Kathleen Erin Walsh (born October 13, 1967 in San Jose, California) is an American film and television actress. Walsh grew up in San Jose and Tucson, Arizona, later attending the University of Arizona, where she got involved in regional theater.
When Walsh moved to Chicago, she began working with the Piven Theatre Workshop and later the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory.
She performed on National Public Radio in the production of the radio play Born Guilty. Walsh subsequently moved to New York City and joined the comedy troupe Burn Manhattan, performing in a number of Off-Broadway plays.
The crime drama Normal Life marked her film debut; she played the sister of bank robber Luke Perry. She portrayed a kleptomaniac in the film Peppermills. Walsh also appeared in the cult underground B-movie, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2, as Cricket. She had her first significant role in a major Hollywood production as Will Ferrell's wife in the family comedy, Kicking & Screaming, alongside Robert Duvall and Mike Ditka. Walsh has appeared in several other films with Ferrell, including Bewitched and an "alternate film" to Anchorman titled, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie.
Her first major television appearance was in 1997, when she appeared on The Drew Carey Show as Niki Fifer, Drew's girlfriend. The character dated Drew while struggling with issues related to her weight.
She went on to portray Carol Nelson in HBO's The Mind of the Married Man television series, and played Norm MacDonald's romantic interest in the sitcom "The Norm Show." Walsh also made a notable guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Mimosa, a transsexual.
Walsh was featured in a number of supporting or bit parts on episodic television for several years. In 2005, she was cast in the ABC hit, Grey's Anatomy, as Dr. Addison Montgomery Shepherd. Addison was revealed at the end of Season 1 to be the wife of Derek Sheperd, who had been romancing lead character Meredith Grey. Addison was supposed to be a short-term role, but the response to Walsh and the character of Addison convinced creator Shonda Rhimes to expand Walsh's role and make her a series regular.
