James Pickens Jr. News

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."

A number of Grey's Anatomy stars attended last night's premiere of the film Dreamgirls, starring Beyonce Knowles and former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson. See below:

Katherine Heigl was present, in all her beautiful glory, along with co-stars James Pickens, Jr., and Eric Dane. Her fiance, Josh Kelley, also accompanied her. We are told that Isaiah Washington was also on hand, though we are unable to find photos of him at the event at this time. If we come across any, they'll be added. Not to worry, I.W. fans. We're on it.

This magazine cover isn't new, but we just came across it yesterday. Earlier this year, Grey's Anatomy stars Isaiah Washington, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, Jr., all graced the cover of JET. See below.

As always, great to see these three stars, particularly Chandra (Dr. Bailey) and James (Dr. Webber), who are less frequently in the public eye. We're in the process of trying to track down the actual article. Stay tuned.

Actor James Pickens Jr., who plays "The Chief" on Grey's Anatomy, knows he's got to do something about the libidinous interns on the hit show.

"They're driving me crazy," Pickens said in a recent interview, adopting his character's familiar look of exasperation. "I've got to put them on lockdown or do something. Hopefully, I'm going to start putting a rein on them."

The results of his efforts, however futile, are back on display as Grey's Anatomy begins its third season. In last week's premiere, Izzie struggled to accept Denny's fate, Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) professed his love for Meredith, and Dr. Burke's career was still in jeopardy. As for the Chief, a.k.a. Dr. Richard Webber, he was given an ultimatum by his wife, Adele.

Just another day at the office.

Some viewers might consider the romantic hijinks on Grey's to be somewhat far-fetched, but Pickens said doctors tell him the show is right on the mark.

"Right after the first season... I happened to be at a social gathering where there was a physician couple who were both pediatric surgeons. The first thing they picked up on was the sex. They said 'Yeah, the on-call room, that's always the place,'" he said.

Pickens, 51, whose previous TV credits include Beverly Hills 90210, Roseanne, and The Practice, acknowledged that the show's staggering popularity has changed his everyday life.

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Dr. Richard Webber, Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital, is one of the more overlooked characters on Grey's Anatomy. The same can be said for the actor who plays him, James Pickens, Jr., but ABC has spotlighted him in its daily star profile so viewers can get to know a little about him.

Despite landing a starring role for the first time on Grey's Anatomy, the 52-year-old has appeared in more than 80 TV shows and films. He has been a recurring guest on many series, including the likes of NYPD Blue, Philly, The Practice, The X-Files and Six Feet Under.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, the actor got his start in the New York theatre community. Pickens starred as Walter Lee in the 25th Anniversary production of A Raisin in the Sun, and was a member of the famed Circle Rep/Steppenwolf Theatre Company co-production of Balm and Gilead. In 1981, James performed with the historic Negro Ensemble Company in a production of A Soldier's Play, alongside both Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.

In 1990, Pickens moved to the West Coast, getting his first big TV break with a guest spot on Roseanne, eventually leading to a recurring role. A recurring role on Beverly Hills 90210, was next. Dozens of TV roles soon followed, including a co-starring role in the TNT film, A Slight Case of Murder, written by William H. Macy and starring Adam Arkin and James Cromwell.

Shifting his attention to the big screen, Pickens has been directed by some of the film industry's finest. His credits include Traffic (directed by Steven Soderbergh), Nixon (Oliver Stone) and Bulworth (Warren Beatty). James has also appeared in four Barry Levinson films -- Liberty Heights, Sphere, Sleepers and Jimmy Hollywood.

He portrayed slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in the acclaimed Rob Reiner film Ghosts of Mississippi. Pickens also played Angela Bassett's ex-husband, Walter, in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

In his time away from the Grey's Anatomy set, Pickens can be found roping cattle and horseback riding. A member of the United States Team Roping Championship (USTRC) and a national competitor in that sport, he owns an American Quarterhorse named Smokey. Pickens and his wife, Gina, live in California's San Fernando Valley with their son and daughter.