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 hit 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).
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
Only Murders in the Building (2021)
Guest starring as Tobert
(7 episodes)
- Episode 3x10: Opening Night (Oct 3, 2023)
- Episode 3x09: Thirty (Sep 26, 2023)
- Episode 3x07: CoBro (Sep 12, 2023)
- Episode 3x06: Ghost Light (Sep 5, 2023)
- Episode 3x05: Ah, Love! (Aug 29, 2023)
- Episode 3x03: Grab Your Hankies (Aug 15, 2023)
- Episode 3x01: The Show Must... (Aug 8, 2023)
The Drew Barrymore Show (2020)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 6x18: Jesse Williams, Michael Symon, Carla Hall (Oct 1, 2025)
GMA3 (2020)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
(2 episodes)
- Episode 3x50: Rauw Alejandro, CeCe Winans, Jesse Williams (Nov 18, 2022)
- Episode 2x149: Sen. Mazie Hirono, Jesse Williams, Robin Thicke (Apr 19, 2021)
Little Fires Everywhere (2020)
Starring as Joe Ryan
- Episode 1x06: The Uncanny (Apr 8, 2020)
Guest starring as Joe Ryan
(2 episodes)
Today with Hoda & Jenna (2019)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 4x228: Jesse Williams, Kristen Tomlan (Aug 5, 2022)
Today 3rd Hour (2018)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2025-09-24: Selma Blair, Jesse Williams, Rick Martinez (Sep 24, 2025)
Station 19 (2018)
Guest starring as Dr. Jackson Avery
(7 episodes)
- Episode 3x15: Bad Guy (May 7, 2020)
- Episode 3x12: I'll Be Seeing You (Apr 9, 2020)
- Episode 3x11: No Days Off (Apr 2, 2020)
- Episode 3x08: Born to Run (Mar 12, 2020)
- Episode 3x05: Into the Woods (Feb 20, 2020)
- Episode 3x03: Eulogy (Feb 6, 2020)
- Episode 3x01: I Know This Bar (Jan 23, 2020)
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale (2018)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 1x13: A Bacon of Hope (May 13, 2018) [Special Guest Star]
America Divided (2016)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 1x04: The Class Divide (Oct 21, 2016)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2015)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2019-04-30: Jesse Williams (Apr 30, 2019)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2018-11-12: Octavia Spencer, Jesse Williams, Pentatonix (Nov 12, 2018)
Celebrity Name Game (2014)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
(2 episodes)
- Episode 1x90: Vivica A. Fox & Jesse Williams (Nov 21, 2014)
- Episode 1x50: Jesse Williams & Vivica A. Fox (Oct 24, 2014)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2022-04-18: Jesse Williams, Jordan Klepper, Aric Improta (Apr 18, 2022)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2022-12-09: Miley Cyrus, Jesse Williams, Mary Mack (Dec 9, 2022)
The Arsenio Hall Show (2013)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 1x106: LL Cool J, Jesse Williams, Prentice Powell (Feb 24, 2014)
Watch What Happens Live (2009)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
(2 episodes)
- Episode 22x153: Jesse Williams, Regina Hall (Sep 28, 2025)
- Episode 19x82: Jesse Williams & Jesse Tyler Ferguson (May 9, 2022)
GREEK (2007)
Guest starring as Drew Collins
(2 episodes)
- Episode 2x02: Crush Landing (Sep 2, 2008)
- Episode 1x22: Spring Broke (Jun 9, 2008)
Grey's Anatomy (2005)
Starring as Dr. Jackson Avery
(231 episodes)
- Episode 17x17: Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Jun 3, 2021)
- Episode 17x15: Tradition (May 20, 2021)
- Episode 17x14: Look Up Child (May 6, 2021)
- Episode 17x12: Sign o' the Times (Apr 15, 2021)
- Episode 17x11: Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right (Apr 8, 2021)
- Episode 17x10: Breathe (Apr 1, 2021)
- Episode 17x08: It's All Too Much (Mar 18, 2021)
- Episode 17x07: Helplessly Hoping (Mar 11, 2021)
- Episode 17x06: No Time for Despair (Dec 17, 2020)
- Episode 17x05: Fight the Power (Dec 10, 2020)
- Episode 17x04: You'll Never Walk Alone (Dec 3, 2020)
- Episode 17x03: My Happy Ending (Nov 19, 2020)
- Episode 17x02: The Center Won't Hold (Nov 12, 2020)
- Episode 17x01: All Tomorrow's Parties (Nov 12, 2020)
- Episode 16x21: Put on a Happy Face (Apr 9, 2020)
- Episode 16x20: Sing It Again (Apr 2, 2020)
- Episode 16x19: Love of My Life (Mar 26, 2020)
- Episode 16x18: Give a Little Bit (Mar 19, 2020)
- Episode 16x17: Life on Mars? (Mar 12, 2020)
- Episode 16x15: Snowblind (Feb 27, 2020)
- Episode 16x14: A Diagnosis (Feb 20, 2020)
- Episode 16x13: Save the Last Dance for Me (Feb 13, 2020)
- Episode 16x12: The Last Supper (Feb 6, 2020)
- Episode 16x11: A Hard Pill to Swallow (Jan 30, 2020)
- Episode 16x10: Help Me Through the Night (Jan 23, 2020)
- Episode 16x09: Let's All Go to the Bar (Nov 21, 2019)
- Episode 16x08: My Shot (Nov 14, 2019)
- Episode 16x07: Papa Don't Preach (Nov 7, 2019)
- Episode 16x06: Whistlin' Past the Graveyard (Oct 31, 2019)
- Episode 16x04: It's Raining Men (Oct 17, 2019)
- Episode 16x03: Reunited (Oct 10, 2019)
- Episode 16x02: Back in the Saddle (Oct 3, 2019)
- Episode 16x01: Nothing Left to Cling To (Sep 26, 2019)
- Episode 15x25: Jump Into the Fog (May 16, 2019)
- Episode 15x24: Drawn to the Blood (May 9, 2019)
- Episode 15x23: What I Did for Love (May 2, 2019)
- Episode 15x22: Head Over High Heels (Apr 18, 2019)
- Episode 15x20: The Whole Package (Apr 4, 2019)
- Episode 15x18: Add It Up (Mar 21, 2019)
- Episode 15x17: And Dream of Sheep (Mar 14, 2019)
- Episode 15x16: Blood and Water (Mar 7, 2019)
- Episode 15x15: We Didn't Start the Fire (Feb 28, 2019)
- Episode 15x14: I Want a New Drug (Feb 21, 2019)
- Episode 15x13: I Walk the Line (Feb 14, 2019)
- Episode 15x12: Girlfriend in a Coma (Feb 7, 2019)
- Episode 15x11: The Winner Takes It All (Jan 31, 2019)
- Episode 15x10: Help, I'm Alive (Jan 24, 2019)
- Episode 15x09: Shelter from the Storm (Jan 17, 2019)
- Episode 15x08: Blowin' in the Wind (Nov 15, 2018)
- Episode 15x07: Anybody Have a Map? (Nov 8, 2018)
- Episode 15x06: Flowers Grow Out of My Grave (Nov 1, 2018)
- Episode 15x05: Everyday Angel (Oct 25, 2018)
- Episode 15x02: Broken Together (Sep 27, 2018)
- Episode 15x01: With a Wonder and a Wild Desire (Sep 27, 2018)
- Episode 14x24: All of Me (May 17, 2018)
- Episode 14x23: Cold as Ice (May 10, 2018)
- Episode 14x22: Fight for Your Mind (May 3, 2018)
- Episode 14x21: Bad Reputation (Apr 26, 2018)
- Episode 14x20: Judgment Day (Apr 19, 2018)
- Episode 14x19: Beautiful Dreamer (Apr 12, 2018)
- Episode 14x18: Hold Back the River (Apr 5, 2018)
- Episode 14x17: One Day Like This (Mar 29, 2018)
- Episode 14x16: Caught Somewhere in Time (Mar 22, 2018)
- Episode 14x15: Old Scars, Future Hearts (Mar 15, 2018)
- Episode 14x14: Games People Play (Mar 8, 2018)
- Episode 14x13: You Really Got a Hold on Me (Mar 1, 2018)
- Episode 14x12: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Feb 8, 2018)
- Episode 14x10: Personal Jesus (Jan 25, 2018)
- Episode 14x09: 1-800-799-7233 (Jan 18, 2018)
- Episode 14x08: Out of Nowhere (Nov 16, 2017)
- Episode 14x07: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story (Nov 9, 2017)
- Episode 14x06: Come on Down to My Boat, Baby (Nov 2, 2017)
- Episode 14x04: Ain't That a Kick in the Head (Oct 12, 2017)
- Episode 14x03: Go Big or Go Home (Oct 5, 2017)
- Episode 14x02: Get Off on the Pain (Sep 28, 2017)
- Episode 14x01: Break Down the House (Sep 28, 2017)
- Episode 13x24: Ring of Fire (May 18, 2017)
- Episode 13x23: True Colors (May 11, 2017)
- Episode 13x22: Leave It Inside (May 4, 2017)
- Episode 13x21: Don't Stop Me Now (Apr 27, 2017)
- Episode 13x19: What's Inside (Apr 6, 2017)
- Episode 13x18: Be Still, My Soul (Mar 30, 2017)
- Episode 13x17: Till I Hear It from You (Mar 23, 2017)
- Episode 13x16: Who is He (And What is He to You)? (Mar 16, 2017)
- Episode 13x15: Civil War (Mar 9, 2017)
- Episode 13x14: Back Where You Belong (Feb 23, 2017)
- Episode 13x13: It Only Gets Much Worse (Feb 16, 2017)
- Episode 13x12: None of Your Business (Feb 9, 2017)
- Episode 13x11: Jukebox Hero (Feb 2, 2017)
- Episode 13x09: You Haven't Done Nothin' (Nov 17, 2016)
- Episode 13x07: Why Try to Change Me Now (Nov 3, 2016)
- Episode 13x06: Roar (Oct 27, 2016)
- Episode 13x05: Both Sides Now (Oct 20, 2016)
- Episode 13x04: Falling Slowly (Oct 13, 2016)
- Episode 13x03: I Ain't No Miracle Worker (Oct 6, 2016)
- Episode 13x02: Catastrophe and the Cure (Sep 29, 2016)
- Episode 13x01: Undo (Sep 22, 2016)
- Episode 12x24: Family Affair (May 19, 2016)
- Episode 12x23: At Last (May 12, 2016)
- Episode 12x22: Mama Tried (May 5, 2016)
- Episode 12x21: You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side (Apr 28, 2016)
- Episode 12x20: Trigger Happy (Apr 21, 2016)
- Episode 12x19: It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Apr 14, 2016)
- Episode 12x18: There's a Fine, Fine Line (Apr 14, 2016)
- Episode 12x17: I Wear the Face (Apr 7, 2016)
- Episode 12x16: When It Hurts So Bad (Mar 31, 2016)
- Episode 12x15: I Am Not Waiting Anymore (Mar 24, 2016)
- Episode 12x14: Odd Man Out (Mar 17, 2016)
- Episode 12x13: All Eyez on Me (Mar 10, 2016)
- Episode 12x12: My Next Life (Mar 3, 2016)
- Episode 12x11: Unbreak My Heart (Feb 25, 2016)
- Episode 12x10: All I Want Is You (Feb 18, 2016)
- Episode 12x09: The Sound of Silence (Feb 11, 2016)
- Episode 12x08: Things We Lost in the Fire (Nov 19, 2015)
- Episode 12x06: The Me Nobody Knows (Nov 5, 2015)
- Episode 12x05: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Oct 22, 2015)
- Episode 12x04: Old Time Rock and Roll (Oct 15, 2015)
- Episode 12x03: I Choose You (Oct 8, 2015)
- Episode 12x02: Walking Tall (Oct 1, 2015)
- Episode 12x01: Sledgehammer (Sep 24, 2015)
- Episode 11x25: You're My Home (May 14, 2015)
- Episode 11x24: Time Stops (May 7, 2015)
- Episode 11x23: She's Leaving Home: Part 2 (Apr 30, 2015)
- Episode 11x22: She's Leaving Home: Part 1 (Apr 30, 2015)
- Episode 11x21: How to Save a Life (Apr 23, 2015)
- Episode 11x19: Crazy Love (Apr 9, 2015)
- Episode 11x18: When I Grow Up (Apr 2, 2015)
- Episode 11x16: Don't Dream It's Over (Mar 19, 2015)
- Episode 11x15: I Feel the Earth Move (Mar 12, 2015)
- Episode 11x14: The Distance (Mar 5, 2015)
- Episode 11x12: The Great Pretender (Feb 19, 2015)
- Episode 11x11: All I Could Do Was Cry (Feb 12, 2015)
- Episode 11x10: The Bed's Too Big Without You (Feb 5, 2015)
- Episode 11x09: Where Do We Go from Here (Jan 29, 2015)
- Episode 11x08: Risk (Nov 20, 2014)
- Episode 11x07: Could We Start Again, Please? (Nov 13, 2014)
- Episode 11x06: Don't Let's Start (Nov 6, 2014)
- Episode 11x05: Bend and Break (Oct 23, 2014)
- Episode 11x04: Only Mama Knows (Oct 16, 2014)
- Episode 11x03: Got to Be Real (Oct 9, 2014)
- Episode 11x02: Puzzle with a Piece Missing (Oct 2, 2014)
- Episode 11x01: I Must Have Lost It on the Wind (Sep 25, 2014)
- Episode 10x24: Fear (of the Unknown) (May 15, 2014)
- Episode 10x23: Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right (May 8, 2014)
- Episode 10x22: We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (May 1, 2014)
- Episode 10x20: Go It Alone (Apr 17, 2014)
- Episode 10x19: I'm Winning (Apr 10, 2014)
- Episode 10x18: You Be Illin' (Apr 3, 2014)
- Episode 10x17: Do You Know? (Mar 27, 2014)
- Episode 10x16: We Gotta Get Out of This Place (Mar 20, 2014)
- Episode 10x15: Throwing It All Away (Mar 13, 2014)
- Episode 10x14: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Mar 6, 2014)
- Episode 10x13: Take It Back (Feb 27, 2014)
- Episode 10x12: Get Up, Stand Up (Dec 12, 2013)
- Episode 10x11: Man on the Moon (Dec 5, 2013)
- Episode 10x10: Somebody That I Used to Know (Nov 21, 2013)
- Episode 10x09: Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word (Nov 14, 2013)
- Episode 10x08: Two Against One (Nov 7, 2013)
- Episode 10x07: Thriller (Oct 31, 2013)
- Episode 10x06: Map of You (Oct 24, 2013)
- Episode 10x05: I Bet It Stung (Oct 17, 2013)
- Episode 10x04: Puttin' on the Ritz (Oct 10, 2013)
- Episode 10x03: Everybody's Crying Mercy (Oct 3, 2013)
- Episode 10x02: I Want You with Me (Sep 26, 2013)
- Episode 10x01: Seal Our Fate (Sep 26, 2013)
- Episode 9x24: Perfect Storm (May 16, 2013)
- Episode 9x23: Readiness Is All (May 9, 2013)
- Episode 9x22: Do You Believe in Magic (May 2, 2013)
- Episode 9x21: Sleeping Monster (Apr 25, 2013)
- Episode 9x20: She's Killing Me (Apr 4, 2013)
- Episode 9x19: Can't Fight This Feeling (Mar 28, 2013)
- Episode 9x18: Idle Hands (Mar 21, 2013)
- Episode 9x17: Transplant Wasteland (Mar 14, 2013)
- Episode 9x16: This Is Why We Fight (Feb 21, 2013)
- Episode 9x15: Hard Bargain (Feb 14, 2013)
- Episode 9x14: The Face of Change (Feb 7, 2013)
- Episode 9x13: Bad Blood (Jan 31, 2013)
- Episode 9x12: Walking on a Dream (Jan 24, 2013)
- Episode 9x11: The End Is the Beginning Is the End (Jan 17, 2013)
- Episode 9x10: Things We Said Today (Jan 10, 2013)
- Episode 9x09: Run, Baby, Run (Dec 13, 2012)
- Episode 9x08: Love Turns You Upside Down (Dec 6, 2012)
- Episode 9x07: I Was Made for Lovin' You (Nov 29, 2012)
- Episode 9x06: Second Opinion (Nov 15, 2012)
- Episode 9x05: Beautiful Doom (Nov 8, 2012)
- Episode 9x04: I Saw Her Standing There (Oct 25, 2012)
- Episode 9x03: Love the One You're With (Oct 18, 2012)
- Episode 9x02: Remember the Time (Oct 4, 2012)
- Episode 9x01: Going, Going, Gone (Sep 27, 2012)
- Episode 8x24: Flight (May 17, 2012)
- Episode 8x23: Migration (May 10, 2012)
- Episode 8x22: Let the Bad Times Roll (May 3, 2012)
- Episode 8x21: Moment of Truth (Apr 26, 2012)
- Episode 8x20: The Girl with No Name (Apr 19, 2012)
- Episode 8x19: Support System (Apr 12, 2012)
- Episode 8x18: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Apr 5, 2012)
- Episode 8x17: One Step Too Far (Mar 15, 2012)
- Episode 8x16: If Only You Were Lonely (Feb 23, 2012)
- Episode 8x15: Have You Seen Me Lately? (Feb 16, 2012)
- Episode 8x14: All You Need Is Love (Feb 9, 2012)
- Episode 8x13: If/Then (Feb 2, 2012)
- Episode 8x12: Hope for the Hopeless (Jan 19, 2012)
- Episode 8x11: This Magic Moment (Jan 12, 2012)
- Episode 8x10: Suddenly (Jan 5, 2012)
- Episode 8x09: Dark Was the Night (Nov 10, 2011)
- Episode 8x08: Heart-Shaped Box (Nov 3, 2011)
- Episode 8x07: Put Me In, Coach (Oct 27, 2011)
- Episode 8x06: Poker Face (Oct 20, 2011)
- Episode 8x05: Love, Loss and Legacy (Oct 13, 2011)
- Episode 8x04: What Is It About Men (Oct 6, 2011)
- Episode 8x03: Take the Lead (Sep 29, 2011)
- Episode 8x02: She's Gone (Sep 22, 2011)
- Episode 8x01: Free Falling (Sep 22, 2011)
- Episode 7x21: I Will Survive (May 12, 2011)
- Episode 7x18: Song Beneath the Song (Mar 31, 2011)
- Episode 7x16: Not Responsible (Feb 24, 2011)
- Episode 7x15: Golden Hour (Feb 17, 2011)
- Episode 7x14: P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (Feb 10, 2011)
- Episode 7x13: Don't Deceive Me (Feb 3, 2011)
- Episode 7x12: Start Me Up (Jan 13, 2011)
- Episode 7x11: Disarm (Jan 6, 2011)
- Episode 7x10: Adrift and at Peace (Dec 2, 2010)
- Episode 7x09: Slow Night, So Long (Nov 18, 2010)
- Episode 7x08: Something's Gotta Give (Nov 11, 2010)
- Episode 7x07: That's Me Trying (Nov 4, 2010)
- Episode 7x06: These Arms of Mine (Oct 28, 2010)
- Episode 7x05: Almost Grown (Oct 21, 2010)
- Episode 7x04: Can't Fight Biology (Oct 14, 2010)
- Episode 7x03: Superfreak (Oct 7, 2010)
- Episode 7x02: Shock to the System (Sep 30, 2010)
- Episode 7x01: With You I'm Born Again (Sep 23, 2010)
Guest starring as Dr. Jackson Avery
(22 episodes)
- Episode 21x01: If Walls Could Talk (Sep 26, 2024)
- Episode 19x05: When I Get to the Border (Nov 3, 2022)
- Episode 18x20: You Are the Blood (May 26, 2022)
- Episode 6x24: Death and All His Friends (May 20, 2010)
- Episode 6x23: Sanctuary (May 20, 2010)
- Episode 6x22: Shiny Happy People (May 13, 2010)
- Episode 6x21: How Insensitive (May 6, 2010)
- Episode 6x20: Hook, Line, and Sinner (Apr 29, 2010)
- Episode 6x19: Sympathy for the Parents (Apr 1, 2010)
- Episode 6x18: Suicide Is Painless (Mar 25, 2010)
- Episode 6x17: Push (Mar 11, 2010)
- Episode 6x16: Perfect Little Accident (Mar 4, 2010)
- Episode 6x15: The Time Warp (Feb 18, 2010)
- Episode 6x14: Valentine's Day Massacre (Feb 11, 2010)
- Episode 6x13: State of Love and Trust (Feb 4, 2010)
- Episode 6x12: I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked (Jan 21, 2010)
- Episode 6x10: Holidaze (Nov 19, 2009)
- Episode 6x09: New History (Nov 12, 2009)
- Episode 6x08: Invest in Love (Nov 5, 2009)
- Episode 6x07: Give Peace a Chance (Oct 29, 2009)
- Episode 6x06: I Saw What I Saw (Oct 22, 2009)
- Episode 6x05: Invasion (Oct 15, 2009)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (2003)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2017-11-08: Jesse Williams, Luke Combs (Nov 8, 2017)
Saturday Night Live (1975)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 47x02: Kim Kardashian West / Halsey (Oct 9, 2021)
The Emmy Awards (1949)
Guest starring as Jesse Williams
- Episode 2025-09-14: The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards (Sep 14, 2025)
Crew Credits
Grey's Anatomy (2005)
Episode crew as Director
(5 episodes)
- Episode 21x10: Jump (for My Love) (Mar 13, 2025)
- Episode 19x05: When I Get to the Border (Nov 3, 2022)
- Episode 16x13: Save the Last Dance for Me (Feb 13, 2020)
- Episode 15x23: What I Did for Love (May 2, 2019)
- Episode 14x22: Fight for Your Mind (May 3, 2018)