Jesse Wesley Williams is an American actor and producer known for playing Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC series Grey’s Anatomy. In 2005, Williams began studying acting and was chosen by ABC to participate in the New York Actors Showcase. His participation opened the doors for him since, a year later, he made his first screen appearance in an episode of Law.
Several minor appearances followed before appearing as surgical resident Jackson Avery in Grey’s Anatomy. In June 2010, the showrunners announced that Jesse would be a series regular beginning with the seventh season. Jesse exited the show in May 2021, with his last episode airing on May 20.
Jesse followed his parents in teaching before becoming an actor.
Jesse Williams was born on August 5, 1980 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Johanna Chase, a professional potter, and Reginald Williams. Jesse’s mother is Swedish and his father is African American. Williams grew up with two younger brothers who majored in visual arts.
Williams’s mother was a potter and her father was a factory worker, but they both ended up teaching. They inspired Jesse to take up the teaching profession. He said GlobalGrind:
“Since I was a public school teacher, I have a lot of experience in education and it means a lot to me. My father is a professor. My mother is a teacher. And they started teaching after I was in high school. My mother was an artist and ceramicist. My father was a factory worker who paid for his studies at Harvard while I was in high school.”
Jesse’s father’s love of history inspired his passion for history and activism.
The highlight of the 2016 BET Awards was Jesse Williams’ impassioned speech on civil rights, police brutality and black culture as he received the Humanitarian Award. BET presented Jesse with the award in celebration of his advocacy efforts.
Jesse’s activism grew out of his love of history, a love of history he inherited from his father. He said daily express:
“My father’s family is from Willacoochee, Georgia, and my father is a history nut. His ancestors were slaves and part Seminole, so I learned a lot about my historical experience back home. I learned quite a bit about slavery and the years after.”
Jesse graduated with a double major in African American Studies and Film and Media Arts from Temple University. He then went on to teach high school English, American studies, and African studies for six years. “I’ve always been obsessed with history and I taught history,” he said. essence magazine.
Her switch to acting and her subsequent stardom gave her the platform to engage in activism. Jesse is an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and has been involved with countless projects advocating for black rights. Jesse said The Guardian that being biracial, he is in the perfect position to push for racial equality. He explained:
“I have access to rooms and information. I am white and I am also black. I am an invisible man in many of these scenarios. I know how whites talk about blacks. I know how blacks talk about whites. I know I’m there and everyone is speaking honestly around me.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn