Hollywood actress Kate Walsh traded Tinsel Town for a quiet lifestyle in Western Australia after getting “stuck” Down Under and falling in love with an Aussie farmer.
The Grey’s Anatomy star, who built a $30m ($US20m) fortune earning up to $262,000 ($US175,000) per episode, met farmer Andrew Nixon on a 2020 cruise before calling Perth home.
Walsh, 58, was originally visiting Australia on holiday when Covid-19 travel restrictions stranded her in mid-2020.
What began as an unexpected stay quickly turned permanent after the Private Practice star met Nixon.
“I really love Western Australia … I think nature here eclipses everything,” Walsh told news.com.au.
“I like the slowness. It’s really good for me. And then you go back overseas and you’re like, ‘Oh my god. People are insane.’”
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![Grey's Anatomy - actress Kate Walsh as Addison - tv show scene headshot profile concerned aug 2006](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Grey’s Anatomy star Kate Walsh traded Tinsel Town for a quiet lifestyle in Western Australia.
Kate Walsh and partner Andrew Nixon. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
The couple live in a single-storey beachside home in the coastal suburb of Cottesloe.
The modest home features an open-plan living layout, a meditation room, and outdoor entertaining spaces, according to Havenist.
Despite her fame, Walsh said she enjoys living a low-key life in Perth where she is rarely bothered in public.
“Some young people will freak out, but generally, everything’s very mellow,” she said.
“I feel very fortunate I can pop back to LA, go to work, and then come back here and live my best life.”
The dramatic career shift followed a major health scare in 2015, when Walsh was diagnosed with a brain tumour at age 48.
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The couple live in the coastal suburb of Cottesloe, Perth. Picture: Instagram/katewalsh
Despite her fame, Walsh said she enjoys living a low-key life in Perth. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
The diagnosis prompted the Emily in Paris actress to re-evaluate her high-pressure life in New York and Los Angeles.
“I needed my life to be a lot more balanced,” Walsh said.
“I think a lot of people can relate, whether it’s a health crisis or a loss … you’re like, ‘OK, I’m still here. Part two.’ And then, I fell in love with an Aussie.”
Her move to Australia came after the actress cashed in on her US property portfolio.
In 2017, Walsh listed her 402sq m Encino estate in California for $6.37m ($US4.25m), four years after buying it for $4.12m ($US2.75m).
Following extensive renovations, the three-bedroom home was sold to actor David Arquette for $6.9m ($US4.6m).
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