Jesse Williams played Jackson Avery from season six to season nineteen of Grey's Anatomy. His character also appeared in Seattle Grace: Message of Hope and Station 19. Jesse also serves as a director on the show.
Biography[]
Jesse Williams was born first of three children in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island,[1] and from Temple University with a double major in African-American Studies and Film and Media Art.[2] He followed the footsteps of his parents and began teaching in the Philadelphia public school system, mainly teaching American Studies, African Studies, and English.[3]
He began to study acting in 2005 and was one of the 14 chosen, out of 800 applicants, to participate in the New York Actors Showcase.[4] Since then, he has appeared in multiple television series, films, and theatre productions.
He is the youngest member of the board of directors at The Advancement Project, a civil rights think-tank and advocacy group and an executive producer of Question Bridge: Black Males, a multifaced media project, art exhibition, and a student and teacher curriculum website.[5]
He married Aryn Drake-Lee in September 2012 and they have two children. In April 2017, it was reported that he filed for a divorce from Aryn.[6]
Career[]
Filmography[]
- Marked Man (????)
- Spider & Jessie (????)
- Team Joy (????)
- Your Place or Mine (2023)
- Secret Headquarters (2022)
- Random Acts of Violence (2019)
- Jacob's Ladder (2019)
- Selah and The Spades (2019)
- A Magical Holiday (short) (2017)
- Versus (short) (2017)
- Band Aid (2017)
- Money (2016)
- They Die by Dawn (2013)
- Snake & Mongoose (2013)
- Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013)
- Rich Girl Problems (short) (2012)
- The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
- J.A.W. (short) (2011)
- Dirty Dancing 3: Capoeira Nights (short) (2010)
- Washingtonienne (2009)
- Brooklyn's Finest (2009)
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
Television[]
- Olga Dies Dreaming (????)
- Grey's Anatomy (2009-2024)
- Only Murders in the Building (2023)
- Saturday Night Live (2021)
- A Black Lady Sketch Show (2021)
- Station 19 (2020)
- Little Fires Everywhere (mini-series) (2020)
- Power (2019)
- The Spoils Before Dying (mini-series) (2015)
- Seattle Grace: Message of Hope (2010)
- Beyond the Break (2009)
- Greek (2008)
- Law & Order (2006)
Director[]
- Rebel (2021)
- Grey's Anatomy (2018-2020)
Directed Episodes[]
Grey's Anatomy[]
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
Season 19
Notes and Trivia[]
- He modeled for Kenneth Cole.[source?]
- He loves donuts, bacon, and tacos.[source?]
- You can also see him in Rihanna's music video for Russian Roulette from her album Rated R.[source?]
- He used to be a high school teacher before he got into acting.[source?]
- He's a big collector of vinyl.[source?]
- He has written articles for CNN and The Huffington Post.[source?]
- He was a guest on CNN Wolf Blitzer's The Situation Room.[source?]
- He remains close friends with Sarah Drew.[source?]
- Jesse and his then-wife, Aryn, started their own emoji app together called Ebroji.[source?]
- Before getting on the show, he had seen a couple of episodes as his girlfriend (later wife) watched it.[source?]
- His favorite episodes to shoot were Unbreak My Heart and Sanctuary/Death and All His Friends.[source?]
- He has mentioned that Alex Karev is his favorite character.[source?]
- According to Jake Borelli, he's the biggest prankster amongst the cast.[source?]
- He auditioned for the role of Jackson on his birthday.[source?]
External Links[]
Jesse Williams on Wikipedia
Jesse Williams on IMDb
Jesse Williams on Twitter
Jesse Williams on Instagram
