James Pickens Jr. is an American actor most famous for portraying Dr. Richard Webber on medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. He is also well known for playing Deputy Director Alvin Kersh in the iconic science fiction series The X-Files.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Pickens kicked off his acting career whilst he was still studying at Bowling Green State University and appeared in campus productions including Chuck Gordone’s Matters of Choice. He landed his first professional role playing Walter Lee in A Raisin in the Sun at New York’s Roundabout Theatre, and in 1981 he joined Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington in A Soldier’s Play. Five years later Pickens moved to Hollywood, where he portrayed Zack Edwards in the soap opera Another World for four years. Pickens then appeared in numerous recurring roles on some of America’s most popular television shows, including Roseanne, Curb Your Enthusiasm, X-Files, Six Feet Under, JAG and The West Wing.
His most famous role to date came in 2005 when he was cast in ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy playing Dr. Richard Webber, a role that has earned him various awards and nominations including NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Pickens has now played the part of Dr. Webber for 15 years, and has also reprised his role of Chuckie Mitchel in the revival of legendary sitcom Roseanne in 2018.