Private Practice Preview: Will Addison Succumb to a Married Man?

This Thursday at 10 pm/ET, ABC's Private Practice returns with the penultimate episode of its second season. Will Addison act on her urges with the married Noah? As his wife endures a difficult pregnancy? Josh Hopkins shared a look at the torrid twists ahead. Plus: What does he not miss about his Swingtown days?

TVGuide.com: Call me old fashioned, but I'm not really feeling the romance here in the Addison-Noah story. So sell me on it. Should I be rooting for this illicit hook-up?
Josh Hopkins: I don't know that you should be rooting for it or not, but it makes for interesting TV. It's just such a real-life situation where someone has the very best intentions, but still their emotions take them towards something that might not be exactly right. There's a lot of grey in the real world, and I think it's interesting that they would take this story on. 

TVGuide.com: Is Kate Walsh at all concerned about how this might paint her character? Or is she relishing the complicated material?
Hopkins: There's got to be some concern. She's obviously grown so far with this character, and she knows her better than anybody. But I think [she] sees the benefit of doing a complicated storyline rather than... 

TVGuide.com: Go for the low-hanging fruit of an easy romance.
Hopkins: Yeah. That her character would be attracted to someone is married is realistic. It's just about how you handle it. 

TVGuide.com: But how can you do this to sweet little Amanda Detmer? She has the face of an angel!
Hopkins: I know, she really does. Every time she does her scenes where she doesn't know what's going on, I'm like, "Wow, I am such a jerk."

TVGuide.com: By the end of the season finale, will Noah and Addison have taken either the next or final step in their would-be romance?
Hopkins: I can't really say, but they realize that there is something to this, something perhaps bigger than what they can control. 

TVGuide.com: Speaking of the finale, a lot of crazy stuff goes down. When you saw the script, did you ask yourself, "What show did I sign up for here?"
Hopkins: [Laughs] Yeah, I was like, "Wow!" If you are a Private Practice fan you are going to have to see the finale, because it's chock-full of action. 

TVGuide.com: I mean, the very final scene of that episode is just....
Hopkins: Yeah, in the read-through I was like, "What?! What is going on? Holy...." I couldn't believe it. 

TVGuide.com: You know, we still get mail here from people missing Swingtown.
Hopkins: People stop me all the time and tell me how much they loved it. I'm so proud of it. I think the expectations were that it was some salacious show about swingers, when every other show I've done has actually shown more sexual activity than Swingtown ever did. It was insinuated, but.... 

TVGuide.com: You lucked out in not having to wear a porn 'stache like Grant Show. But what was the worst thing you had to wear for that series?
Hopkins: Oh, man - in the pilot I wore some "Mom jeans." They were just really high-waisted, and at one point I was riding a bike. Plus most of the clothes were vintage. So they stunk. I don't know how much worse it could get! 

TVGuide.com: If Private Practice gets picked up for a third season, is the plan for you to still be around?
Hopkins: Possibly. I did a pilot for ABC, Cougartown, where I play a neighbor of Courteney Cox's. Our characters don't get along, but there's a mutual attraction kind of thing going on. 

TVGuide.com: Swingtown, Cougartown....
Hopkins: I know — I'm just going town to town!