James Pickens Jr., known for playing the wise Dr. Richard Webber on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, has spent nearly twenty years telling patients to get checked out when something feels off. Now the 73-year-old actor, who has basically played the hospital dad of Grey Sloan Memorial in the series since it debuted back in 2005, is speaking up about his own health. Sadly, this time the storyline is very sad and real. During a chat with Black Health Matters, Pickens revealed his recent prostate cancer diagnosis.
“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it,” he said opening up about his illness.
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be all doom as Pickens points out that everyone in his family who’s faced the disease is still around today. “I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin, who’s still alive, actually; he had it. His son has it. A couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it.”
Also, Pickens decided years ago to prepare for the news. He started PSA testing at 41. He kept going every year. When numbers shifted in 2024, doctors took a closer look. An MRI spotted something suspicious and a biopsy confirmed a tumor. Thankfully, he underwent a prostatectomy before the cancer could spread. “We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take,” he explained.
As it turns out, doctoring himself literally changed his outcome. The urologist even told him that his diligence paid off, even though his cancer turned out to be a rare variant. Pickens said doctors wanted to “err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it… They wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s. But they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine.”
While Pickens continues appearing on Grey’s Anatomy, even showing up for season 22 all these years later, he hopes his real-life experience encourages others to take action. It’s solid medical advice, even if it’s from a fictional doctor. He also acknowledged that Black men, in particular, face higher rates of prostate cancer, and many don’t feel comfortable engaging with the medical system. “We know the history of that, and how far that goes back in terms of our trepidation about being tested, and getting something as simple as a physical,” he said.
Honestly, it almost feels like a plotline from the show. Except for Pickens and audiences, this time it was very real. Fans will be happy to see him continue to play the hospital dad, Dr. Richard Webber, in Grey’s Anatomy for years to come.
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