“Grey’s Anatomy” fan-favorite Kate Walsh will return to Grey Sloan Memorial in Season 22. The actress, who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery, is set to reprise the role in Episode 10, titled “Strip That Down,” which is scheduled to air Jan. 29, TheWrap has learned.
This marks the latest appearance from Walsh on the long-running medical drama, who last appeared in a multi-episode arc starting in Season 18, with appearances from 2021 to 2023. Addison was instrumental in the early years of “Grey’s,” before her character moved from Seattle to Los Angeles to headline the spinoff series “Private Practice” for six seasons.
The reasons for Addison’s visit were not immediately revealed, though her last visit established the neonatal surgeon as a doctor on the frontlines helping women get access to reproductive care on the heels of growing abortion restrictions in the U.S.
Outside of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Walsh is set to star in the upcoming feature comedy “What the F*ck Is My Password” from filmmaker Steve Pink. The film also stars Alexander Ludwig, Stephen Dorff, Kal Penn, Adam Pally and others. Production kicked off in summer 2025 in New Jersey. She is also known for roles on “Emily in Paris,” “The Umbrella Academy” and “13 Reasons Why.”
While Addison’s return should please fans, they’ll first have to get through a high-stakes winter premiere episode set for release on Jan. 8. Last month’s fall finale left things on a life-threatening cliffhanger after Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) suffered heart complications related to her high-risk pregnancy with twins. The episode ended with heart surgeon Dr. Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) having to perform Jo’s C-section himself, despite not having done the procedure since he was in med school.
“This is a situation where everything hangs in the balance and survival is not guaranteed for a lot of us involved. The cost of a mistake could be everything,” she added. “Emotionally prepare, because the next episode … it’s worse, to be honest.”
“Grey’s Anatomy” returns Jan. 8 on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
