James Pickens, Jr. Dishes on Season Six of Grey's Anatomy
The first three episodes of Grey’s Anatomy's sixth season have officially been shot, and original cast member James Pickens, Jr., says he is pleased with what looks to be an interesting season coming up for his character, Dr. Richard Webber (a.k.a. the Chief).
“He has to do a lot of soul-searching to do and has to make some decisions that might change the direction of hospital and/or his life," the actor told TV Guide.
"It is going to have the interns and residents on pins and needles, because they don’t know where their careers are going to go from here.”
“When we left off last season, the hospital was struggling. It had lost its good rating, and [the Chief] spent a good part of the season trying to woo new doctors, getting fancy new machines, and accepting headline-grabbing surgeries," adds Pickens.
"Seattle Grace hospital is his baby, and we know that he’ll do whatever to get that rating back up. Some of his methods will be conventional and some not so conventional."
"We will see that continue to play out over the course of this season.”
Like everyone else on staff, James Pickens, Jr., echoed previous statements when he explained that the Chief will be greatly affected by George O'Malley’s passing.
“The atmosphere has been a little heavy, somber, because they lost one of their own," Pickens said. "His death affects each member of the staff differently."
"Everyone feels responsible in some way. In typical Chief style, he will try to hold the place together and keep a stiff upper lip, but it affects him quite deeply.”
Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.
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January 25th, 2010 5:14 PM
I think Chief is the best thing on GA. However, Loretta Devine is not the right type to play his wife. I think the roles of Burke's mother (Dihann Carroll whose ocupation is the owner of a soul food restaurant in Alabama) and Loretta Devine should have been switched. The Chief's wife should be glamourous like Ms. Carroll. Devine easily fits the role of a soul food restaurant owner in Alabama.
Also, in last week's episode the Chief was about to be escorted from the hospital for alcohol abuse. Don't get me wrong we don't want a Chief with a drinking problem, but what is going to happen to his role. Will he be on some type of leave of absence and we won't be graced with his handsome face each week, or are they writing his charactr out of the show? Someone please let me know. The show definately will not be the same without the Chief!
Rank: Extra
August 29th, 2009 11:35 AM
Anuflas:
Yes, I live in Argentina but for me is very uncomfortable speak my languaje here because people will not understand, despite that the message was for you.
Well, about T.R, Shonda and ABC issue, I already said my point of view. I think that ABC did business for what I said before and I know that they are aware that losing George will cost a lot, but still they let it go. And, again, for me they didn't do anything or they didn't do a lot. I don't know.
Well, I really don't think that Shonda care a lot Broke Smith because she didn't like the relation between Hahn and Callie anymore, for her she didn't work.
And probably T.R was mad for the way she treated his character and nothing that she said will convence to stay. I don't know. But do not treat it that way to an actor who play a character so important to the show. She never did this to anyone. And her excuse doesn't had foundation.
For me the others characters doesn't have the fault, but the writers are responsable abo
Rank: Extra
August 28th, 2009 8:31 AM
So now you know how ALL George fans feel? I won't watch but I know George fans who still will.
I find it interesting you say George didn't fit in and that is why he left. Why didn't he fit in? He used to. He used to be the glue of the fab 5.
So if he didn't fit in anymore, feel like he didn't belong anymore, it's because of how he was treated by the others since he repeated hiss internship.
I'm not saying they were monsters. They weren't, but it's a fact they weren't really there for him this last season. Nobody was.
They probably thought they had all the time in the world to spend time with him, but that's the thing. You can die at any moment.
That's what Mer's VO was all about.
August 28th, 2009 8:20 AM
Actually depression takes many forms. Not everyone's depression is obvious, which is why some people never saw the suicide of someone coming. I work with depressed people, and it takes many forms. Some could argue choosing to go to the army, a place where he was risking his life every day, was a form of depression. Of course George being George, a selfless person, wouldn't just kill himself. He would try to help the others while risking his life, like he died to save someone else instead of just killing himself like that guy on ER. The guy on ER also didn't seem that depressed. Like George, he just felt isolated and cut out. His friends loved him but neglected him, and they didn't see his depression or his suicide tendencies.
Now I'm not saying George was suicidal, but he sure didn't mind risking his life all the time, which tells me he felt he didn't have much to lose and noone would really miss him.
George identified himself as 007 before he died. I don't know if he saw himself
Rank: Regular Character
August 28th, 2009 1:57 AM
sarah,
It's cool. Actually there should be an EDIT or at least like a preview thing. You're from Argentina, right? In case you get stuck, let it out in spanish, I'll understand :)
KH said that thing about TR's face. It seems that there is much to be untold about this story. Shonda had the last word but as ABC decided to fire Brooke Smith for no reason, they could forced Shonda to make him stay too.
ABC is not stupid. They have managed to have huge ratings with DWTS (dunno why it's such a popular show), GA, DH, among others. They knew TR leaving was going to cost them and the show huge amounts of money (including some contract clause).
In cases I've seen while at work is that if you have an employee who was good and efficient, you don't let that employee go that easily. It seems illogical that they wanted TR out just like that. If they did, they could just fire him like they did with Brooke or Isiah.
It's why I don't believe that ABC or even some of GA's exec producers
Rank: Extra
August 27th, 2009 10:26 PM
I'm sorry I tried to say "I look at HIS face and saw him decided". I hate this computer, works very poorly, and quite slow. I did write two letters wrong. Sorry for my english, again.
Rank: Extra
August 27th, 2009 10:19 PM
Anuflas:
ABC asked Shonda what to do because it is her show. So they do what she decided.
And when they asked if she tried to convence him to stay she said " I look at her face and saw him decided", so she didn't do anything, probably she didn't want him in the show I don't know and probably will never know.
ABC did business because when one part breaks the contract has to pay the remaining years. So, T.R pay for leave the show.
T.R was tired and he didn't believe what they said about George anymore and after what they did with his character the last season, decided not to say anything and leave. When a members from the original cast say that he want to leave when they pay a lot a money it is clear that something it is not right.
And yes, they focus in the wrong character. They doing everything wrong.
Anuflas all posts say the same because all agree on the same and you're one of the few who thinks differently. And it is clear that we do not want to make you change your mind. We
Rank: Regular Character
August 27th, 2009 9:23 PM
Solagne,
From MY point of view. George wasn't depressed. I've seen it as well and it sure has taken a much...tougher take on people. Maybe because where I live, depression isn't taken seriously or because I tend to be tough. So if they sent the hints that George was depressed, I totally missed it. Crap happens. I have seen my fare share of it.
I never said you were ridiculous but the idea of George being depressed was. Like I said, being sad is one thing, being depressed is another.
To be honest, I try to stay gray but some posts here have made the radical issues, like George was 'outed' by the gang.
I never believed that. He was still there with them. He had lunch with the rest, he went to clean Mer's house (or look how Izzie did it), he still was there. He may not have been involved in some 'group' cases like the SK or...I don't know what other case was were he wasn't there, doesn't mean he's out.
Also, while I'm still angry that Izzie lives (hate it), I personally
Rank: Extra
August 27th, 2009 8:33 PM
Anuflas:
I know that Izzie told Cristina first because is a robbot and she can control the situation better, that it is more difficult to say George because he is someone that she love very much (5x17). Later in 5x18 everyone find out what was wrong with Izzie,and in 5x19 George was mad with Izzie because she told Cristina first but after talk with Callie, he forgive Izzie. Now WHY? WHY? in episodes 5x20, 5x21,5x22, 5x23 and 5x24, George wasn't next to her best friend Izzie, who was dying of cancer. I know that George told Izzie that he kept apart because she had a relation with Alex and we know that this to hate each other, BUT, after he find out that Izzie was sick that stupid excuse that only Shonda can make,it was silly and it wasn't enough to understand why George wasn't next to Izzie.
Everything that Shonda did with George in season 5 doesn't make any sense. She treated him like an extra all season and she kill him in the finale, and according to her words she did because she
August 27th, 2009 8:31 PM
Wow, anuflas, I really have the impression you're not even reading thsoe posts. I don't think anyone has been claiming the others didn't care about George. They're saying they cared about him but they neglected him. And that's exactly what happened. Anyone who watched season 5 can see that.
After George failed the internship exam, the others moved on and he got left behind.
That's really really clear to see.
I don't know if George was depressed, but he clearly wasn't happy. That was pretty obvious.