James Pickens Jr had trained on the New York stage with the Negro Ensemble Company, made up solely of black actors. While his colleagues such as Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson made a name for themselves in cinema, he became synonymous with television: he has been a recurring actor in series such as Roseanne, Living Feeling, The Lawyer and The X-Files.
However, it was not until March 2005, at the age of 50, that he received the role thanks to someone who is part of the popular cultural imagination: Dr. Richard Webber from Grey’s Anatomy. In season 20, airing on Disney, Pickens Jr is one of three veterans remaining from the original cast along with Chandra Wilson and Ellen Pompeo.
Since the end of the previous season, Webber’s sobriety has been re-emphasized. What has it been like to revisit the character’s alcoholism?
I feel a special attachment to this story from the beginning. I know addiction firsthand: my father struggled with alcoholism late in his life, and fought it bravely until he died. I had the opportunity to live that stage with him. As an actor, I use that experience as a tool on an emotional and technical level. I am very proud of the lives the character has impacted.
As?
I can’t even count the times they have come to me to thank me for the story. There are ex-alcoholics who have told me: “I am in treatment and your story has given me a boost, it has made me see that I can fight this disease.” It is an honor. Telling stories should always involve this: impact the audience in one way or another. I like to return to this conflict to see that Webber is as susceptible as anyone else to relapsing into drinking. Thank God he hasn’t!
New residents led by Midori Francis and Alexis Floyd are gaining new prominence. What is it like to receive new blood?
It’s always fun when new actors come in. In 20 seasons, many brilliant actors have passed through the set, but having these residents gives energy to a series that has always been good. Now that Anatomía has gained a new generation of viewers, these followers have characters that they can feel closer to because of who they are socially, politically and culturally. They allow us to approach topics from another perspective.
Ellen Pompeo said in an interview that in the first seasons there was jealousy, competitiveness and unacceptable behavior between actors. How do you remember those times and how has the set changed since then?
I do not remember. If that happened, it happened when I was somewhere else. What I do remember is that the beginnings were a roller coaster for everyone: the series was going like a rocket and we all sought to tell the stories in an honest way and from the truth. As actors, we invest in the characters, we fight for them. But, in my experience, I didn’t see rivalry.
How has Grey’s Anatomy changed your career?
This kind of job changes your career financially: now I can buy a sandwich without having to worry about my pocket. I’ve been acting for 40 years and I did shows before Grey’s Anatomy, but Anatomy transcended the way we watched television two decades ago. It also changed the way casting directors choose actors and this should be attributed and thanked to creator Shonda Rhimes. And, since in the first seasons we had an average of 20 million viewers in the US each week, I entered many homes and became part of those families.
Do you feel like you had to sacrifice part of your career?
Thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, when I want to move forward with my projects, people agree to meet with me: “Oh, you’re the one from Anatomy, of course we can meet.” So I feel grateful. I got that role when I was already a mature actor and at that time it was increasingly difficult to get characters for a black actor at that point in my career. Having spent 20 seasons playing Richard Webber has been a blessing. Most actors can have an entire career and not experience what we have experienced: staying at home, not having to move to new locations for each new project, seeing your family, watching your children grow up… This is what I find has provided Grey’s Anatomy.
