Name	James Pickens Jr.
Height	6'
Naionality	American
Date of Birth	26-Oct-1954
Place of Birth	America
Famous for

James Pickens Jr., is well known to viewers for his recurring roles on numerous television series, including "The X-Files," "NYPD Blue," "Philly," "The Practice" and "Six Feet Under." Most recently he starred opposite Rob Lowe in the ensemble drama "The Lyon's Den."

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Pickens got his start in the New York theatre community. He starred as Walter Lee in the 25th anniversary production of "A Raisin in the Sun" at the Roundabout Theatre. He was a member of the famed Circle Rep/Steppenwolf Theatre Company co-production of "Balm and Gilead." In 1981 he performed with the historic Negro Ensemble Company in a production of "A Soldier's Play" with Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.
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In 1990 Pickens moved to the West Coast. His first big break was a guest spot on "Roseanne," which lead to a recurring role. Next was a recurring role on "Beverly Hills, 90210." Dozens of television roles soon followed, including a co-starring role in the TNT film, "A Slight Case of Murder," which starred Adam Arkin and James Cromwell and was written by William. H. Macy.

On the big screen, Pickens has been directed by some of the film industry's finest. His feature film credits include Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic," Oliver Stone's "Nixon" and Warren Beatty's "Bulworth." He's had roles in four Barry Levinson films -- "Liberty Heights," "Sphere," "Sleepers" and "Jimmy Hollywood."

He portrayed slain civil rights leader Medgar Evans in the acclaimed Rob Reiner-directed film, "Ghosts of Mississippi." He also played Angela Bassett's ex-husband, Walter, in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Other credits include "Menace to Society" and "Gridlock'd," which was directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall and starred Tupac Shakur. He will next be seen in the Dimension Films thriller, "The Reaper."

In his spare time Pickens can be found riding horseback and roping cattle. He is a member of the United States Team Roping Championship and competes in roping events across the country. He owns an American Quarterhorse named Smokey. Pickens and his wife, Gina, live in the San Fernando Valley. They have a son and a daughter.
(courtesy of ABC)
African-American character actor James Pickens Jr. sustains one of the longest and fullest Hollywood resumés in recent memory, just in terms of sheer volume of work. Soap opera devotees may remember Pickens for one of his earliest achievements -- his portrayal of Zack Edwards on the long-running daytime drama Another World, from 1986 through 1990. Pickens subsequently divided his time between characterizations on such prime-time programs as Roseanne and Murder, She Wrote, and small roles in A-list Hollywood features. At least in the early years, these films were often, though not always, action vehicles with predominantly black casts, such as the Ice-T and Ice Cube action thriller Trespass (1992), the Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper cop picture Boiling Point (1993), and the bullet-ridden Hughes Brothers pictures Menace II Society (1993) and Dead Presidents (1995).