide with the expected return of Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Addison’s ex sister-in-law), as the character played by Caterina Scorsone went on hiatus after the Oct. 16 episode, which was the landmark 450th episode of the long-running series, and is due to return in 2026.
Recently, Walsh has appeared in Emily in Paris and Umbrella Academy, and will next appear in Steve Pink’s upcoming feature comedy What the F*ck Is My Password?!
