Jesse Williams

Jesse Wesley Williams (born August 5, 1981) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist best known as Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey's Anatomy (2009–22; 2024–25). He has also appeared in films such as The Cabin in the Woods 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 Williams was born in Chicago on August 5, 1981, to Johanna Chase, a professional potter, and Reginald Williams. Jesse Williams has said his mother has Swedish and Polish ancestry, and his father is African American from Georgia.

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 Massachusetts.

Williams graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998. Following in the footsteps of his parents, he began teaching American Studies, African Studies and English in the Philadelphia public school system for six years.

Acting career 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.

On October 15, 2009, Williams began appearing as surgical resident Jackson Avery, in the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. On June 8, 2010, it was announced Williams would be a series regular, starting in season 7. He worked with the series for 12 seasons, and his departure was announced in May 2021. 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. In May and October 2022, September 2024, he returned in guest appearances in seasons 18–19 and 21.

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

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. This news resulted in some Hunger Games fans protesting casting decisions made by the film executives.

In 2013, Williams wrote an opinion piece for CNN which analyzed the film Django Unchained. 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.

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.

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'. 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.

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.

Activism 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, focused on the black male identity and the diversity within the demographic.

He has written articles for CNN and The Huffington Post. 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'. 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.

Other work 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. 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. The divorce was finalized in October 2020.

In 2026, Williams married his Hotel Costiera co-star, Alejandra Onieva. In May 2026, it was reported that the couple were expecting their first child together. 2026 Shifting Gears Andy 3 Episodes 2027 The Morning Show Vernon Season 5

Music videos 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

Stage Year Title Role Notes 2022–2023 Take Me Out Darren Lemming Hayes TheaterGerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Audio Year Title Role Notes 2023 The Misty Door Solstice Starr Main role