Jesse Williams Related His Time On Grey's Anatomy To 'Looking Out The Window' At Other Actors
Longtime cast member Jesse Williams certainly left fans heartbroken when he announced that he was leaving Grey’s Anatomy in 2021. The star decided to make his exit after portraying Dr. Jackson Avery on the show for 12 seasons.
Since then, Williams has busied himself with several projects. But even today, however, the actor looks back at his time in the medical drama with great fondness.
Grey’s Anatomy Gave Jesse Williams His First Major Role
Prior to landing Grey’s, Williams had been doing several jobs. “I started modeling when I was in college at Temple University. My first campaign was for Kenneth Cole,” he said.
“After college, I became a teacher in Philadelphia. I taught English and history to high schoolers mostly, but I also taught junior high, first grade, and kindergarten. I tutored on weekends at a local church.”
And while he tried to land roles, it didn’t work out at first. For instance, he lost out on a part on The Sopranos. “That was my first real TV audition for a real, legit job,” Williams recalled.
“I tested for the part, but obviously the other guy got it.” In contrast, his Grey’s audition went well. Williams got the job just five days after auditioning.
Since Leaving The Show, He Has Referred To Grey’s Anatomy As An ‘Amazing School’
After being on Grey’s Anatomy for over 200 episodes, Williams looks back on his time on the show fondly. The show taught him a lot about the business.
“I was in school…an amazing school, looking out the window, watching everybody else play and try things and fall and hurt themselves and try again and win—and I didn’t really do that,” the actor said.
“I was in an amazing castle, but I still couldn’t really leave...”
What Williams meant by being unable to “really leave” was that he couldn’t pursue too many other projects while he was on the show. “I did that for 11 years straight, 10 months a year,” he explained.
“Unavailable for anything else. So it’s all I did and knew.”
What’s Next For Jesse Williams?
Since his departure from Grey’s, Williams has been determined to expand his range, taking on projects that the show’s fans probably won’t expect him to do. “I knew that as I designed my exit, the next thing I did had to be terrifying. I needed to get out of my comfort zone, I needed to go into a very unknown place,” he explained.
Well, Take Me Out on Broadway was way out of Williams’ comfort zone, so much so that Williams turned director Scott Ellis down when he was first offered the role of Darren. But then, Williams couldn’t stop thinking about it and soon, he was becoming more convinced that he had to do it. But then, he was also concerned about the nudity that came with the part.
In the end, however, Williams figured it made sense. Although, he still would not do nudity for an onscreen role.
“I have never done it on camera, and I don’t think I would. There is an intimacy to doing it in a theater. It’s happening right now, for this moment, and that’s it. But it makes sense in the context of this play and it invites the audience to experience some of the realities of what the characters are going through,” he explained.
“It’s not for you to take with you. It’s not for it to be perverted or misused or taken out of context or anything…. We’ve all made an agreement that we’re going to be adults about this and allow a story to be told honestly without the restrictions of the threat of childish theft. So that is more of a control group that has been earned and has a legacy and a heritage that is by and large respected. That’s different in this day and age.”
At the same time, Williams is attached to several upcoming projects, including the Netflix rom-com Your Place or Mine with Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. In the film, Williams starts a romantic relationship with a single mom (Witherspoon) after she trades homes for a week with her longtime friend (Kutcher), only to be caught in a love triangle.
And while he’s been busy with other projects lately, Williams has returned to the show a few times to both guest star and direct some episodes. At the same time, there has also been some talk of doing a spinoff featuring Williams and Sarah Drew who played April, Jackson’s love interest (their characters shared an elevator kiss in the season 18 finale).
And while Williams hasn’t confirmed that he would do a spinoff, the actor isn’t saying no either. “That would entail an entire rekindling of a romance that has to go and a partnership that has to go beyond the honeymoon phase,” he told E! News instead in 2022.
“They're grown now. They got a growing kid, and they have careers, and they'd be in a new city. Boston's a tricky place. There'd be plenty of entry points for those characters and others from the show.”
Meanwhile, whatever else comes next, he would also be most excited for, especially since acting still feels quite new to him. “Honestly, I feel like a kid just starting his career, because I am just starting my career.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuobFdmbalecmeqqydXay2rbXLmqSsZZyarrexjKCpnrGjYq6vrdOopLJn