Grey’s Anatomy star james pickens jr.has been on the show for 20 years, now epitomizing the famous phrase “life imitates art,” but for an unfortunate reason. Like his character on the show, the 71-year-old actor also revealed that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“We found it so early that they thought that was the best route,” Pickens Jr. explained in a November 2025 interview with BlackHealthMatters.com. “I have a rare mutant that is rarely seen. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it. It’s rare enough that they wanted to make sure they crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s. But they had never seen a mutant like that” discovered as early as I did. ”
Below, learn more about Pickens Jr.’s health in real life and that of his on-screen character.
Who is James Pickens Jr. Grey’s Anatomy character?
Pickens Jr. will play the role of Dr. Richard Weber, whose cancer diagnosis was revealed in the midseason finale of season 22. His specific type of cancer was not immediately disclosed.
Does James Pickens Jr. really have cancer?
Yes, Pickens Jr. revealed in a November 2025 interview with BlackHealthMatters.com that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer early.
“It’s not news that anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer runs in my family,” the actor explained. “My father had it. He had a lot of siblings and some of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t. I have a cousin who is 90 years old and he’s still alive. In fact, he had it. His son had it too. Several of his brothers had it. As far as I know, none of them have succumbed to it.”
The Cleveland, Ohio native was diagnosed in 2024. During the interview, he recalled going to the doctor again, saying, “When my PSA numbers came back, my doctor said, ‘Oh, you know what? It’s even higher. I want to send it back to the urologist.'”
“The urologist looked at him and said, “Oh, there’s something here.” “Let’s do an MRI,” Pickens Jr. said, and they did an MRI, which he said “revealed something suspicious.”
He then underwent a robotic prostatectomy and was subsequently found to be cancer-free.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate gland, a male reproductive gland. Pickens Jr. emphasized that early detection of tumors is essential to combating the disease.
“I started getting annual physicals 34 years ago, and I started doing PSA tests when I was 41. I’m 73 now,” he said. “The urologist said, ‘It worked to your advantage because you were so diligent about taking care of your health. We were able to catch this disease so early because you were getting tested.’
Is James Pickens Jr. leaving? Grey’s Anatomy?
Fans are increasingly concerned that Pickens Jr.’s real-life health issues could signal his departure from the film industry. Grey’s Anatomy. However, as he has been treating his diagnosis since 2024, caught the cancer early, and is now cancer-free, there is no indication at this time that he plans to step down from the long-running series.
