Episode 134 James Pickens Jr. / Hollywood Star / Cowboy / Team Roper / Philanthropist …

I was thrilled to have James Pickens Jr. on the Podcast... JAMES PICKENS, JR. is an actor, producer and philanthropist. As an actor, he has the distinction of being an original cast member of the longest running medical drama in television history, Grey’s Anatomy. For his role as former chief of staff, Dr. Richard Webber, he earned a SAG Award, a People’s Choice Award and an NAACP Image Award. Born and raised in Cleveland, OH, he began his acting career at Cleveland’s Karamu House, the oldest African-American theater in the United States. He moved to New York and performed in the historic 1981 production of A Soldiers’ Play at the Negro Ensemble Company with fellow cast members Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Pickens worked steadily on both small and big screen, appearing in films directed by some of Hollywood’s finest directors, including, Steven Soderbergh Traffic, Oliver Stone’s Nixon, Warren Beatty’s Bulworth, and four Barry Levinson films: Jimmy Hollywood, Sleepers, Sphere and Liberty City. He portrayed slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Ghosts of Mississippi, which starred Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Rob Reiner. His television credits include recurring roles on Beverly Hills, 90210, The X-Files (both the original and the reboot), The Practice, NYPD Blue, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing, Roseanne and the reincarnation of that series, The Conners, and many more. As a producer, he has several projects in the works, including his passion project, a film on the life of the first Black U.S. marshal, Bass Reeves. In his spare time, he hosts an annual team roping event, which attracts some of the best competitive team ropers in the sport. Proceeds from this event benefit the James Pickens, Jr. Foundation, a charity he co-founded with his wife of 30 years, Gina Taylor-Pickens. The foundation’s mission is to enhance the lives of families and children Resources: https://www.instagram.com/jamespickensjrcharityroping/ Show Sponsors: https://www.instagram.com/thecowlot/ www.thecowlot.com https://www.instagram.com/tommyhawksaxehouse/ www.tommyhawks.net Show Music: “The Ropin Pen” By: Trent Willmon https://trentwillmon.com/ “Cowboy” By: Kolt Barber https://www.koltbarber.com/ MC Podcast Production & Editing: Matt Kirschner https://www.instagram.com/mattjkirschner/