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Jesse Williams (actor)

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Jesse Williams
Williams in 2008
Born (1981-08-05) August 5, 1981 (age 43)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materTemple University
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
  • activist
Years active2006–present
Spouse
Aryn Drake-Lee
​
​
(m. 2012; div. 2020)​
[1]
Children2

Jesse Wesley Williams (born August 5, 1981) is an American actor, director, producer and activist. He is best known for portraying Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2009–22; 2024). He has also appeared in films such as The Cabin in the Woods (2012) and The Butler (2013). He provided voice acting and motion capture for Markus in the video game Detroit: Become Human (2018).

He served as an executive producer of the Academy Award-winning short, Two Distant Strangers (2020), and the Tony Award-winning revival of Take Me Out (2022). He also acted in the latter and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Early life

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Williams was born in Chicago[2] on August 5, 1981, to Johanna Chase, a professional potter, and Reginald Williams.[3] Jesse Williams has said his mother is Swedish American and his father is African American from Georgia.[4][5]

Finding Your Roots revealed that on his mother's side, Williams is a descendant of English colonist Joseph Herrick, the principal law enforcement officer during the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts.[6]

Williams graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998.[3] After he graduated from high school, his father began teaching history in northern Maine, while his mother continued to work in pottery. He has two younger brothers, who both specialize and work in the field of visual arts.[3][5]

Williams graduated from Temple University with a double major in African American Studies and Film and Media Arts.[3][7] Following in the footsteps of his parents, he taught high school in the Philadelphia public school system for six years: American Studies, African Studies, and English.[8]

Acting career

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In 2005, Williams began to study acting and was chosen to participate in the New York Actors Showcase presented by ABC Television, one of 14 actors chosen from among more than 800 individuals who auditioned.[3] Since 2006, he has appeared in a number of television series, films and theatre productions. In 2012, he established a production company, farWord Inc.[5]

In May 2012, a fan campaign was organized to try to influence film executives to cast him in the role of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.[9] This news resulted in some Hunger Games fans protesting casting decisions made by the film executives.[10]

In 2013, Williams wrote an opinion piece for CNN which analyzed the film Django Unchained.[11] Later that year he narrated the audio version of the book The Bane Chronicles: What Really Happened In Peru, by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.[12]

In 2006, Williams appeared in an episode of Law & Order, portraying the character Kwame. He also appeared in the role of Drew Collins, in two episodes of the ABC Family series Greek.[13]

On October 15, 2009, Williams began appearing as surgical resident Jackson Avery, in the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy.[14] On June 8, 2010, it was announced Williams would be a series regular, starting in season 7.[15] He worked with the series for 12 seasons, and his departure was announced in May 2021.[16] His final episode aired May 20 on ABC. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in May 2021, Williams said the decision to leave the show was "a collective thing" and part of a discussion the actor had with showrunner Krista Vernoff about Jackson's trajectory that ultimately helped solidify 11 seasons of storyline.[17] In May and October 2022, he returned in guest appearances in seasons 18 and 19.

Williams was named the TV Actor of the Year at the 2011 Young Hollywood Awards.[18] BuddyTV ranked him as No. 6 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2010" list[19] and No. 11 in 2011.[20]

Williams made his film debut in the supporting role of Leo in the 2008 sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. He subsequently appeared in Brooklyn's Finest (2009), starring Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, and Ellen Barkin. Williams played Holden McCrea, the lead role in the MGM/United Artists horror film The Cabin in the Woods, produced by Joss Whedon and directed by Drew Goddard, released April 13, 2012.[21]

On June 9, 2015, Variety announced Williams was among actors who had joined the cast of the thriller film Money, who included Jamie Bamber, Kellan Lutz, Jesse Williams, and Jess Weixler. The film was directed by Martin Rosete and produced by Atit Shah.[22]

In May 2016, Williams was executive producer of the documentary film Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement, part of BET's 'The Truth Series'.[23] In 2021, Williams produced an American short-film titled Two Distant Strangers, written by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe. This short film won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2021.

Williams has served as a guest director for student productions at the Urban Arts Partnership 24 Hour Plays Off-Broadway, at the request of Rosie Perez and Anna Strout.[8][21]

In March 2022, Williams made his Broadway debut in the revival of Richard Greenberg’s Take Me Out. Williams starred in the lead role of Darren Lemming. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Williams had a recurring role on Hulu's Only Murders in the Building in fall 2023, playing Tobert. Together with the rest of the cast, Williams was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2024.[24]

Activism

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Williams is the youngest member of the board of directors at The Advancement Project, a civil rights think tank and advocacy group. He is also the executive producer of Question Bridge: Black Males, a multifaceted media project, art exhibition, student and teacher curriculum and website,[25] focused on the black male identity and the diversity within the demographic.

He has written articles for CNN[26] and The Huffington Post.[27] He also has been a guest on Wolf Blitzer's The Situation Room.

In June 2016, Williams won the humanitarian award at the 2016 BET Awards. His acceptance speech highlighted issues of racial injustice, police brutality, and the 'invention of whiteness'.[28] As a result of his speech, dueling petitions were circulated: one to have Williams fired from Grey's Anatomy and one to keep him on the series.[29]

Other work

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Williams occasionally worked as a model during college, but never considered pursuing it as a career. He modeled for Kenneth Cole Productions, Levi's, and Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.[2][30] Williams also modeled for Lane Bryant in 2012.

He appeared as the love interest of R&B singer Rihanna in the music video for her single "Russian Roulette" from her 2009 album Rated R. He also appears in the music video for Estelle's song "Fall In Love", from the album All of Me.[21] In 2018, Williams appeared in the video for "Tell Me You Love Me" by Demi Lovato.

Williams did the voice acting and performance capture for Markus in the video game Detroit: Become Human, which first released on May 25, 2018, for the PlayStation 4. He also did the voice acting and performance capture for Duke in the video game NBA 2K21, which released worldwide on September 4, 2020, for multiple consoles.

Personal life

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Williams dated Aryn Drake-Lee for five years before the two married on September 1, 2012. The couple have two children together, a daughter Sadie Williams (b. December 2013) and a son Maceo Williams (b. October 2015). The couple filed for divorce in April 2017.[31] The divorce was finalized in October 2020.[32]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 Leo
2009 Brooklyn's Finest Eddie Quinlain
2010 Dirty Dancing 3: Capoeira Nights Johnny Short film
2011 The Cabin in the Woods Holden McCrea
2012 Question Bridge: Black Males — Executive producer
2013 The Butler James Lawson
2013 Snake and Mongoose Don "The Snake" Prudhomme Also executive producer
2013 They Die by Dawn John Taylor
2016 Money Sean
2017 Band Aid Skyler
2019 Selah and the Spades The Headmaster
2019 Jacob's Ladder Isaac "Ike" Singer
2019 Random Acts of Violence Todd Walkley Also executive producer
2020 Two Distant Strangers — Short film
Executive producer
2022 Secret Headquarters Sean Irons
2023 Your Place or Mine Theo

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Law & Order Kwame Episode: "America, Inc."
2006 Beyond the Break Eric Medina 8 episodes
2008 Greek Drew "The Hotness Monster" Collins 2 episodes
2009–2021,
2022,
2024 		Grey's Anatomy Jackson Avery Recurring (Season 6), Main (Seasons 7–17), Guest star (Seasons 18–19, 21)
2010 Seattle Grace: Message of Hope 6 episodes
2013 Sesame Street Himself Episode: "4409"
2015 The Spoils Before Dying Parker Episode: "The Trip Trap"
2016 The Eric Andre Show Himself Episode: "Jesse Williams; Jillian Michaels"
2018 Most Expensivest Episode: "Lights Camera Action"
2019 Power Kadeem Episode: "Scorched Earth"
2020 Little Fires Everywhere Joe Ryan 3 episodes
2020 Station 19 Jackson Avery 7 episodes
Recurring role (season 3)
2021 A Black Lady Sketch Show Isaac Episode: "Sister, May I Call You Oshun?"
2021 Saturday Night Live Jesse W. Uncredited
Episode: "Kim Kardashian West/Halsey"
2022 Inside Amy Schumer Josh Episode: "Fart Park"
2023 Only Murders in the Building Tobert Recurring role (Season 3)
2024 The Great Lillian Hall David Television film
TBA Costiera Daniel "DD" De Luca Lead role

Music videos

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Year Title Artist(s)
2006 "When Your Heart Stops Beating" +44
2009 "Russian Roulette" Rihanna
2010 "Fall in Love" Estelle
2017 "Tell Me You Love Me" Demi Lovato
2017 "Legacy" Jay-Z

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2018 Detroit: Become Human Markus Also motion capture
2020 NBA 2K21 Duke

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
2022–2023 Take Me Out Darren Lemming Hayes Theater
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

References

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  1. ^ Todisco, Eric (October 15, 2020). "Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee Finalize Divorce, Agree to Joint Custody of 2 Children". People. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Adams, Patty (October 26, 2009). "The Betty Interview: Jesse Williams". BettyConfidential.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e Boyce, David B. (November 13, 2005). "Dartmouth native wins spot in ABC acting showcase". southcoasttoday.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  4. ^ "Jesse Williams learns and plays history – Daily Press". Articles.dailypress.com. September 18, 2010. Archived from the original on February 26, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Jesse Williams Is Not Just a Pretty Face". Global Grind. January 26, 2012. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  6. ^ Callahan, Chrissy (February 4, 2024). "Jesse Williams reacts to learning ancestor played major role in Salem witch trials". Today. NBC. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "Django, in chains". CNN. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Jackson Avery: Played by Jesse Williams)". Grey's Anatomy official site (ABC). Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  9. ^ "Catching Fire Casting Scoop: Fan Fave Jesse Williams Talks Finnick!". E! Online. May 2, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  10. ^ Anna Breslaw (May 5, 2012). "Another Racist Shitstorm Brews Over Casting Hunger Games' Finnick". Jezebel.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  11. ^ "Django, in chains". CNN.com. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  12. ^ Rosenfield, Kat (April 17, 2013). "Jesse Williams Spills The Beans On His 'Bane Chronicles' Voice Gig". MTV. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "Jesse Williams' Official Website: Filmography". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ "Jesse Williams cast in 'Grey's Anatomy' – Live Feed". Hollywoodreporter.com. August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  15. ^ Michael, Ausiello. "'Grey's Anatomy' exclusive: Jesse Williams gets full-time upgrade | Inside TV | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  16. ^ "Jesse Williams Leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' After 12 Seasons". May 7, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  17. ^ "Jesse Williams Opens Up About His 'Grey's Anatomy' Departure: "It Felt Organic"". The Hollywood Reporter. May 21, 2021. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  18. ^ "Jesse Williams Is TV Actor Of The Year". May 24, 2011. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  19. ^ "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2010". Buddytv.com. December 6, 2010. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  20. ^ "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2011". Buddytv.com. December 7, 2011. Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  21. ^ a b c "Jesse Williams' Official Website: Bio". Archived from the original on July 30, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ Hopewell, John; Mayorga, Emilio (June 9, 2015). "Bamber, Lutz, Williams, Weixler Set For 'Money' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  23. ^ "BET's Award-Winning The Truth Series Returns with the Premiere of an Original Documentary on the Rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement". Business Wire. May 2016. Archived from the original on May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  24. ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. January 10, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "Question Bridge". Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  26. ^ "Django, in chains". CNN. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  27. ^ "Too Many American Students Are Experiencing Hunger". The Huffington Post. October 11, 2011. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  28. ^ Katie Roger (June 27, 2016). "How Jesse Williams Stole BET Awards With Speech on Racism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  29. ^ Stack, Liam (July 5, 2016). "Petition Wants Jesse Williams Fired for His Speech at BET Awards. But He's Not Worried". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  30. ^ "Jesse Williams". RTÉ News. November 24, 2011. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  31. ^ "'Grey's Anatomy' Star Jesse Williams and Wife Divorce". April 24, 2017. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  32. ^ "Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee Finalize Divorce, Agree to Joint Custody of 2 Children". Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
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