The journey of life might seem like an accident. The twists and turns, the opportunities taken and lost. But what if the path you took was on purpose the entire time? What if the results depended on you being in the right place at the right time? For James Pickens, the advice received from a couple of people defined his path and eventually his life forever.
James grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where he attended and graduated from high school. He went on to Bowling Green University and had plans to become an artist for his career. Pickens always had a passion for the arts and did some acting on the side. A chance encounter with a friend would change his life forever.
“I had a friend tell me that I should check out one of the best places in the world to act, and it was right where I lived,” Pickens said. “So, I went over there and asked about working and helping, and they let me work as a stagehand for a year.”
That place is Karamu House, the country’s oldest Black theater, and home to some of Hollywood’s best Black actors. After a year of working, Pickens finally got his chance to get on state. He would perform in several plays until he started to get noticed, and it was recommended that he go to New York and attempt to act on Broadway.
James went to New York and continued to grow as an actor on stage. At some point, his path led him to Los Angelos where he began to book opportunities on Television.
“I was on a few shows and worked on one show that was about attorneys. That show lasted for about fifteen episodes before it was cancelled.” James continued, “After that, my agent told me about an unnamed show that was called the ‘unnamed Shonda Rhimes Medical Drama.”
Pickens went in for an audition and thought, once again, he did not get the part. They asked him to step outside and wait for a few minutes. He eventually was asked to come back in and was told he won the part, and the rest is history.
That show would go on to be called Grey’s Anatomy. The show has been on ABC since 2005 and continues today. It has been on the air for 22 years and continues to draw record numbers for a primetime drama.
“It is amazing how we continue find new audiences,” Pickens said. “With social media, we now have fans and people who like us who weren’t even born when we started.”
Picken describes the power of the internet, where short-form social media has enabled Grey’s Anatomy to be told in snippets and reels, where a whole new generation of fans is born every day. That new audience finds the show on various platforms and continues to watch it in primetime when new episodes air today.
Recently, life and art merged when Pickens was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His detection was found early, which allowed him to take immediate action to remove his colon and save his life. While he was seeking treatment, he asked the producers of the show if they would write in his diagnosis into the show. That decision led to him being able to bring awareness to men going to the doctor and the early detection of colon cancer.
“When I asked if they would allow my journey to mirror my character on the show, I had no idea the result would be as fantastic as it was,” James said.
James was able to live out his life on screen, where he was able to beat cancer personally and professionally. That culminated into an opportunity to create a public service announcement (PSA) that aired after one of the episodes, where he was able to suggest and champion men going to the doctor and getting their colons checked.
The response of the PSA was incredible because Pickens hoped it would help someone; he never expected it to resonate the way it did.
“To know that we were able to help other people by watching the story unfold on TV, and for me personally, was nice because it meant the decision was the right one.
While Pickens recovered from his surgery, he also took a look at his long-term health and decided to drop about twenty-five pounds by changing his diet.
That decision would allow him to feel better and better as he becomes seventy-four later this year. Pickens has also embarked on a new journey as a producer. He recently started a production company in hopes of telling compelling stories about Blacks that are meaningful.
“I was back East and was given a script that was about twelve pages. After I read it, I felt like there was something more. I thought this thing had the potential to be a movie,” James said.
James decided to make the script his first project and created a short film out of the script. His first production, which is about 30 minutes, is currently playing around the country in various film festivals, and he hopes to bring it to Cleveland at one of the film festivals there.
His next project will be longer and will potentially partner with a platform for airing. Pickens enjoys the craft of making quality content and would love the chance to help launch a few acting careers for some new people.
“I don’t know if I have the patience for directing, but this producer thing is pretty nice, and I would love to help create some really good stories that include actors of color that we can all celebrate,” Pickens said.
Grey’s Anatomy is currently the longest-running medical drama on TV. It is second only to the long-running drama Law and Order, with over 26 years on TV.
Pickens relishes the fact that he has been able to act in one series for that long. His goal now is to pay it forward and help someone else create the kind of career he has had. One can never know if they are in the right place at the right time, or if they simply take advantage of the opportunities that they are given.
If Pickens has his way, he will help some lucky actor become the right person, for the right project, and hope that his suggestions define the life of someone else just like it happened for him. Blessed, maybe. Blessed beyond belief, by all accounts, one would have to say yes.
