Originally appeared on E! Online
James Pickens Jr. is getting candid about his health.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” actor shared that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year after a biopsy revealed a tumor on his gland.
“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family,” he said in a recent interview with Black Health Matters. “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.”
But despite the 71-year-old’s family history with the disease, he pointed out a key silver lining that’s helped him stay positive about the situation.
“I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin — who’s still alive, actually — he had it,” he continued. “His son has it. A couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it.”
It was a beautiful day at the 2024 primetime Emmy Awards for a “Grey’s Anatomy” reunion! Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Chandra Wilson, Justin Chambers and James Pickens Jr. presented the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series at the Jan. 15 show.
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Pickens Jr.’s battle with the illness isn’t just playing out in his personal life. During the Nov. 13 episode of the ABC medical drama, his character Dr. Richard Webber — whom he has portrayed on the series since its debut in 2005 — revealed to Dr. Miranda Bailey (played by Chandra Wilson) that he had also been given a cancer diagnosis.
And while viewers will have to wait and see how Richard’s health journey unfolds, Pickens Jr. was optimistic about his own prognosis, noting that his tumor was spotted “really early” thanks to his regular doctors’ visits.
“I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago,” he explained. “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.”
