Take the BuddyTV Personality Quiz: Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You? American actor James T. Pickens Jr. was born on October 26, 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio. His acting career took off when he appeared as Zack Edwards on the highly-followed soap opera, Another World. He stayed with the show for four seasons and since then showed off his acting prowess in series like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing, Roseanne, Beverly Hills 90210 and Six Feet Under. When he was part of the sci-fi series, The X-Files, Pickens and the rest of the cast received a SAG award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
He ventured into theater in New York, where he starred as Walter Lee in the production of A Raisin in the Sun at the Roundabout Theater. Eventually, he appeared in films such as How Stella Got her Groove Back, Dead Presidents, Ghosts of Mississippi and Gridlock'd. In addition, Pickens, along with actors Ed Asner, Barbara Bain, Amy Brenneman, George Coe and Wendie Malick, participated in a reading of "The Gift of Peace," which was the main event at a fundraiser for the ratification of the US House Resolution 808.
In 2005, Pickens was picked to be part of the television series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Richard Webber. The role earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in the 2006 and 2007 Image Awards. As a cast member, he also got to share a SAG award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2006, and a SAG award in the same category in 2007 and in 2008. That year, he took on a role in the drama Ball Don’t Lie, starring Grayson Boucher and Kim Hidalgo. Some of his other film credits are the Oliver Stone-penned Nixon and the thriller Venom starring Laura Ramsey and Meagan Good.
In his free time, Pickens enjoys going horseback riding and roping cattle. He is affiliated with the United States Team Roping Championships and has participated in several national roping competitions. Pickens' two sons have followed in his footsteps and are busy launching their own acting careers.
(Photo courtesy of ABC)