Jesse Williams (actor)

Jesse Wesley Williams (born August 5, 1981) is an American actor, model, and activist, best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC Television series Grey's Anatomy. He also appears in the 2013 film Lee Daniels' The Butler as real life civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson. Previous roles include Holden in The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Officer Eddie Quinlan in Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and as Leo, Lena's boyfriend, in the film sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008).

Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Johanna Chase, a professional potter, and Reginald Williams. Williams has stated that his mother is Swedish, while his father is African American, with some Seminole descent, from Georgia. He has two younger brothers who specialize in visual arts. Williams graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998. After high school, his parents each began teaching in the public school system, while his mother maintained her work in pottery.

Williams graduated from Temple University with a double major in African American Studies and Film and Media Arts. Following in the footsteps of his parents, he taught high school in the Philadelphia public school system for six years, where he used his degree earned at Temple to teach American Studies, African Studies, and English.

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 over 800 individuals who auditioned. Since 2006, he has appeared in a number of television series, films, and theatre productions. In 2012, he established a production company, known as farWord Inc.

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

In 2013, Williams wrote an opinion piece for CNN that analyzed the film Django Unchained. Later that year, Jesse narrated the audiobook for The Bane Chronicles: What Really Happened In Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

Television

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. He also had a recurring role in eight episodes of the TV series Beyond the Break as Officer Eric Medina.

On October 15, 2009, Williams began appearing as Jackson Avery in the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. On June 8, 2010, it was announced that Williams had been officially upgraded to a full-time series regular, starting in season 7. BuddyTV ranked him No. 6 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2010" list and No. 11 in 2011.

Theater

He appeared in the theatre productions of The American Dream and The Sandbox at Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village in New York City. Both plays were written and directed by playwright Edward Albee. He has also 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.

Film

In 2008, Williams made his film debut in the supporting role of Leo in the sequel to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Two years later, he appeared in the film Brooklyn's Finest which stars Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, and Ellen Barkin. The film was released on March 5, 2010. In 2008, Williams signed on for his first leading role, as Holden McCrea, in the MGM/United Artists horror film The Cabin in the Woods. The film was produced by Joss Whedon and directed by Drew Goddard, and was released April 13, 2012.

On June 9, 2015, Variety announced that Jamie Bamber, Kellan Lutz, Jesse Williams, and Jess Weixler had joined the cast of a thriller film titled Money, 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.

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, and has been a guest on Wolf Blitzer's The Situation Room.

In June 2016, Williams won the humanitarian award at the 2016 BET Awards, delivering a speech highlighting racial injustice and police brutality. As a result of his speech, there are dueling petitions: one to have Williams fired from Grey's Anatomy and one to keep him on the series.

Modeling

Williams occasionally worked as a model during college, but never considered pursuing it as a career. He modeled for Kenneth Cole Productions, L. L. Bean, and Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. He can be seen 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. Then, in 2012 Williams modeled briefly for Lane Bryant.