‘Private Practice’ Star Kate Walsh Talks Aging in Hollywood

By Jenny Depper | A-Line: Celebrity Style – Thu, May 10, 2012 3:27 PM PDT

 

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Most celebs (and regular folks for that matter) aren't exactly thrilled about getting older, but "Private Practice" star Kate Walsh, who will turn 45 on October 13, doesn't seem to have any qualms about the aging process. Back in March, the stunning redhead dared to bare all on the cover of Shape magazine.

"I was a little nervous, but that was partly why I did it," Walsh told omg! of her nude photo shoot. "I thought it would be a little terrifying and fun."

This confidence is something she says comes with age. "I have a perspective [now, that] I didn't have when I was in my 20s and 30s. In my 20s, there was this natural arc … you're trying to get somewhere and striving to achieve certain career goals or certain family goals. "

Clearly, the focus and tenacity she had in her 20s is what led to her television success as the leading lady on Shonda Rhimes' "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice," where Walsh portrays Dr. Addison Montgomery, a divorced doctor living in Los Angeles.

Like her character, who has learned some of life's greatest lessons later in life, Walsh adds, "With age comes wisdom. You just get a little more experience, which gives you a bigger perspective. For me [in my 30s], I was fortunate enough to get what I wanted. I was able to arrive a little and really enjoy it, and live each moment."

ABC/KAREN NEAL

These days, the actress certainly has plenty to enjoy. With the success of her perfume line "Boyfriend" and her follow-up fragrance, "Billionaire Boyfriend," Walsh says she plans to focus more on keeping her life "as balanced as possible" as she approaches her 45^th birthday. Part of keeping that balance means no longer dating the types of guys she was initially attracted to in her youth. "When I was young, there was probably a little more attraction to danger and excitement." Now Walsh, who was married for 15 months to movie executive Alex Young, is looking for someone with a sense of humor like Ricky Gervais, and claims to have a major talent crush on Jeremy Renner.

Dating aside, Kate is embracing not only the mental progression of aging, but also the physical, and doesn't seem remotely fazed about adding inevitable wrinkles to her porcelain skin. "It is certainly not misguiding to age and get wrinkles — that's life," she shrugs. "I think there is a certain point, for me at least, to accept that and really relish in the change and to try and really embrace it, and all the growth that comes with it." Still, she can understand why some celebs want to try to defy age in Hollywood. "There are lots of people who've had work done that look fabulous. I mean, Jane Fonda looks amazing and awesome. I think for everybody — to each their own."

But don't expect Walsh to go under the knife anytime soon. Instead, she hopes to age gracefully and says, growing up, she admired women like her grandmother. "It was a huge, important piece of my life and my development to be able to see an older person be older and have my grandmother, with all of her wisdom, looking different than I did."
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Since Walsh isn't quite ready to join AARP just yet, she's keeping herself busy! During "The Practice's" hiatus, the actress plans to work with Oceana (an organization focused on ocean conservation, protecting marine ecosystems and endangered species), travel to South America, and recently signed on as a spokesperson for the allergy treatment medication Zyrtec, since Walsh herself suffers from allergies. Last week, she sat down with Zyrtec users to share her beauty tips during allergy season and told omg! her biggest secret is sleep. "Sleep is a good drug! It just makes me feel really good and I think it is underestimated in our culture."

With her hectic schedule, one has to wonder how much sleep Kate is really getting.

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