Addison Montgomery

Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, MD, PhD, FACS, FACOG, previously known as Shepherd, is a fictional character who first appeared as a supporting main character on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, and as the protagonist of its spin-off Private Practice played by Kate Walsh. Addison is a world-class neonatal surgeon with board certifications in both obstetrics and gynaecology and maternal–fetal medicine. In addition, she has completed a medical genetics fellowship. Addison initially joined Grey's Anatomy in the Season 1 finale as the estranged wife of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). Although she was originally planned as a recurring guest character, creator Shonda Rhimes grew fond of Walsh's portrayal, which led to Addison becoming a series regular by season 2 episode 7, "Something to Talk About". Addison's character played a significant role throughout seasons 2 and 3, with her final appearance as a regular in the season 3 finale, "Didn't We Almost Have It All?". Despite her departure as a series regular, Addison continued to make guest appearances over the next 5 seasons, including a notable two-part guest stint in Season 5. After the love triangle involving Addison, Derek, and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) was resolved, Rhimes created the first spin-off of Grey's Anatomy centered around Addison, titled Private Practice. The new series saw Addison move to Los Angeles to start fresh, working at the Oceanside Wellness Group, a fictional private practice in Santa Monica, California. Private Practice ran for six seasons, from 2007 to 2013, airing concurrently with Grey's Anatomy's seasons 4 through 9. Walsh decided to retire the character after 8 years of portraying Addison, making her final series regular appearance in the Grey's Anatomy universe during the Private Practice series finale, "In Which We Say Goodbye", on January 22, 2013. However, nearly 9 years later, Walsh returned to the...