Kate Walsh
News (Page 6)

A week after Katherine Heigl ripped her employers over issues surrounding stalled contract renegotiations, her Grey's Anatomy co-stars are saying they enjoy working with the actress.

"She's a super-talented girl," co-star Kate Walsh told People Sunday at the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment Dreamgirls luncheon in Beverly Hills. "Everyone's just working hard."

As for contract re-negotiations, Walsh, whose character, Addison Montgomery, is the subject of a possible Grey's Anatomy spinoff, said, "I literally just worked with Katherine the other night. We just go to work. I don't know. I don't really get into all the stuff. Everybody is doing their own thing with negotiations."

One of Heigl's other co-stars, Sara Ramirez, says of the actress who plays Dr. Izzie Stevens on the hit ABC show: "She's lovely. Everybody's very professional - not just Katherine - but everybody else too."

"At the end of the day, we all have to be grateful for our jobs. We're working actors, and not only that, we're on a hit show," Ramirez added.

Last week, Heigl's contract negations became public, and she eventually issued a statement criticizing both ABC and Touchstone, saying she was "embarrassed" and had been treated with disrespect.

"I am embarrassed that this has become a public matter and disappointed that Touchstone felt it necessary to divulge private employment information," Heigl said. "I had hoped I would be able to deal with this issue confidentially with my bosses. I dropped out of the renegotiation simply because I wanted to treat myself with the respect I was not getting from them."

Heigl, according to a statement ABC released, is contractually obligated to remain on the highly rated TV show for "several years," and is "an integral part of Grey's Anatomy and its success."

Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, who was honored at Sunday's NABFEME luncheon, had no comment.

Although the plot is still shrouded in Shonda Rhimes-style secrecy, both TV Guide and Variety magazine have discovered some new dirt on the planned Grey's Anatomy spin-off, and how it may begin.

Variety says that "My Favorite Mistake," a two-hour Grey's Anatomy episode setting up an Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) spin-off, is scheduled to air this spring.

In addition to opening the door for Addison to possibly leave the halls of Seattle Grace, "My Favorite Mistake" will also introduce guest star Taye Diggs - as well as Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope) as Callie's father.

The episode will be directed by Michael Grossman, who was last behind the camera for "Great Expectations" - the terrific episode in which both Burke and George popped the question to their respective ladies.

An exact air date for "My Favorite Mistake" has not been announced by ABC, but the episode will serve as the 22nd and 23rd Grey's Anatomy episodes (out of 24) in the current Season 3.

This is all very interesting news. Is the door also open for Addison to remain at Seattle Grace if viewer response to the episode is negative? Or is it a done deal that she's gone? Previous reports suggest the latter, but this makes it sound slightly less certain.

In any event, Grey's Anatomy returns with new episodes in two weeks, Thursday, March 15. That episode will be titled "Scars and Souvenirs."

No new news here, just a picture of Kate Walsh looking fabulous of Runway Rocks, a pre-Oscars fashion and music event. The talented star of Grey's Anatomy and leading lady of its proposed spinoff (which will reportedly also star Taye Diggs) was in good spirits as always. Ellen Pompeo was also in attendance at the event.

Entertainment Weekly reports that actor Taye Diggs has been tapped to star in the Grey's Anatomy spin-off currently in the works.

No details are available on his character. Grey's Anatomy will set the stage for the spinoff, which will focus on Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), via an expanded two-hour episode scheduled for May.

In the pilot, the former Dr. Shepherd will consider her exit from Seattle Grace.

Grey's Anatomy executive producer and creator Shonda Rhimes is writing the episode, and is expected to write the potential spin-off as well.

Meanwhile, Rhimes' other ABC pilot, in which Jeffrey Dean Morgan reportedly stars in a new series about a group of female journalists, has not been canceled, but rather has been pushed to a later summer production start. Shonda is going to be busy!

Diggs' casting in the controversial Grey's Anatomy spinoff stems from a new deal he signed with ABC TV Studio, where Grey's Anatomy is based.

Diggs, 36, has already starred in two drama series for the studio, Kevin Hill for UPN and Day Break for ABC.

In a bold and controversial move, ABC is surgically removing part of Grey's Anatomy to see if it can survive on its own.

The Wall Street Journal reports that ABC has decided to pursue a spinoff of the hugely successful drama, and that leaving Seattle Grace to head the cast of the new show will be one of its most popular doctors:

Addison Montgomery, the sexy neonatal-surgeon played by Kate Walsh.

The plot is still a work in progress and Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes - who will lead production of the new series - hasn't settled on a title, says an ABC spokeswoman.

A two-hour pilot of the series is likely to air in May, the Journal said.

Rhimes recently told the cast about the project and agreed to write the special two-hour episode that will serve as the series pilot. This type of old-fashioned spinoff is rare in the risk-averse TV business.

ABC will likely air the show in May so that it is broadcast in time for the network to decide whether to pick up the spinoff before unveiling its fall schedule to advertisers and media buyers.

ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson declined to comment. ABC confirms it has inked a deal with Walsh, but said Rhimes and Walsh are both unavailable to comment further at this time.

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We hope you forgive us for briefly indulging in some frivolous gossip. We just found this tidbit too funny not to share.

The New York Post reports that T.R. Knight and two other members of the Grey's Anatomy cast had a bit of a run-in with Diddy and his security detail at the Rolling Stone and Justin Timberlake-led pre-Grammy Awards party.

The gist: Diddy's security team told them to move for his royal highness after he showed up late. And it didn't go well.

"Puffy was supposed to sit in the same VIP area that had four tables - two were for him and two were for the Grey's Anatomy cast. But he was very, very late, and there are a lot of cast members, so T.R. Knight, Kate Walsh and Sara Ramirez were at a table set up for Puffy."

Diddy's bodyguard then got pushy.

"This guy goes up to T.R. Knight, Kate and Sara and started demanding - 'Get out! Get out now! Move it!' - T.R. was furious," says a New York Post spy, who was also in the VIP section.

Knight and the rap mogul once known as Sean Combs then exchanged heated words before the cast was led to another table.

Hey, you can't let yourself get pushed around, no matter how big the guy's entourage is. Hopefully, T.R. and his fellow Grey's Anatomy stars never develop egos that large.

Following a truly exhausting week in which Grey's Anatomy won the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Drama, and subsequent controversy surrounding co-star Isaiah Washington consumed the media's attention, the leading ladies of the hit series still managed to have a ball (and look gorgeous) in Park City, Utah, Sunday, where they arrived for the Sundance Film Festival.

Here are some images of Katherine Heigl and her fiance, Josh Kelley, as well as the lovely Kate Walsh, at the 11-day affair:

A picture of Isaiah Washington and Kate Walsh from the ABC All Stars event. Always nice to see these cast members out and about.

Remember the Grey's Anatomy episode in which a woman's IUD gets caught in her husband's penis piercing, and Dr. Addison Shepherd says, "Make sure you use a backup form of birth control while your IUD is out"?

Well, this TV doctor isn't just advocating for safer sex on tv. Check out this interview with Grey's Anatomy star Kate Walsh, who recently sat down with Planned Parenthood:

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Kate Walsh isn't a doctor in real life, but she plays one on TV: she's Dr. Addison Shepherd on ABC's acclaimed drama Grey's Anatomy.

Planned Parenthood caught up with the PPFA Board of Advocates (BOA) member, who has also starred in Kicking and Screaming, Under the Tuscan Sun, and After the Sunset. In an exclusive interview (click here for the source), Kate talks about acting, activism, and sex in America.

Planned Parenthood (PPFA): Has your role as a gynecological surgeon inspired you to think more deeply about reproductive health issues?

Kate Walsh: I've always felt personally indebted to Planned Parenthood and very passionate about reproductive rights for women. It's something that you constantly have to fight and advocate for. I think the biggest thing about playing the character I play is that it's a great opportunity to make a contribution.

PPFA: Are there any reproductive health issues you'd like to see Addison face on the job?

Kate Walsh: I would love to see more storylines centered around sexually transmitted diseases. I do get to talk about contraception. There was that episode ("Oh, the Guilt") where this woman's IUD gets caught in her husband's penis piercing, and my character gets to say, "Make sure you use a backup form of birth control while your IUD is out." So it's out there, but it's not spoken about with neon lights and a big horn and whistles.

PPFA: A lot of young women and men in America learn about sex from television shows like Grey's Anatomy. Do you think television has a responsibility to educate viewers about safer sex?

Kate Walsh: I think that the writers take it really seriously. There was an episode in the first season when there was a syphilis outbreak. The chief of surgery gave a lecture on how to put a condom on a banana because people were obviously sleeping with each other at Seattle Grace, and they weren't using protection. I can't believe that it's purely coincidental that our writing staff is half women and the show is created by a woman and that we have these issues come up.

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The lovely Kate Walsh is featured in the January issue of InStyle Magazine. You can receive some great beauty tips from the redhead who plays Addison Montgomery, and learn a little more about this talented actress at the same time. Special thanks to the fan who took the time to send in these scans!