After 12 seasons on the hit ABC medical drama, “Grey’s Anatomy,” Jesse Williams will be leaving the show ahead of the show’s season 17 finale.
Williams landed his breakout role starring as Dr. Jackson Avery on “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2009, after making appearances on shows like “Law & Order,” “Beyond the Break,” and “Greek.”
In a statement to Deadline, Williams thanked the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes along with the producers, cast and crew, and said that his time on the show will be “a gift [he’ll] carry always.”
“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,” Williams said.
During the show’s latest episode, “Look Up Child” which aired on May 6, his character’s upcoming exit was revealed. His final episode, “Tradition,” is scheduled to air Thursday, May 20.
While Williams’ exit comes as a shock to the show’s fans, it’s not the first time that one of the show’s fan-favorite characters has left the long-running drama.
Justin Chambers, who played Dr. Alex Karev, left the show after 16 seasons. Patrick Dempsey who starred as neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd left after 11 seasons when his character was killed in a car accident.
Although Williams was primarily known for his work on-screen on “Grey’s Anatomy,” he also took on roles behind the camera, directing three episodes between seasons 14 through 16.
For his role as Dr. Avery, Williams won the NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” in 2019 and was nominated for four People’s Choice Awards.
One of the show’s executive producers and showrunner, Krista Vernoff, also released a statement to Deadline where she called Williams “an extraordinary artist and activist.”
“Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work,” Vernoff said in the statement. “We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery played to perfection for so many years.”
