Kate Walsh is reflecting on how past health challenges — including a brain tumor — affected her outlook on life.
“It was crazy. But it was also a big gift and a big reset,” Walsh, 58, exclusively told Us at the Centrum Inside and Outside Makeover Salon Experience on Thursday, August 13, in New York City. “I know that sounds so cliche but it was.”
Walsh recalled how she reacted when faced with various health scares, adding, “You hear about people who have a health challenge — whether it’s cancer or brain tumor — where if you’re lucky enough to get through it, then you’re like, ‘OK, I’m going to change everything.’ And I did.”
She continued: “I have a much different relationship to work and life balance than I ever did before. I used to say to people, ‘Well, if you want to hang out, then you’ve got to come work with me.’ Because that’s how I used to just live to work.”
While Walsh is still grateful for her professional success, she has also shifted her focus.
“That was great for a while. But even before, it was like, ‘OK, this is running its course and I want to spend more time with family and friends,’” she noted. “And I love traveling and I love finding ways to be of service. I get to do a lot of great stuff with Oceana and with Planned Parenthood. I get to do things and be with my love, [Andrew Nixon]. I have love in my life.”
Walsh is best known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and its spinoff, Private Practice. Outside of the medical drama world, she has been a consistent presence on screen with scene-stealing roles on 13 Reasons Why, The Umbrella Academy, Emily in Paris and more.
The actress teased on Thursday that she has more projects coming up in other mediums, including movies and theater. While Walsh is already booked and busy, she always makes time for her philanthropic work — and she’s using her platform to be more outspoken about healthy aging through a partnership with Centrum.
“There’s a lot of pressure in Hollywood to stay the same, but that’s just madness. It just doesn’t work,” she told Us. “It’s like a recipe for self-flagellation or feeling bad. So I want to look my best — obviously — and for myself, too. But it is odd to see [the conversations around aging in Hollywood].”
Walsh offered advice for those struggling with the idea of aging, saying, “Radical acceptance is a big one. Surrendering. I think that some people would confuse that with being defeated or giving up, but it’s not. Change happens, and we know this intellectually. Change is the only constant, but to live it is challenging, and do it a day at a time.”
She added: “You don’t stay 13 forever. You don’t stay 20 or 30 or 40. And it is a gift. We’re privileged to age. So for me, it is about being mindful but healthy. For me, dieting doesn’t work, but just having a balanced life does.”
Walsh has also added Centrum vitamins into her everyday wellness routine.
“I really didn’t get into serious supplements until probably my mid-30s, around the time that Centrum Age Defy would be great. Why I like Centrum Silver is it’s great for brain health,” she noted. “It’s great for brain function and heart health and eyes. These are things that as you age and get into your 50s become more prevalent and necessary than say they would when you’re younger. … Centrum vitamins are clinically proven and have been doing this for a very long time. There are so many things out there that this is quite comforting.”
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