Exclusive: Grey’s Anatomy Star Jesse Williams Talks Dr. Jackson Avery, the Season Finale, and Will He Be Back Next Season?

By: Adam Wright

We are just a week away from the 2-hour Grey’s Anatomy season finale.

This season has seen a lot of changes, including the merger of Seattle Grace and Mercy West. The merger shook things up, and introduced new characters to the popular series.

One of the Mercy-Westers is Dr. Jackson Avery, played by Jesse Williams. I had the opportunity to talk to Jesse about joining the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, and what’s in store for the finale.

Here’s what he had to say.

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Adam: First things first, how are you enjoying your time working on Grey’s Anatomy?

Jesse: I love it. Everyone involved has been great to me and I really enjoy the challenge.

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Adam: How did you get involved with the show?

Jesse: I auditioned in august and met with Shonda [Rhimes] and Betay Beers and Linda Lowy. I got the call a week later!

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Adam: Before auditioning for the part, have you ever seen the show, or were you a fan?

Jesse: I had seen bits and pieces, and had always enjoyed what I saw. Always found the writing and the acting to be rather exceptional.

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Adam: So you get the call that you’ve been casted as “Dr. Jackson Avery”. How did you find out? What was your first reaction?

Jesse: I received a call from my agent and manager. It was exciting. However, I had no real idea what I had just signed up for: I knew nothing about the character, storyline or potential duration on the show. It was very vague and was only supposed to last a few episodes. Over time, I’ve trained myself not to get too excited until things become a little more tangible. In summation, Hell yeah I was excited!!

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Adam: How did you celebrate? (laughs)

Jesse: I went out with a few friends, and was probably on the receiving end of a toast or three. But again, I was very hesitant to celebrate and I didn’t tell anyone for weeks. Not until I had completed filming my first episode.

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Adam: You came in during a time where the show was undergoing big changes. T.R. Knight (Dr. George O’Malley) just left, and new characters were being introduced. How was it behind-the-scenes being new during the shake-up?

Jesse: Well, I arrived after all that. For better or worse, I missed all the drama completely. It was disastrously drama free. Everyone welcomed me with open arms and before you knew it we were cracking jokes and getting to know each other. I think most of the cast and crew liked the injection of some new personalities on set. Everyone works so hard for 10 months straight; we welcome variation, within reason.

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Adam: Your character Dr. Avery was a part of that change, being brought in from Mercy West during the merger. What’s it like to play one of the “outsiders”.

Jesse: I actually really enjoyed being an “invader” an “outsider”. Being a little unlikeable, unpredictable is a fun way to make an impression early on. It leaves plenty of room for growth, which excites me for next season.

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Adam: Avery seems to relate a lot with Meredith Grey, having to live up to the family legacy. Tell me about the dynamic between the two characters.

Jesse: Jackson and Meredith are the only two who know what it’s like to grow up in the glaring shadow of a [flawed] medical god, whose guidance is easily misinterpreted as a silver spoon, without the crushing burden. Or something like that. It’s an understood “sameness” that they’ve both gone without for most of their lives.

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Adam: Will we be seeing Grand-father Avery again in the future, do you know?

Jesse: I hope so, that was fun. Chelcie Ross is a class act and the character dynamic was great to work with.

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Adam: This question is for the female fans reading, we saw Avery sort of being linked to Christina early on, but that fell through quick. Will you be linked to another character eventually? This is Grey’s Anatomy after all! (laughs)
Jesse: I imagine it’s an inevitability, but I have been given zero clues on this one.

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Adam: This is a tough question I know, but do your best. Who do you like working with the most on the show? Who do you have the most fun with? Yes, you have to choose (laughs)

Jesse: Probably Chyler [Leigh], we give each other a lot of crap. Same with Jessica [Capshaw] and Justin [Chambers]. We have a lot of fun.

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Adam: Tell us something we don’t know about Avery.

Jesse: That he was a highly recruited star athlete and once rescued a family of three from a burning ice cream truck.

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Adam: Now that you’ve been a regular for months now, do you feel like you’ve settled in? Less intimidating than when you started?

Jesse: I’m definitely more settled in now. Naturally, as time goes on, relationships develop and we get to know each other a little better. But what’s been so great about my experience on GREY’S is that everyone has been really wonderful since the very beginning. We have a lot of fun while at the same time, taking pride in our work and preparedness. I can’t say enough about how welcome I’ve felt from day one.

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Adam: What’s next for Avery? There are 4 episodes left, what can you tell us to expect? Give us a sneak peek of what’s in store.

Jesse: I can’t really say anything about that, but the finale is something that I’m the most excited to see. It’s great television.

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Adam: Can you tell us if you’ll be back next season? Do you even know?

Jesse: I recently learned that I will be back next season. I couldn’t be happier.

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Adam: Finally, I ask this to all my interviewees, what have you been watching on TV lately?

Jesse: Justified, Modern Family, Champions League Futbol, Breaking Bad, NFL Network, and my favorite, nothing at all.

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I would like to thank Jesse for his time. You can catch him and the rest of the Grey’s Anatomy cast on Thursday night on ABC and CTV. The 2-hour Season Finale airs on May 20^th.