According to The Hollywood Reporter and in a shocking move, it has been reported that Jesse Williams is leaving Grey’s Anatomy.
The news broke after Thursday’s episode which saw the return of April Kepner played by Sarah Drew. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show had Drew return to give way to Williams’ departure.
It is an understatement to say Williams and his beloved character, Jackson Avery, have been a staple of the show for years. His character made his first debut in season 6 as a recurring cast member. Jackson Avery, became a series regular the following year.
“I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda [Rhimes], the network, studio, fellow castmates, our incredible crew, Krista [Vernoff], Ellen [Pompeo] and Debbie [Allen],” said Williams in a statement. “As an actor, director and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many and I thank our beautiful fans, who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our shared worlds. The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift I’ll carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies and dear friends.”
“Jesse Williams is an extraordinary artist and activist,” said showrunner Krista Vernoff. Watching his evolution these past 11 years both on-screen and off has been a true gift. Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work. We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery — played to perfection for so many years.”
Recently, Williams is the second major cast member to leave, following Giacomo Gianniotti. The actor re-upped his contract for two additional seasons during his previous contract renewals, committing to be involved in a limited capacity.
The post Jesse Williams is Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ After 12 Seasons appeared first on The Source.
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Link in bio to watch the full version and experience the making of this historic short. #MMNewNormal
Ushering in the new normal. 
(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb 25, 2019 The diverse creative team behind the project includes actor Jesse Williams, director Spike Jonze, Academy-Award nominated cinematographer Bradford Young and production designer James Chinlund, who is currently working on the upcoming Lion King movie. Jesse Williams commented, “The highly selective criminalization of one plant, with flagrantly harsher punishments for one community, must be acknowledged and left behind for something more reasonable, realistic and fair. “It’s pretty clear that Americans are ready to exist beyond a few inherited hypocrisies. We deserve the opportunity to make this right. We can do, and feel, better. “The issue of racial injustice in cannabis is very important to me. I witnessed crack-era Chicago growing up in the ‘80s. I saw firsthand cops preying on poor people, frisking kids on the street. we moved to suburban Massachusetts and I saw all these white kids smoking weed, growing weed, selling weed, where it was basically coded as “mischief” and overlooked. And this type of coming-of-age story … it’s in the fabric of America. Why are white kids allowed to experiment, make mistakes and not be forever vilified for it? I’ve lived this dichotomy and it’s clearly bullshit.” #Decriminalize #Marijuana #SpikeJonze #BradfordYoung #JamesChinlund #JesseWilliams #MMNewNormal