Jesse Williams

Jesse Williams Bio

Jesse Wesley Williams (born August 5, 1981) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist whose multi-decade career spans prime-time television, feature film, Broadway theater, video games, and short-form cinema. He is best known for portraying Dr. Jackson Avery on the long-running ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, a role he held from 2009 through 2022, with guest appearances in later seasons. Beyond acting, Williams has built a parallel career behind the camera, producing the Academy Award–winning short film Two Distant Strangers in 2020 and earning a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut in Take Me Out in 2022.

Williams is also widely recognized for his activism. He sits on the board of The Advancement Project, a civil rights organization, and accepted the Humanitarian Award at the 2016 BET Awards, where his speech on racial injustice drew national attention. His work in front of the camera includes performances in The Cabin in the Woods, The Butler, and Detroit: Become Human, while his off-screen work includes executive producing documentaries about race and identity in America.

Early Life and Background

Jesse Wesley Williams was born on August 5, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. He is the son of Reginald Williams, an African American man from Georgia, and Johanna Chase, a professional potter of Swedish and Polish ancestry. The genealogy program Finding Your Roots later revealed that, through his mother’s side, Williams is a descendant of English colonist Joseph Herrick, a principal law enforcement officer during the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. He has two younger brothers, both of whom work in the visual arts.

Williams graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998. Following high school, his father began teaching history in northern Maine while his mother continued working in pottery. He went on to attend Temple University, where he earned a double major in African American Studies and Film and Media Arts. After completing his degree, Williams taught in the Philadelphia public school system for six years, instructing American Studies, African Studies, and English, following the teaching path of his parents.

Path to Acting

Williams began studying acting in 2005 and was selected for the ABC Television New York Actors Showcase, where he was one of only 14 actors chosen from more than 800 auditionees. This opportunity marked his formal transition into the entertainment industry after his years as a high school teacher. In 2006, he began appearing in television series and films, and by 2012 he had established his own production company, farWord Inc.

His first television roles included an episode of Law & Order and two episodes of the ABC Family series Greek. In 2008, he made his film debut in the supporting role of Leo in the sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, followed by a role in the 2009 crime drama Brooklyn’s Fineste. These early credits positioned him for a breakthrough opportunity that arrived the following year.

Jesse Williams Career

Early Career (2006–2009)

During his early professional years, Williams balanced guest spots on established television dramas with supporting roles in independent and studio films. He appeared as Drew Collins on Greek and as Kwame on Law & Order, building a résumé that demonstrated his range across genres. He also began modeling for major brands including Kenneth Cole Productions, Levi’s, and Tommy Hilfiger Corporation during his college years, work that complemented his emerging on-screen presence.

In 2009, Williams appeared as the love interest in Rihanna’s music video for “Russian Roulette” from her album Rated R. That same year, he secured his breakthrough role, beginning a long-running engagement on one of television’s most-watched series.

Breakthrough (2009–Present)

On October 15, 2009, Jesse Williams began appearing as surgical resident Jackson Avery on the ABC television series Grey’s Anatomy. On June 8, 2010, the network announced he would be elevated to a series regular starting in Season 7. He remained with the show for 12 seasons, and his departure was confirmed in May 2021, with his final episode airing on May 20. Williams later returned for guest appearances in Seasons 18, 19, and 21. In 2011, he was named TV Actor of the Year at the Young Hollywood Awards.

Williams’s film work during this period included the lead role of Holden McCrea in the 2012 MGM/United Artists horror film The Cabin in the Woods, produced by Joss Whedon and directed by Drew Goddard. He went on to appear in The Butler in 2013 and in the 2015 thriller Money. In 2018, he provided voice acting and motion capture for Markus in the acclaimed PlayStation 4 video game Detroit: Become Human, later reprising performance capture work as Duke in NBA 2K21 in 2020.

In 2022, Williams made his Broadway debut in the revival of Richard Greenberg’s Take Me Out, starring in the lead role of Darren Lemming. His performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play. That same year, he had a recurring role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, playing Tobert in fall 2023, which contributed to a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2024.

Notable Works and Milestones

Williams’s signature role remains Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy, a character he portrayed across more than a decade. His production of the short film Two Distant Strangers won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2021. His Broadway turn in Take Me Out earned a Tony nomination, and his performance-capture work on Detroit: Become Human expanded his presence into interactive entertainment.

Jesse Williams Award Nominations

Jesse Williams has earned notable award nominations across theater and television throughout his career. In 2022, he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the Broadway revival of Take Me Out. In 2024, he shared in a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for his recurring role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Jesse Williams Awards Won

Williams has been recognized with several major awards for both his creative and humanitarian work. In 2011, he was named TV Actor of the Year at the Young Hollywood Awards. In 2016, he received the Humanitarian Award at the BET Awards for his activism and advocacy work. In 2021, he shared in the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film as a producer of Two Distant Strangers.

Jesse Williams Family

Jesse Williams was raised in a creative and academically engaged household. His mother, Johanna Chase, is a professional potter of Swedish and Polish descent, while his father, Reginald Williams, is an African American from Georgia who later worked as a high school history teacher. Both parents worked in education and the arts, shaping Williams’s path into teaching and, eventually, storytelling. He has two younger brothers, both of whom work in the field of visual arts.

Williams attended Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating in 1998, and later completed a double major at Temple University. His family background in teaching and the arts influenced his early career as a high school instructor in Philadelphia before he transitioned fully into acting and producing.

Personal Life

Williams dated real estate broker Aryn Drake-Lee for five years before marrying her on September 1, 2012. The couple have two children: a daughter, Sadie Williams, born in December 2013, and a son, Maceo Williams, born in October 2015. They filed for divorce in April 2017, and 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.