Source: ABC
Jesse Wesley Williams was born on August 5, 1981, in Chicago, Il. His mother, Johanna Chase, was a professional potter, and his father, Reginald Williams, was a teacher. Williams is of mixed race and claims Swedish ancestry from his mother’s side and African American from his father’s side. Williams grew up alongside two of his brothers.
After graduating from Moses Brown School in Rhode Island in 1998, Williams attended Temple University as a double major. Williams studied both African American Studies and Film and Media Arts. He then started teaching, following in his father’s footsteps. In Philadelphia, he taught African Studies, American Studies, and English.
Williams began his acting career in 2005 with small roles on shows like Law & Order and Greek. His breakout role came in the form of a surgical resident named Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy. What was originally supposed to be a short-lived appearance, turned into a series regular role for 270 episodes. The role would win him a nomination for the People’s Choice Awards, Favorite Dramatic TV Actor.
In addition to his most famous role as Dr. Jackson Avery, Jesse Williams appeared in a few movies including The Butler, Band-Aid, and Jacob’s Ladder. Williams is also set to make his Broadway debut in the 2021 revival of Take Me Out. He has also modeled for Kenneth Cole Productions, Levi’s, and Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, and done voiceover work for video games and cartoons.
In addition to his career as an entertainer, Jesse Williams is an activist. Currently, he is the youngest member of the board of directors at The Advancement Project. Williams is also the executive producer of Question Bridge: Black Males, a multifaceted media project that includes an art exhibition, student and teacher curriculum, and website. He has also written articles for CNN and The Huffington Post, and appeared on Wolf Blitzer’s The Situation Room.
In 2016, Jesse Williams won the humanitarian award at the BET Awards. His speech called for change and condemned racial injustice and police brutality. He also discussed the invention of whiteness and its harm to the community. His speech caused some backlash and there was a call to have him removed from his role on Grey’s Anatomy, but it was unsuccessful.
In 2012, Jesse Williams married Aryn Drake-Lee and they had two children, Maceo and Sadie. The couple divorced in 2020 but remain close.
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Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Kassidy is also pursuing a Master’s degree in IT with a concentration in Web Development. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.
