Richard Webber
Played by James Pickens, Jr.
character
LIKES:
Fly-fishing; his career
DISLIKES:
Members of staff keeping secrets from him; sexually-charged doctors; striking nurses; alcohol (he is a recovered alcoholic)
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. More recently, Richard found himself entangled in a romantic rendezvous with Dr. Catherine Avery after they ran into each other while proctoring the Oral Boards.
FAMILY:
Richard's marriage to Adele has weathered all sorts of storms, from his affair with Ellis to his drinking problem. Now, Richard and Adele are faced with yet another serious issue: Adele's Alzheimer's which currently has escalated to a point where Adele had to be taken to a home.
OTHER:
A mentor to the entire staff, Dr. Webber worked in New York for a number of years pioneering cutting edge surgery. He eventually returned to Seattle Grace-Mercy West, the hospital where—more than three decades ago—he was himself an intern. Most recently, Richard blames himself for not being more attentive after Adele dies due to an Aortic Aneurysm.
actor
If he were an ‘80s Lakers player, he’d be A.C. Green: always reliable, the virtual glue of the team.
We’ll explain further…
Aside from his Grey’s role, we all know we’ve seen James Pickens, Jr. elsewhere, but we didn’t realize the scope of his prestigious career.
The Cleveland native started acting at the Karamu House, distinguished as the oldest African-American theater in the U.S. After an impressive theater run that included performing alongside Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, James moved to the West Coast in 1990 and began an impressive run of film and television performances.
On the big screen, he has been directed by some of the film industry's finest, including Steven Soderbergh in Traffic, Oliver Stone in Nixon and Warren Beatty in Bulworth, and he appeared in four Barry Levinson films—Sleepers, Sphere, Jimmy Hollywood and Liberty Heights. He portrayed slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Ghosts of Mississippi (directed by Rob Reiner), and he played Angela Bassett's ex-husband in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Other films include Menace II Society, Home Room, Gridlock'd and the upcoming Just Wright, starring Queen Latifah and Common.
James is well known to television audiences for his recurring roles on hit series including NYPD Blue, The X-Files, The Practice, Philly, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, Rosanne and Beverly Hills 90210. He starred opposite Rob Lowe in The Lyon’s Den (NBC) and also starred with William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman in A Slight Case of Murder (TNT). He has received a Screen Actors Guild Award and four NAACP Image Award nominations for his role on Grey's Anatomy.
A man of wide ranging interests and passions, James came full circle with his beloved Karamu House when he served as executive producer of Otis Sallid’s hit musical revue, “Gospel, Gospel, Gospel,” which opened to rave reviews in Los Angeles. He is a member of the United States Team Roping Championship, roping cattle on horseback at events across the country.
Pickens recently delivered the keynote address to graduates at his alma mater, Bowling Green State University, and was honored by the Cleveland Cavaliers during their annual Black Heritage Celebration.
He and his wife, Gina, a singer, live in the San Fernando Valley. They have a son and a daughter.