Ellen Pompeo talks reuniting with Kate Walsh on 'Grey's Anatomy'

Ellen Pompeo is delighted to be working alongside Kate Walsh once again on "Grey's Anatomy."

Pompeo spoke with E!'s Daily Pop about their long-awaited reunion, revealing that emotions were riding high when they both saw each other for the first time again on the set.

"[We] may have shed a tear," she admitted. "We may have hugged and cried a bit."

Pompeo plays Dr. Meredith Grey, who has a complicated history with Walsh's Dr. Addison Montgomery.

Addison first appeared in the show's season 1 finale and iconically introduced herself as the wife of Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd before extending a hand and telling Meredith, "And you must be the woman who's been screwing my husband."

The ladies' relationship evolved over the years as they grew to respect one another. Walsh departed "Grey's" at the end of the third season to star in her character's own six-season spinoff, "Private Practice."

Pompeo also explained why it was so special to work alongside Walsh again.

"All of us from the original cast, we do share such a special bond," she said. "We went through something that only a few people can understand what it was, and to see all of that hard work and all of that craziness that we went through -- you know, getting famous so quickly and the show was such a big deal -- and to come together again and the show is still on the air, to know that our work has had such an impact, is pretty moving."

Walsh makes her big return this week in an episode titled "Hotter Than Hell" -- seemingly a nod to her character's fiery red hair.

"Grey's Anatomy," now in its 18th season, airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.