James Pickens Jr. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Grey's Anatomy star James Pickens Jr. has revealed he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The actor opened up about his diagnosis in a recent interview with Black Health Matters, where he noted that he has a family history of prostate cancer. "It's not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it," he said. "I would have been surprised if I hadn't gotten it." Related Stories TV 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Caterina Scorsone Heads on Hiatus News 'The Wild Robot,' 'The Daily Show' Among Winners at Environmental Media Awards However, Pickens Jr. revealed his doctors told him they were "able to catch it so early because you were being tested," as he explained that he was referred to a urologist after undergoing a routine physical where his PSA levels were examined. "I went back in January, 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,'" Pickens Jr. said. "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.'" The actor then opted to undergo a radical prostatectomy. He added, "We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take. 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." Pickens Jr. portrays Dr. Richard Webber in Grey's Anatomy, where he's starred across the show's 22 seasons. Of his tenure playing Dr. Webber, Pickens Jr. told The Hollywood Reporter that he's "been really blessed to play this character for as long as I have." "I've watched this character evolve over 21 seasons - his ups and downs, I'd like to think of him as being incredibly human through all this," he added. "We've taken this journey with him when he's been victorious, when he's been in valleys and had to climb himself back up." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up The Simpsons Dan McGrath, Writer on 'The Simpsons' and 'King of the Hill,' Dies at 61 The Valley BravoCon 2025: The Biggest Moments From Day 1 Live Feed Jen Affleck Reflects on Doing 'DWTS' Postpartum and If She Was Overlooked: "I Wish I Did Get Recognized" streaming How to Watch NFL Madrid Game: Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins Live Online Without Cable for Free UCLA How to Watch UCLA Bruins vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Live Online for Free Live Feed How Will the 'Golden Bachelor' Couple Beat the Reality Romance Odds? The Simpsons Dan McGrath, Writer on 'The Simpsons' and 'King of the Hill,' Dies at 61 The Valley BravoCon 2025: The Biggest Moments From Day 1 Live Feed Jen Affleck Reflects on Doing 'DWTS' Postpartum and If She Was Overlooked: "I Wish I Did Get Recognized" streaming How to Watch NFL Madrid Game: Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins Live Online Without Cable for Free UCLA How to Watch UCLA Bruins vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Live Online for Free Live Feed How Will the 'Golden Bachelor' Couple Beat the Reality Romance Odds?