James Pickens Jr.

Born:
October 26, 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio.

All About James:
James did not begin acting until he was a student at Bowling Green State University. His first acting role was in a campus production of Matters of Choice by Chuck Gordone.  Pickens earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from BGSU in 1976.  In 1981, Pickens performed in the Negro Ensemble Company's production of A Soldier's Play, starring alongside Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.  In 1990, Pickens moved to the West Coast and began his Hollywood career playing Zack Edwards on the soap opera Another World from 1986 to 1990. He went on to have recurring roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing, Roseanne, Beverly Hills 90210, JAG, and Six Feet Under.  Pickens is married to Gina and has two children.  In his spare time Pickens can be found riding horseback and roping cattle. He is a member of the United States Team Roping Championship and competes in roping events across the country. He owns an American Quarter Horse named Smokey.  James' two children Carl Tharps, and Gavyn Picken are both pursuing careers in show business. His son Carl is currently working on a Hip- Hop career and can be seen in various television appearances, including "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" where he appeared alongside his long time friend Omar Gooding.

Chief Richard Webber's Character

Position:
Chief of Surgery

Strengths:
Intelligent; calm; levelheaded; driven; caring

Weaknesses:
Carries lots of baggage over past indiscretions with Ellis Grey.

Likes:
Fly-fishing; his career and being the hospital's top dog.

Dislikes:
Alcohol (he is a recovered alcoholic); nurses striking; members of staff keeping secrets from him; sleeping in his office; sexually charged interns.

Family:
Richard's marriage to Adele has weathered all sorts of storms, from his affair with Ellis to his drinking problem. However, it seemed their relationship was not as strong as Richard thought when Adele asked him to choose between her and his job. Not rushing into a decision, Richard took his time and seemingly lost his wife.

Notable Relationships:
Had an affair with Meredith's mom, Dr. Ellis Grey. He eventually ended their relationship. Webber's marriage somehow survived, despite Adele's knowledge of his affair.

Other:
A mentor to his entire staff, Dr. Webber worked in New York for a number of years pioneering cutting edge surgery. He eventually returned to Seattle Grace, the hospital where, more than three decades ago, he was himself an intern.

Pictures of James/Richard