Jesse Williams is Exiting ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
*This article contains spoilers for Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 14.
Another one of Grey-Sloan’s beloved doctors is saying goodbye. Jesse Williams, who portrays Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy, is exiting the series just ahead of the Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 finale.
As revealed on Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 14, “Look Up Child,” which had everyone abuzz because of the anticipation of Sarah Drew’s guest appearance, Jackson is ready to make a life change and leave Seattle.
To make that change, which involves moving to Boston to run the foundation, he needs April and Harriet to come with him. What he doesn’t know when he first makes that enormous request, is that April and Matthew have split.
But by the end of the episode, April not only agrees to move to Boston with Jackson, but she also reveals the news about her and Matthew. That suggests that maybe, just maybe, the two will wind up with their own happy ending.
JESSE WILLIAMS, SARAH DREW
Williams first joined the series in Season 6, one of the doctors arriving to Seattle Grace Hospital from Mercy West. According to Deadline, Williams’ current two-year contract is up at the end of this season.
“I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda, the network, studio, fellow castmates, our incredible crew, Krista, Ellen and Debbie,” Williams said in a statement.
“As an actor, director and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many and I thank our beautiful fans, who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our shared worlds. The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift I’ll carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies and dear friends,” he continued.
“Jesse Williams is an extraordinary artist and activist. Watching his evolution these past 11 years both on screen and off has been a true gift,” executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff said in a statement. “Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work. We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery — played to perfection for so many years.”
We haven’t seen the last of Jackson Avery yet, however. Jackson’s farewell episode will be Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 15, airing on Thursday, May 20th.
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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.