Featured Image Credit: ABC
Topics: Grey's Anatomy, Health, Celebrity, US News, TV And Film, Cancer
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Grey's Anatomy, Health, Celebrity, US News, TV And Film, Cancer
A much-loved star of medical drama Grey's Anatomy has lifted the lid on their real-life cancer diagnosis, just days after their on-screen character was dealt an identical health blow.
James Pickens Jr has played Dr Richard Webber on the ABC series for over two decades, having first been cast in the role in 2005.
During Thursday night's instalment of the big-name hit, producers revealed that two main characters had been dealt life-threatening diagnoses.
While Dr Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) was found to have peripartum cardiomyopathy following the birth of her newborn, Dr Webber - who'd been somewhat distracted throughout the entire episode - broke the news to Dr Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) that he had cancer.
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Fans were left heartbroken by the gut-wrenching cliff-hanger, especially with regard to the potential of Pickens Jr's character being 'killed off'.
"They trying to kll the og, once again THEY ARE TRYING TO K*LL THE OG," one X user hit out. "RICHARD HAS CANCER WTF."
Another begged: "Dr. Weber noooooo and Jo noooooo. Not Dr. Weber. Not my tv Dad & the boss I hope exists but really doesn’t."
However, over the last year, Pickens Jr has endured similar heartache behind the scenes.
In a new interview released over the weekend, the actor revealed he'd been dealt a prostate cancer diagnosis in real-life.
Speaking to Black Health Matters, the Cleveland, Ohio, star admitted: "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. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it."
Pickens Jr added of the extent that his family had been diagnosed with the same cancer variant: "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."
He continued: "No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it."
Talking to his fans directly, the actor encouraged viewers of Grey's Anatomy to book cancer screenings the minute that any symptom of the disease arrises, claiming him doing so helped doctors detect it early.
"I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago," Pickens Jr said in a video shared to Instagram. "And I started my PSA testing when I was 41; I’m 73 now. 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.'"
The star added that, despite his prostate-specific antigen levels appearing to be normal during his annual physical last year, by the time he'd attended a check-up in January, these levels had increased.
As a result, he arranged to meet with a cancer specialist.
"The urologist looked at him and said, 'Yeah, there’s something here. Let’s do an MRI,' which we did," he continued in the video. "And it revealed, as he called it, something suspicious."
Whilst a biopsy revealed the growth of a tumour, a PET scan subsequently confirmed that the disease had not yet spread to other areas of the body.
During a prostatectomy, Pickens Jr's prostate gland was removed, and the cancer was treated.
He continued in his latest social media appeal: "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. 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."
Pointing out the alarming statistics surrounding men's health - specifically with regards to their prostates - Pickens Jr added: "For Black men, the risk is even higher. Fortunately, prostate cancer is highly treatable, but early detection is the key, and sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms.
"Today, I am living proof that early detection works."
The TV star concluded his message by pleading: "If you’re Black, or prostate cancer runs in your family, talk to your doctor about getting screened starting at age 40."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.