James Pickens, Jr.
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The first three episodes of Grey’s Anatomy's sixth season have officially been shot, and original cast member James Pickens, Jr., says he is pleased with what looks to be an interesting season coming up for his character, Dr. Richard Webber (a.k.a. the Chief).

“He has to do a lot of soul-searching to do and has to make some decisions that might change the direction of hospital and/or his life," the actor told TV Guide.

"It is going to have the interns and residents on pins and needles, because they don’t know where their careers are going to go from here.”

“When we left off last season, the hospital was struggling. It had lost its good rating, and [the Chief] spent a good part of the season trying to woo new doctors, getting fancy new machines, and accepting headline-grabbing surgeries," adds Pickens.

"Seattle Grace hospital is his baby, and we know that he’ll do whatever to get that rating back up. Some of his methods will be conventional and some not so conventional."

"We will see that continue to play out over the course of this season.”

Like everyone else on staff, James Pickens, Jr., echoed previous statements when he explained that the Chief will be greatly affected by George O'Malley’s passing.

“The atmosphere has been a little heavy, somber, because they lost one of their own," Pickens said. "His death affects each member of the staff differently."

"Everyone feels responsible in some way. In typical Chief style, he will try to hold the place together and keep a stiff upper lip, but it affects him quite deeply.”

What's going on with the frequently embattled Chief this season on Grey's Anatomy? Here's an excerpt from E! Online's spoiler Q&A today about that very subject ...

Q: Any Grey's Anatomy scoop?

A: James Pickens Jr. says, "The Chief has some really interesting stuff coming up this season."

"There's a part of his personal life that viewers haven't seen yet, and it's going to be very intriguing, but I think they're going to really like what's going to happen."

What do you suppose that could mean?

As far as how George's death is going to affect everyone, Pickens says, "Each person is touched in a different way. Everyone is affected. [T.R. Knight] was an integral part of the cast, and one of the more talented guys I've worked with, so I wish him well."

And in case you're wondering, sources tell us that Chandra Wilson is already in "prep" for her directorial debut, which is set for either episode six or seven.

Grey's Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes wants to set the record straight: T.R. Knight and Katherine Heigl are not leaving the show.

"That was a very interesting rumor," Rhimes said Thursday night at the 40th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. "And it's not true."

Rhimes was referring to a recent comment in the press attributed to Grey's Anatomy cast member James Pickens, Jr., in which the actor was said to be confirming the long-rumored departure of both Heigl and Knight, two of the series' original stars.

"That was absolutely taken out of context," said Rhimes.

"Things happen, and ... I think rumors become fact very easily. And you know I don't like to tell you what's going to happen on the show - but that is a rumor."

These two are the subject of many rumors.

For his part, Pickens says he meant to wish the pair well in general.

"We've been living with these rumors for a long time," he said. "When the question was posed to me, I was more trying to congratulate Katie and T.R. on whatever they were going to do."

"But, yeah, I don't have any special info about it either way."

ABC's Grey's Anatomy took home three awards, including Chandra Wilson's win for outstanding actress in a drama series. Wilson said she was looking forward to the show's upcoming 100th episode – and insisted things were all good on the set.

"We're laughing at the rumors, as we always do," Wilson said before the ceremony. "Stories come out, and [there are] these big quotes, and we go, 'But that's not exactly what I said.' So, we're busy doing our jobs, doing our work."

The Los Angeles Times is weighing in on the rumors of two Grey's Anatomy cast members leaving the show, and whether said rumors should be believed - and moreover, if all of the suspense surrounding the pair's drama is necessarily a bad thing.

Whatever plot twists the Grey's Anatomy writers are planning, they can't possibly be as dramatic - or at least as suspenseful, in the literal sense of something suspended that never actually falls - as the rumored exits of cast members Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight.

Lingering for months already, this particular bit of off-screen gossip was heightened yesterday by a new report that quotes fellow cast member James Pickens, Jr., as declaring that Heigl and Knight are as good as gone from the ABC medical drama.

Katherine Heigl is a sometime movie star (some of her Knocked Up quotes were pretty funny) with a well-documented fondness for saying seemingly unguarded and possibly career-jeopardizing things, like dissing the series with a grandiose gesture.

That being removing herself from Emmy consideration last year and saying "the material I was given" failed to warrant consideration. This after winning the previous year.

T.R. Knight, who was at the center of an ugly gay-baiting incident involving former co-star Isaiah Washington, is reportedly unhappy with what he feels is limited screen time.

A couple points, however, are getting lost in the scuffle to squeeze some sort of definitive news from Pickens' comments, according to the L.A. Times ...

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Here we go again.

The ongoing soap opera concerning Grey's Anatomy stars Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight and their uncertain futures took another crazy turn today when their co-star, James Pickens, Jr., commented that both of them are indeed leaving the show.

"Yes, she is," Pickens said when asked if the former Emmy winner was checking out of Seattle Grace. "Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best."

And what about T.R. Knight? "He's going too," Pickens, who plays Dr. Richard Webber, Chief of Surgery, said. "He just wanted to pursue other career paths."

ABC isn't commenting, but according to Entertainment Weekly, sources close to the situation have said regarding Pickens' comments, he may have jumped the gun.

While it's true Heigl and Knight want out, ABC execs have yet to officially issue the actors - who are under contract for six seasons - any Get Out of Jail Free cards.

However, all indications are that it will happen. The only question is when.

"Right now, the whole thing is in the hands of their agents and ABC's lawyers," explains a Grey's Anatomy insider. "Something will probably be worked out soon."

More than 1,200 students will receive degrees from Bowling Green (Ohio) State University during summer commencement Saturday, with the keynote address delivered by none other than BGSU alumnus James Pickens, Jr.

Pickens, of course, stars on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Richard Webber, a.k.a. The Chief. For four seasons he's been one of the "glue" characters in a terrific ensemble cast, bringing class and talent to our favorite show.

He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Bowling Green in 1976, and is set to receive the University's Distinguished Alumnus Award at commencement.

James Pickens, Jr., with co-star Ellen Pompeo.

James Pickens, Jr., has a Screen Actors Guild award to his credit as part of the amazing Grey's Anatomy cast. The versatile actor, who we often hear little about, has been married to his wife, Gina, for 23 years, and has two children.

Romance â€" both onscreen and off â€" was the topic of the day at the Chrysalis Ball, held Saturday night at a private estate in Brentwood, Calif.

The hosts: Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane and wife Rebecca Gayheart.

Dane's character, Mark Sloan, had a rough season as far as his love life goes. But as far as his own marriage to Gayheart goes, he couldn't be happier:

"It is great. I don't know how I got so lucky," he said.

Eric Dane added that he and Gayheart are "working on" kids.

Several Private Practice stars â€" Kate Walsh and Tim Daly included â€" as well as other stars (like Eva Mendes, pictured) were there to support Dane and Gayheart.

Among the Grey's Anatomy contingent was Katherine Heigl, who momentarily misplaced her spouse, Josh Kelley, and began joking that married life is "Great ... except that I've lost my husband, so it could be over now, I guess!"

Heigl is managing to juggle working on a hit show and a busy movie schedule (she is now filming The Ugly Truth): "It's a real blessing because I love both and so I can do them both and not be completely ready to blow my brains out."

T.R. Knight and boyfriend Mark Cornelsen were all smiles, saying that their relationship is "very good, so far," but even with same-sex marriage now legal in California, they're not about to tie the knot anytime soon.

As far as romance on Grey's Anatomy, Knight was as surprised as anyone by George's kiss with Lexie at the end of the May season finale.

"What was up with that?" he asked.

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Since he was introduced as Seattle Grace's Chief of Surgery, Dr. Richard Webber, during the very first episode, James Pickens, Jr., has been one of the most steady and the most unheralded members of the dynamic Grey's Anatomy cast.

Our friends at BuddyTV recently sat down with James Pickens, Jr., for an exclusive interview in which he talks about his character and the show. We'll start off with the beginning of their chat before linking over to Buddy for the full interview ...

Q: My first question is about the WGA strike. Production has stopped on the set, and how many episodes of Grey's Anatomy are there going to be left?

James Pickens, Jr.: Well, we shot 11, and I think they bought 22 or 23, so do the math and I guess that's 11 or 12 left to shoot.

Q: Do you have any idea what might happen with this?

James Pickens, Jr.: At this point I don't think anybody knows. They went back to the bargaining table last Monday, and they talked until Thursday. The producers came back with a proposal that was rejected by the writers, but that's usually kind of par for the course when you're talking negotiations. They suspended talks but then they'll go back to the table after that, so I guess the positive note on this is just the fact that they are talking. A proposal has been presented, it wasn't what the writers wanted, and that's okay, so they can go back and forth now. We'll see what happens with it, but they are talking, so that's a good sign at this point.

Q: Let's talk about your character now, Dr. Richard Webber. You get to show a lot of depth in your portrayal of the Chief because you're kind of the father figure of the other doctors, but lately you're also starting to loosen up.

James Pickens, Jr., with his wife of 23 years, Gina Pickens.

James Pickens, Jr.: I'm so grateful to Shonda Rhimes, our creator and our head writer, and the rest of the writers as well. I think they've done a great job in terms of fleshing out this character. My character and characters like him are usually shown in just one light, that of an authoritative figure who pretty much doles out orders and you do them or else you suffer the consequences. But I think last season they really started to flesh this character out with his problems, obviously his deteriorating marriage, his thoughts of retiring and trying to fix that. We got a chance to see the human side of him ...

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James Pickens Jr.'s wife is hoping her husband of 23 years has a steamy affair. And she's already picked out the perfect woman to take part.

"I want him to be with one of those young girls, like Sara Ramirez," Gina Taylor Pickens tells USA Today over lunch with her Grey's Anatomy star husband.

"That would be perfect. Sara's Rubenesque, a hot Latina. The two of them together would burn that screen up."

She is, of course, speaking strictly about her husband's TV alter ego: Dr. Richard Webber, a.k.a. "The Chief," Seattle Grace's hospital administrator.

The character just split from his wife after his workload - coupled with a battle over their niece's cancer - took a toll on their fragile marriage.

"He was never at home," James Pickens, Jr., explains. "He was so dedicated to his job that his marriage evaporated right before his eyes and he never realized it. To try to balance your work with your family life is tough.

James Pickens, Jr., certainly knows this from experience.

He met Gina 27 years ago, when both were struggling actors on the New York theater scene. "I thought she was cute, and she gave me her number," he recalls. Their first date: a spring stroll through Central Park.

The two struggled financially for a few years, but James Pickens, Jr., believes "you gain strength in the struggle. We never veered from the focus of our careers, but also committed to staying together and building a family."

Before landing Grey's Anatomy, Pickens, 53, was recognized for recurring roles including those on "The X-Files," "Beverly Hills: 90210" and "Roseanne." There were also parts on the quickly canceled "Brooklyn South," "City of Angels," "Philly" and "The Lyon's Den," all leading up to his casting on the ABC medical hit.

This Thursday, Richard, whom Pickens says some Grey's fans have dubbed "McClassy" or "McChocolate," will bond further with Drs. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) and McSteamy (Eric Dane). The Chief has already moved to his own bachelor trailer into the woods alongside Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd.

Though his character, Richard, has failed in marriage, his real-life wife commends him for balancing personal and professional lives.

"I wouldn't call him a workaholic," she says. "I would say he has a passion for whatever he is working on, but he is a very well-balanced guy."

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A surprise reunion for the resurgent Isaiah Washington and two of his former Grey's Anatomy co-stars - James Pickens, Jr. and Chandra Wilson - took place at an event for a good cause.

The actor, who was let go from the ABC hit in June, unexpectedly showed up Saturday at Kiki Shepard's 5th Annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge to "Bowl a Strike for Sickle Cell Disease" at the PINZ Entertainment Center in L.A.

Washington, who seemed in good spirits, casually greeted James Pickens, Jr., with a pat on the back before the two got to catching up, then gave Wilson a hearty hug and kiss hello.

Carrying an unlit cigar, Washington opted not to bowl and instead watched as James Pickens, Jr., who plays Dr. Richard Webber on Grey's Anatomy, showed off his bowling skills with a few strikes and a couple of spares.

As we reported yesterday, however, Isaiah Washington, 43, has already made a strike of his own.

The actor has landed some new TV roles, including a guest-starring role on this fall's NBC remake of The Bionic Woman with Michelle Ryan.

He's also landed a development deal as the lead star in a potential action drama he pitched to NBC for the 2008-09 season, according to USA Today.

While details of his role on The Bionic Woman remain a mystery, NBC co-chair Ben Silverman thinks this could be a stepping stone for Washington.

"I think he could be an action star," Silverman said. "There aren't any African-American action stars on television, so I thought we'd give him a forum to do his thing."

Silverman, who knows Washington through a mutual friend who's organizing charitable events in Africa, made the decision to hire Washington based on personal knowledge rather than the hype surrounding his often-discussed argument on the Grey's Anatomy set.

"I just think he's a great actor," says Silverman.

As for Washington's former home base, with the Grey's team having reported back to work last Monday, Wilson told People it just isn't the same.

"There's something missing," said Wilson, who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey. "There are definitely big voids there, so you're trying to figure out how do you work now with the voids ... not only personally but for the characters ... and what does that mean?'"

Pickens declined to discuss Washington but did offer some kind words for Kate Walsh, who is also gone, having left to start her own show, Private Practice.

"[Kate Walsh] was such integral part of the cast, so beautiful and funny," he said. "But I'm so happy for her with the new show. I wish her nothing but success with it."

At Monday's gathering of the cast - the first since Season 3 of Grey's ended in May - "We started with a vengeance," said Chandra Wilson. "It's like full 14-hour days already, so it didn't feel like we took a break."

"You hit the ground running," Pickens added.

Added to the cast is Chyler Leigh, who plays Lexie Grey, Meredith Grey's half-sister and a new Seattle Grace intern.

"She's really talented." Pickens said of Chyler Leigh. "We're looking forward to seeing how she integrates into the cast. I haven't had any scenes with her, but from what I've seen I think she's going to be a great addition."