The actress Kate Walsh, famous for a number of movie and television roles, most notably the character Addison Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice,” lives her life to the fullest. After having been diagnosed in 2015 with a lemon-sized brain tumor in her frontal lobe, which luckily turned out to be benign, she made some changes to her life. “Basically, I work a lot less, live a lot more and enjoy my family, friends and animals.”
Walsh, 54, had another medical condition, not as serious, that was diagnosed recently. “My vision started to get blurry, and my eyes were irritated and red. When I visited the optometrist, he said that I still had 20/20 vision, but was experiencing symptoms of dry eye.” At the doctor’s urging, Walsh tried Systane Complete Preservative-Free, an eye-drop product, and her problem was solved. She says one drop lasts eight hours, and because it’s preservative-free, it’s good for sensitive eyes like hers on acting sets and transcontinental plane rides.
We caught up this past week with Walsh, who lives in Perth, Australia, with her partner Andrew Nixon, to see what else she wanted to discuss, including, of all things, getting into race cars. Following are edited excerpts from a playful, longer Zoom conversation.
Jim Clash: Any comment on the recent Will Smith/Academy Awards situation?
Kate Walsh: I don’t want to comment on that - for me, Jim, for me [laughs]. There’s so much else going on in the world that eclipses it. I’ll say this: Chris Rock was very elegant in how he handled it.
Clash: You’ve played a number of different characters. How do you get into a role, say if that character is very different than you are?
Walsh: I’ve trained in a lot of different ways, with comedy and improv, group theatre in Chicago, etc. A lot of the stuff I play with is creating an image. For Gina Hess on “Fargo,” the costumes, hair and makeup were a big part. Coming from a theatre background, I always ask myself, “How does the character move, talk?” And then there’s the internal landscape of who you’re playing. Having the improv background really serves me well in situations where scripts, sets and shooting days are constantly changing. I’m able to go with the flow.
Clash: What has been your favorite role?
Walsh: I really loved playing Gina in “Fargo,” season one. It was my first role after playing Addison Forbes Montgomery on Grey’s. It was such a departure. I feel very lucky in what I get to play. There’s been a lot of diversity.
Clash: When did you decide to become an actress?
Walsh: I was little, six years old, and I used to watch this thing, I think it was called, “Million-Dollar Movies,” old films from the thirties and forties. They seemed very romantic, escapist and fantastical - these great stories, the lighting, everyone looking glamorous. I had crush on all of these movie stars that were no longer with us [laughs]. Where’s Gregory Peck when you need him, or Gary Cooper?
Clash: What are you afraid of, and how do you handle fear?
Walsh: Oh, Jim, this is one of the more exciting interviews I’ve done [laughs]. Really. Talking about my fears helps alleviate them. You asked a question that’s deep, so I’m going to get into it a little bit. I don’t really fear death or aging, but I do fear being left with just my memories. There’s a certain melancholy to that I find really painful. I feel that even now, like, ‘Oh, I’ll never be able to go back to this age and have that experience. Or, when I go back to New York and visit, there’s the ghosts of life, you know?
Clash: Your co-star in “Grey’s Anatomy,” Patrick Dempsey, drives race cars. If he offered you a ride in one, would you accept?
Walsh: Yeah, I would, because I trust him. He’s been doing it long enough, although now he seems more interested in downhill ski racing. Actually, he’s the one who convinced me back when we were working together to get a car that was a little sexier than the BMW 3-series station wagon I was driving. So I went to a classic cars thing and got a 1985 Aston Martin, the V-8. It was cherry-red with a tan interior. I did find a good mechanic who could service it.
Clash: How fast did you go?
Walsh: In Los Angeles, there isn’t really room for it, so I didn’t take it out for a proper road trip. I did have a Porsche for awhile, too, a little white 2007 convertible, black-leather interior. I went pretty fast, 130 mph. It was out in the middle of the desert, though. But I’ve gone even faster, in a Ferrari. Are you trying to get me into trouble, Jim? Maybe I’ll get speeding tickets now [laughs]. Drew Carey also gave us a trip to NASCAR Racing Experience in Florida, which was pretty fun. We got to drive those cars around a track!
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