'Practice' Makes Perfect for Kate Walsh

'Grey's Anatomy' Star Talks Weddings, Spinoffs and Girl Power

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June 28 -- Forget McDreamy and McSteamy. The real breakout star of 'Grey's Anatomy' is proving to be Kate Walsh, aka Dr. Addison Montgomery (formerly Montgomery-Shepherd), who's leaving her Seattle Grace cohorts behind for sunny Los Angeles and a whole new cast of nickname-worthy docs on the 'Grey's' spinoff series 'Private Practice.'

Walsh and 'GA'/'Private Practice' creator Shonda Rhimes have plenty up their sleeves for the newly-relocated Addison, as she adjusts to her new life and new job -- at the titular private medical practice -- alongside fellow medicos played by Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Merrin Dungey, Amy Brenneman, 'Prison Break's' Paul Adelstein and 'Veronica Mars' alum Chris Lowell.

In addition to her new fall drama, Walsh talked to AOL TV's Kimberly Potts about jumping into wedding planning mode -- she and Fox film exec Alex Young became engaged in May -- about her "delicious" new co-workers, and, yes, her thoughts on the ongoing Isaiah Washington saga.

Congratulations, Kate. Between the new show and your engagement, this is a busy time for you. Do you even feel like you're getting a break this summer?
Thank you! I don't start up on 'Private Practice' (until) late July, so I do have a bit of a break. It's nice.

Have you started planning the wedding?
Yeah, I've started. It's going great!

That can take on a life of its own and become like a whole second job though, right?
Haha, it is, but that's why you delegate, delegate, delegate.

Was it weird, when you shot the episodes of 'Grey's' that served as the 'Private Practice' pilot, to be playing the same character but with a different cast?
Yes, it was. It felt, in a way, like a whole new character, because she's having this crazy new adventure. It was fun, and they're an amazing cast, so I'm very excited about it. But it does, it feels like it's all been a very good dream. Like a fairy tale.

What was your reaction when network execs first talked to you about doing the spinoff?
Well, there had been rumors about some people maybe doing a spinoff, so I think all of us knew that that was something that the show was thinking about, but I was still very surprised and happy and excited. Mostly I felt totally excited about the idea, because I love being on 'Grey's,' but also, I think the storyline was like, well, okay, I came there to fight for my marriage, I did that. And then it was, now I'm heading up the OB-GYN unit, alright. But then it started making sense for (Addison) to move on. So I was excited by Shonda Rhimes' ideas about what she wanted to do with 'Private Practice.' Sort of telling the stories of people who have already obtained professional success and are struggling in their lives still, with being people in their 30s and 40s who have their career and ... then what? What happens when you get the dream?

Have you and Shonda Rhimes talked about what you might do with your character on the new show, the ways she might change in the new environment?
We have to some extent, which I can't talk about, because it's top secret. But I think the thing that's going to be interesting is the fish out of water story. I think there's going to be a lot more comedy, just to see someone who's 39 starting over in Southern California. And sort of the fantasy of what that is versus the reality. Everyone always thinks 'Yeah, let's move, let's pick up and go and start all over,' but then you're like, 'Okay, we're here ... this is hard.'

And you're going from one great cast to another, so that must alleviate a lot of the stress of a new job?
Oh, they're all amazing, every last one of them. They'll teach me a thing or two about acting. I feel very fortunate to be working with all of them, and each of them is equally delicious in different ways.

Oh yeah, there are going to be some new nicknames with this cast ...
Hahaha, yes, definitely. I guess we'll figure those out as we go along.

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