Kate Walsh Admits She ‘Couldn’t Decide’ Whether She Was Team McDreamy or McSteamy on “Grey’s Anatomy”
Kate Walsh Admits She ‘Couldn’t Decide’ Whether She Was Team McDreamy or McSteamy on “Grey’s Anatomy”
Meredith WilshereSat, August 1, 2026 at 10:59 AM UTC
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Kate Walsh on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’Credit: Liliane Lathan/ABC/Getty -
Kate Walsh reflected on her time on Grey’s Anatomy, calling the show’s massive success a “very special” experience
Walsh’s character, Dr. Addison Sheppard, appeared across multiple seasons and led the spinoff Private Practice from 2007 to 2013
The actress said she would be happy to return to Grey’s Anatomy if the right opportunity arises
Kate Walsh‘s character had a hard choice to make on Grey’s Anatomy: should she pick McSteamy or McDreamy?
Walsh, 58, recently sat down with Woman’s World to discuss her experience on the show and share her genuine thoughts on the fan-led debate between Patrick Dempsey and the late Eric Dane’s characters.
“I couldn’t decide,” Walsh admitted. “It was all so fiction, but it was a great time.”
Dempsey’s Dr. Sheppard, known as McDreamy, was in competition with Dane’s Dr. Mark Sloan, who fans lovingly dubbed McSteamy.
Patrick Dempsey and Kate Walsh on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’Credit: Vivian Zink/ABC via Getty
Walsh’s character, Dr. Addison Sheppard, was introduced after Dr. Sheppard and Dr. Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, became romantically involved. She made an iconic entrance when she called out Dr. Grey for “screwing” her husband, Dr. Sheppard.
Her character, however, was also romantically involved with Dr. Sloan, adding even more drama to the mix. Walsh first appeared as a guest star during the first season in 2005, before joining the cast for seasons 2 and 3.
While she led the spinoff Private Practice from 2007 to 2013, she often returned to Grey’s from time to time.
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Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Eric Dane and Taye Diggs.Credit: Richard Cartwright/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
The Emily in Paris actress noted that she loved being on the long-running medical drama, which was created by Shonda Rhimes, from the beginning.
“We all experienced this massive success together, and it was very special,” she told Woman’s World. “And to be on a show that was critically acclaimed, but also had mass appeal to people, I just loved it.”
“The crazy bomb episode in season 2 got 24 million views the night it aired after the Super Bowl. That’s just unheard of anymore, unless it’s a sporting event,” she added. “And you have to remember, too, that this was Shonda’s first TV show. It was new for all of us, and the joy was so pure and awesome.”
While Walsh has recently guest-starred on Grey’s Anatomy, she shared that she would be happy to rejoin the show “if there’s something for me to do there.”
“The steadiness of that show and being able to check in with this finite structure—beginning, middle and an end, a case, and things get solved. There’s always romance and drama and people. It’s very delightful,” she said.
Grey’s Anatomy has been renewed for a 23rd season, and it is expected to air in the fall of 2026.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
