Acting

Jesse Williams

Born 1981-08-05 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Jesse Wesley Williams is an American actor, director, producer and activist. He played Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2009–22) and has appeared in films such as The Cabin in the Woods (2012) and The Butler (2013). He has provided voice acting and motion capture for Markus in the video game Detroit: Become Human (2018). He served as an executive producer of the Academy Award-winning short, Two Distant Strangers (2020) and the Tony Award-winning revival of Take Me Out (2022), the latter of which he was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Credits

Newest first

Montmartre
as Toussaint
2026
Montmartre
Executive Producer
2026
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story
Executive Producer
2025
Hotel Costiera
as Daniel De Luca
2025
Hotel Costiera
Producer
2025
What We Hide
as Sheriff Ben Jeffries
2025
What We Hide
Executive Producer
2025
Hoops, Hopes & Dreams
Producer
2025
Shifting Gears
as Andy
2025
The Great Lillian Hall
as David Flemming
2024
Following Harry
as Self
2024
Your Place or Mine
as Theo
2023
Secret Headquarters
as Irons
2022
Only Murders in the Building
as Tobert
2021
Two Distant Strangers
Producer
2020
With Drawn Arms
as Self
2020
With Drawn Arms
Executive Producer
2020
Bottomless Brunch at Colman's
as Self
2020
Little Fires Everywhere
as Joe Ryan
2020
The Morning Show
as Vernon
2019
Jacob's Ladder
as Isaac 'Ike' Singer
2019
A Black Lady Sketch Show
as Isaac
2019
Random Acts of Violence
as Todd Walkley
2019
Random Acts of Violence
Executive Producer
2019
Desus & Mero
as Self - Illustrious Guest
2019
Selah and the Spades
as Headmaster Banton
2019
Black Hollywood: 'They've Gotta Have Us'
as Self
2018
United We Stand: The Ali Summit
as narrator
2018
Station 19
as Dr. Jackson Avery
2018
Survivor's Guide to Prison
as Self
2018
Survivor's Guide to Prison
Executive Producer
2018
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale
as Self - Special Guest
2018
Band Aid
as Skyler
2017
The Obama Years: The Power of Words
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2017
BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration
as Self
2016
America Divided
as Self
2016
To Tell the Truth
as Self - Panelist
2016
Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement
as Self
2016
Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement
Executive Producer
2016
Money
as Sean
2016
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
as Self
2015
The Spoils Before Dying
as Parker
2015
Celebrity Name Game
as Self
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self - Guest
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self
2014
They Die by Dawn
as John Taylor
2013
Snake & Mongoose
as Don "The Snake" Prudomme
2013
The Butler
as Rev. James Lawson
2013
Rich Girl Problems
as Peter
2013
The Eric Andre Show
as Self
2012
The Cabin in the Woods
as Holden McCrea
2012
Finding Your Roots
2012
J.A.W.
as Enin
2011
J.A.W.
Co-Producer
2011
Dirty Dancing 3: Capoeira Nights
2010
Brooklyn's Finest
as E. Quinlan
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
Washingtonienne
as Keya
2009
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
as Leo
2008
Greek
as Drew Collins
2007
Beyond the Break
as Eric Medina
2006
Grey's Anatomy
as Jackson Avery
2005
Grey's Anatomy
Director
2005
The View
as Self
1997
The Daily Show
as Self
1996
Law & Order
as Kwame
1990
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975
The Emmy Awards
as Self
1949
Legacy
as Troy
—
The Decline of F*cking Western Civilization
—