| Jesse Williams Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 1 in |
| Weight | 77 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 5, 1981 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Eye Color |
Green |
Jesse Williams is an American actor best known for playing Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy. He is also a vocal activist for racial justice and won the Humanitarian Award at the BET 2016 ceremony.
Born Name
Jesse Wesley Williams
Nick Name
Jesse
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Jesse graduated from Moses Brown School based in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998. He acquired a double major Bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies and Film and Media Arts from Temple University in Pennsylvania.
In March 2005, he moved to New York City to study acting with a talent agent and acting coach, Wayne Gasser of the Gasser Group.
Occupation
Former High School Teacher, Model, Actor, Voice-Over Artist, Director, Producer (Founder of farWord Inc), Activist
Family
- Father – Reginald Williams (Teacher)
- Mother – Johanna Chase (Professional Ceramic Artist, High School Art Teacher)
- Siblings – Coire Williams (Younger Brother) (Landscape, Woodwork, Interior Designer), Matt Williams (Younger Brother) (Footwear Designer turned Illustrator)
- Others – Khay Riyyah Muhammad (Sister-in-Law) (Visual Artist, Musical Artist, DJ, Bartender, Yoga Instructor)
Manager
Jesse Williams is represented by –
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
- Oronde Garrett, Head Shell Management
- André Des Rochers of Gray Krauss and Stephen Barnes of Morris Yorn (Attorneys)
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm
Weight
77 kg or 170 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Jesse Williams has dated –
- Aryn Drake-Lee (2004–2017) – Aryn was working as a real estate broker when she first met Jesse, who was still working as a high school teacher at that time. They got married in September 2012. Together the couple has 2 children – a daughter named Sadie (b. December 2013) and a son named Maceo (b. August 2015). They got divorced in 2017.
- Minka Kelly (2017–2018) – Actress Minka Kelly was introduced to Jesse during a voice-over project for Playstation 4 game called Detroit: Become Human.
- Taylor Rooks (2018–2019)
- Taylour Paige (2018–2021) – Dancer and actress Taylour Paige hinted at dating Jesse Williams since fall 2018 in an Instagram post. The couple publicly announced their relationship through their red carpet debut at Ozwald Boateng Harlem Runway Show in May 2019. They broke up in December 2021.
- Jerrika Hinton
- Ciarra Pardo – Jesse later started dating Ciarra Pardo. Ciarra was referred to as his “longtime girlfriend” in court documents during his custody battle with Aryn Drake-Lee in February 2022.
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (Black and White)
He has African-American ancestry on his father’s side and has Swedish ancestry on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Ethnically diverse physical features
- Curly Hair
- Olive skin tone
Brand Endorsements
- Before getting a break as an actor, Jesse was cast as a model for Maybelline, L’oréal, Kenneth Cole Productions, L.L. Bean, and Tommy Hilfiger.
- In 2011, he briefly promoted Levi’s Jeans and got cast as a model for Lane Bryant in 2012.
- He has also done TV commercials for Target, Pepper, and Verizon Wireless.
- In 2017, he was also featured with Nicki Minaj in the H&M Christmas commercial.
- He was cast in MedMen’s first Cannabis commercial directed by Spike Jonze in 2019.
- He was the chief brand ambassador and partner in the college scholarship search application, Scholly.
Religion
Christianity
Jesse Williams Favorite Things
- Classic Movies – Do the Right Thing (1989), The Neverending Story (1984), Goodfellas (1990)
- Book – The Confederacy of Dunces (1980) by John Kennedy Toole
- Food – Tacos, Burritos, Sopes
- Social Media Platform – Twitter
- Websites – The Huffington Post, BBC
- Twitter Handle – Comedians, The Onion
- Place To Unplug / Unwind – A beach
- Sports Hero – Michael Jordan
- First Celebrity Crush – Actress Pam Grier
Source – Glamour
Jesse Williams Facts
- His backup career plan was to become a civil rights lawyer or a football player.
- The actor is the most self-indulgent while buying sneakers. He likes his sneaker collection more than owning expensive cars.
- For a few years, Jesse taught American Studies & African Studies (History) and English in a Philadelphia public school.
- In November 2005, Williams was selected as one of the 14 members in the New York Actors Showcase out of 600 auditions organized by ABC Entertainment TV Group’s casting project.
- 2006 onwards, Jesse started booking a series of acting jobs.
- He was cast as a model in Rihanna’s Russian Roulette (2009), Estelle’s Fall in Love (2010), and Demi Lovato’s Tell Me You Love Me (2017) music videos.
Featured Image by Applause2.0 / Wikimedia / Public Domain
