Grey’s Anatomy star James Pickens Jr., who has been on the show for 20 years, is now the epitome of the famous phrase, “life imitates art,” but for an unfortunate reason. Like his character on the show, the 71-year-old actor revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take,” Pickens Jr. explained during an interview with BlackHealthMatters.com in November 2025. “I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it. It was rare enough that 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.”
Below, learn more about Pickens Jr.’s health in reality versus that of his on-screen character.
Who Is James Pickens Jr.’s Grey’s Anatomy Character?
Pickens Jr. plays the role of Dr. Richard Webber, whose cancer diagnosis was unveiled during the season 22 midseason finale. His specific type of cancer was not immediately revealed.
Does James Pickens Jr. Really Have Cancer?
Yes, Pickens Jr. revealed his prostate cancer was diagnosed early during a November 2025 interview with BlackHealthMatters.com.
“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family,” the actor explained. “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. 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.”
The Cleveland, Ohio, native received his diagnosis in 2024. During his interview, he recalled going back to the doctor and, “when my PSA numbers came back, my primary said, ‘Yeah, you know what? It’s ticked up some more. I want to send you back to the urologist.”
“The urologist looked at him and said,” Yeah, there’s something here. Let’s do an MRI,’ which we did, and it revealed, as he called it, something suspicious,” Pickens Jr. said.
He later underwent a robotic prostatectomy — and has since confirmed he is cancer-free.
What Is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is when cells within the male reproductive gland, the prostate, grow out of control. Pickens Jr. emphasized that early detection of a tumor is essential in battling the disease.
“I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago. And I started my PSA testing when I was 41; I’m 73 now,” he said. “My urologist said. ‘Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested.”
Is James Pickens Jr. Leaving Grey’s Anatomy?
Fans have grown concerned that Pickens Jr.’s real-life health battle might signal an exit from Grey’s Anatomy. However, since he has been managing his diagnosis since 2024, caught the cancer early, and is now cancer-free, there is currently no indication that he plans to leave the long-running series.
