Jesse Wesley Williams was born on 5 August 1981, in Chicago, Illinois USA of Seminole, African-American and Swedish ancestry, and is an actor, perhaps best known for being a part of the television series “Grey’s Anatomy”, playing Dr. Jackson Avery. He’s also appeared in film roles such as in “The Cabin in the Woods”. He’s been active in the industry since 2006, and all of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Jesse Williams? As of early-2018, sources estimate a net worth that is at $8 million, mostly earned through a successful career in acting, but he’s also done modelling work, and is active in several advocacy groups. As he continues his career, it is expected that his wealth will also continue to increase.
Jesse Williams (actor) Net Worth $8 million
Jesse was educated at Moses Brown School, and matriculated in 1998. He then attended Temple University, studying a double major in African-American Studies as well as Film and Media Arts.
After graduating, he first worked as a high school teacher, then in 2005 decided to study acting, and participated in the New York Actors Showcase. He was among one of the 14 actors chosen, and began appearing in several projects.
Williams made one of his first notable appearances in the television show “Law & Order”, playing the character Kwame. He also appeared in several episodes of “Greek” and “Beyond the Break”, and performed in various stage productions, such as in “The American Dream”, “The Sandbox” and “The Glass Menagerie”. In 2008 he made his film debut in the sequel of “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants”, and the following year was cast as surgical resident Jackson Avery in the television show “Grey’s Anatomy”, which would start to increase his net worth significantly.
Concurrently he was involved in several film projects, including “Brooklyn’s Finest” which starred Don Cheadle and Richard Gere. He also had his first leading role, in the horror film “The Cabin in the Woods”. In 2015, he was then cast as a part of the film “Money” before trying his hand at executive production, for the documentary “Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement”.
He also does sporadic modelling projects, for such as “Tommy Hilfiger”, “Kenneth Cole Productions”, and “L. L. Bean”, but never considered pursuing it as a full-time career.
For his personal life, it is known that Jesse married Aryn Drake-Lee, his longtime girlfriend in 2012, and they have two children together, however, in 2017 Jesse filed for divorce. He is also of on the board of directors of the advocacy group called “The Advancement Project”, actually the youngest member. He is also the executive producer of the media project “Question Bridge: Black Males”. He has written articles on “The Huffington Post” and “CNN”. In 2016, he also won a BET Humanitarian Award, and when receiving it delivered a speech on racial injustice and police brutality. The speech caused petitions to try and remove him from “Grey’s Anatomy”, while others battled – successfully – to keep him on.
BET Humanitarian Award, Young Hollywood Award for TV Actor of the Year
Nominations
People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Shorty Award for Best in Activism
Movies
Grey's Anatomy, The Cabin in the Woods, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, The Butler, Snake and Mongoose, Brooklyn's Finest, Beyond the Break, Band Aid, They Die By Dawn, Jacob's Ladder, Money, Washingtonienne, America Divided
TV Shows
Grey's Anatomy, Washingtonienne
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Quote
1
Freedom is always coming in the hereafter. But the hereafter is a hustle. We want it now.
2
It was very important to me to be with a woman who is better than me at some things. You want someone who brings new, interesting things into your life.
3
You have to be up-front from the very beginning about what your expectations of the other person are, and you can't make any promises you don't intend to keep.
4
That's why the role that I have on 'Grey's Anatomy' is important to me, because it's a human being. He doesn't have to wear race on his sleeve; he doesn't even have to talk about it. We just lead by our actions.
5
Staying true to our goals, Question Bridge as a company and as a project is not singularly about black males. One of the things I'm so excited about Question Bridge is that my vision goes far beyond black males.
6
We should all have the opportunity to at least get a basic education and feel that you are worthy of something in life.
7
I'm very grateful and fully aware that 90 percent of actors are not working. Going from public school teacher to a show like 'Grey's Anatomy', I love what I do.
8
As an actor, you want to be able to move your character forward into new ground, but also it's really interesting to go backwards and unpeel those layers and the interesting elements of what your character is and what informs the decisions that you make so that you can have as much meat to work with.
9
Storybooks were always a big part of my imagination, and my childhood and adolescence.
10
I'm always trying to find the next comedian that just gives me something a little funny to combine with all of the depressing news that I'm processing.
11
I always find that really interesting, you know, when I get to see characters that I love in TV and film and theater around their family.
12
I download, like, forty songs a day, I'm a big music collector and a big record collector.
13
I like to take credit for the work that I have done.
14
I thought that if acting didn't work out, I'd have done law school or medical school: probably law to be honest.
15
I'm an athletic junkie - I play in all the celebrity all-star games, and I've become buddies with a bunch of athletes.
16
We often grow up being told that we can do this or that, but if you don't see anybody that looks like you doing it, you don't believe you can do it. But I had great teachers, and I wanted to be a great teacher.
17
There's so much material out there that's unnecessarily racist. It takes a shot at what is 'urban' or demonstrates blackness with some sassy, neck-jiving character that's not even relevant to the plot. I see it time and time again, and it doesn't move the story forward. It just kind of cryogenically freezes us in this old racial paradigm.
18
I'm kind of in a middle space, being marketed as a biracial actor. Roles are written either stereotypically black, or they're written 'normal,' which is just code for white.
19
Storytelling is based on the word, being an honorable person of integrity is based on your word.
20
Coming from New York, you're kind of indoctrinated with anti-L.A. sentiment, but California is just a really dope state.
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Fact
1
In New York shooting new movie Money (2016). [June 2015]
2
Married Aryn Drake-Lee, age 32, a real estate broker, on September 1, 2012 in Los Angeles. They have been together for five years.
3
Attended Moses Brown high school in Rhode Island.
4
His father is African-American, with some Seminole ancestry. His mother is of Swedish descent.
5
A former high school teacher.
6
Attended Temple University (B.A.) in Philadelphia, PA