Kate Walsh Biography

Kate Walsh (born on October 13, 1967 in San Jose, California) is an American film and television actress.

Biography

Kate Walsh grew up in San Jose and Tucson, Arizona, later attending the University of Arizona, where she got involved in regional theater. She later moved to Chicago where she began working with the Piven Theatre Workshop and later the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory. Kate performed on National Public Radio in the production of the radio play Born Guilty. Walsh later moved to New York City and joined the comedy troupe Burn Manhattan, performing in a number of Off-Broadway plays.

Walsh's first major television appearance came on The Drew Carey Show when she portrayed Niki Fifer, Drew's girlfriend and a woman struggling with 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. She continued to appear on television programs in supporting or bit parts until she was cast in the ABC hit, Grey's Anatomy, a primetime success, as intriguing Dr. Addison Shepherd.

Kate Walsh in "Peppermills".Walsh has exhibited her talents on the big screen as well, with the crime drama Normal Life marking her film debut, playing the sister of bank robber Luke Perry, then starring as a kleptomaniac in Peppermills, and in the cult underground B-movie, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2, in the role as the s--y "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.

A tall, thin, blue-eyed blonde, Kate Walsh has been compared to French icon Catherine Deneuve (in an episode of Grey's Anatomy a patient compared her character Dr. Shepard to Deneuve.) Her quirky demeanor is featured best in comedic roles, but she continues to develop her skills in drama as well.

Awards

• Best Actress 2002 - Short Film (Model Trapper) - New York International Independent Film & Video Festival

Film List

• One Way to Valhalla (2005)
• Bewitched (2005)
• Kicking & Screaming (2005)
• Veritas, Prince of Truth (2005)
• Inside Out (2005)
• Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004)
• After the Sunset (2004)
• Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
• Revealing Hollywood: Exposing Writer Nancy M. Pimental, from The Sweetest Thing (DVD, 2002)
• Anatomy of a Breakup (2002)
• The Family Man (2000)
• Heaven (1998)
• Three Below Zero (1998)
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2 (1998)
• Night of the Lawyers (1997)
• Peppermills (1997)
• Normal Life (1996)

Trivia

• Wore a fatsuit in her role as Nicki Fifer on "The Drew Carey Show"
• Has been compared to Catherine Deneuve, an icon of French cinema
• Height: 5'10" (1.78m)
• Was a model in Japan during the 1980's. The Japanese marvelled at her height and size.
• She is a natural blonde who often dyes her hair red for her roles.