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.

Filmography

• 2026Montmartre — Toussaint, Executive Producer
• 2025Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story — Executive Producer
• 2025Hoops, Hopes & Dreams — Producer
• Hotel Costiera — Daniel De Luca, Producer
• Shifting Gears — Andy
• 2025What We Hide — Sheriff Ben Jeffries, Executive Producer
• 2024The Great Lillian Hall — David Flemming
• 2023Your Place or Mine — Theo
• 2022Secret Headquarters — Irons
• Only Murders in the Building — Tobert
• Little Fires Everywhere — Joe Ryan
• 2020Two Distant Strangers — Producer
• 2020With Drawn Arms — Self, Executive Producer
• A Black Lady Sketch Show — Isaac
• 2019Jacob's Ladder — Isaac 'Ike' Singer
• 2019Random Acts of Violence — Todd Walkley, Executive Producer
• 2019Selah and the Spades — Headmaster Banton
• The Morning Show — Vernon
• Station 19 — Dr. Jackson Avery
• 2018Survivor's Guide to Prison — Self, Executive Producer
• 2018United We Stand: The Ali Summit — narrator
• 2017Band Aid — Skyler
• 2016Money — Sean
• 2016Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement — Self, Executive Producer
• The Spoils Before Dying — Parker
• 2013Rich Girl Problems — Peter
• 2013Snake & Mongoose — Don "The Snake" Prudomme
• 2013The Butler — Rev. James Lawson
• 2013They Die by Dawn — John Taylor
• Finding Your Roots
• 2012The Cabin in the Woods — Holden McCrea
• 2011J.A.W. — Enin, Co-Producer
• 2010Brooklyn's Finest — E. Quinlan
• 2010Dirty Dancing 3: Capoeira Nights
• 2009Washingtonienne — Keya
• 2008The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 — Leo
• Greek — Drew Collins
• Beyond the Break — Eric Medina
• Grey's Anatomy — Jackson Avery, Director
• Law & Order — Kwame
• Legacy — Troy
• The Decline of F*cking Western Civilization

Appearances as themselves (20)

• 2024Following Harry — Self
• Bottomless Brunch at Colman's — Self
• Desus & Mero — Self - Illustrious Guest
• Black Hollywood: 'They've Gotta Have Us' — Self
• The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale — Self - Special Guest
• 2017The Obama Years: The Power of Words — Self - Narrator (voice)
• America Divided — Self
• 2016BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration — Self
• To Tell the Truth — Self - Panelist
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self
• Celebrity Name Game — Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self
• The Eric Andre Show — Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• The View — Self
• The Daily Show — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self - Guest
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Cameo (uncredited)
• The Emmy Awards — Self