Jesse Williams: My Grey's Anatomy departure was "an organic, collective decision"

The Hollywood Reporter

"It wasn’t something I had to tell anybody," Williams tells The Hollywood Reporter. "It was something we found and understood and were trying to honor it and do properly. It was a team effort throughout. It didn’t feel like any one of us coming to the other and having an outcome predetermined. We wrote something together and this is what it was." Williams adds: "It came up this season. It was a combination of trying to figure out with (showrunner) Krista (Vernoff) and the team what makes sense and what’s next for Jackson. His pot is kind of bubbling over. What does he need to be doing? He’s been on this off-screen path of self-discovery, he’s had trouble with abandonment issues and had unfinished business with his dad and, after his marriage ended and April went away, he’s been unable to maintain real connection and romantic relationships and platonic relationships. He’s thrown himself into work. Jackson left a few times but also was never a part of any community. Being an Avery, he was expected to go into surgery. But what else is there? He was never involved in anything that was happening and the world was coming to a boil. He’s been in bubble wrap his whole life and needed to do something and connect to something he was passionate about that wasn’t just his profession. It felt organic that Jackson had to change his environment and was willing to make a connection to something. What if he goes with his gut instead of his legacy? What if he goes to what’s true to him? Watching what’s happening in the streets and how it impacts Black and brown folks, it made sense that he needs to venture off and shed the shelter and try something new — or use it to do something that he’s passionate about."

ALSO:

• Jesse Williams on a "Japril" spinoff: "We’ll see," he says. "I’m not entirely sure. There is certainly a part of me that is compelled to go out into the wilderness as well (as Jackson) and do something different and new, so I’m very excited to do that."
• Williams feels "humbled" by the response from Grey's fans