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Jesse Williams

Jesse Williams

Actor and producer, also director · Born August 5, 1981 (45) · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award nominee

Jesse Wesley Williams is an American actor, director, producer and activist. He played Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2009–22) and has appeared in films such as The Cabin in the Woods (2012) and The Butler (2013). He has provided voice acting and motion capture for Markus in the video game Detroit: Become Human (2018). He served as an executive producer of the Academy Award-winning short, Two Distant Strangers (2020) and the Tony Award-winning revival of Take Me Out (2022), the latter of which he was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 5, 1981 (45)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor and producer, also director
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 42 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 26% in 30 days

What are Jesse Williams' films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
20%
Survival
20%
Morality
18%
Self
14%
Power
13%
Society
11%
Ideas
5%
Survival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 8

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 9 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 8 analyzed roles.

Hero
3 of 8
Ally
2 of 8
Shapeshifter
2 of 8
Mentor
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Dread
6
Hopeful
6
Warm
7
Contemplative
5
Other
18

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous9

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jesse Williams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jesse Williams' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

42 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Montmartre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer · as Toussaint

  • Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Hotel Costiera(2025)

    Show 6 episodes · Producer · as Daniel De Luca

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • What We Hide(2025)

    Executive Producer · as Sheriff Ben Jeffries

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Hoops, Hopes & Dreams(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Shifting Gears(2025)

    Show 4 episodes · as Andy

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • The Great Lillian Hall(2024)

    as David Flemming

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Your Place or Mine(2023)

    as Theo

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Secret Headquarters(2022)

    as Irons

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Only Murders in the Building(2021)

    Show 7 episodes · as Tobert

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Rebel(2021)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Two Distant Strangers(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • With Drawn Arms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer · as Self

  • Little Fires Everywhere(2020)

    Show 3 episodes · as Joe Ryan

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • The Morning Show(2019)

    Show as Vernon

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Jacob's Ladder(2019)

    as Isaac 'Ike' Singer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • A Black Lady Sketch Show(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Isaac

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Random Acts of Violence(2019)

    Executive Producer · as Todd Walkley

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Selah and the Spades(2019)

    as Headmaster Banton

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • United We Stand: The Ali Summit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as narrator

  • Station 19(2018)

    Show 7 episodes · as Dr. Jackson Avery

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Survivors Guide To Prison(2018)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Band Aid(2017)

    as Skyler

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement(2016)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Money(2016)

    as Sean

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Spoils Before Dying(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · as Parker

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • They Die by Dawn(2013)

    as John Taylor

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Snake & Mongoose(2013)

    as Don "The Snake" Prudomme

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Butler(2013)

    as Rev. James Lawson

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Rich Girl Problems (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Peter

  • The Cabin in the Woods(2011)

    as Holden McCrea

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Finding Your Roots(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • J.A.W. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Co-Producer · as Enin

  • Dirty Dancing 3: Capoeira Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Brooklyn's Finest(2009)

    as E. Quinlan

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Washingtonienne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Keya

  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2(2008)

    as Leo

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Greek(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · as Drew Collins

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Beyond the Break (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 8 episodes · as Eric Medina

  • Grey's Anatomy(2005)

    Show 277 episodes · Director · as Jackson Avery

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Kwame

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Legacy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Troy

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 41 titles, 40 of them dated from 1990 to 2026; peak year 2018.

Biggest box office

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

$70M worldwide

Highest rated

The Great Lillian Hall (2024)

Midcredits 87th

Most popular right now

Grey's Anatomy (2005)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19902026

Peak 2018 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 6 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting35 of 41: 29 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndDirecting1 of 41: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing11 of 41: 6 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

41 titles, 6 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s5 · 5 acting · 1 crew2010s21 · 19 acting · 4 crew2020s13 · 9 acting · 7 crew

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 15% of 13 roles
0818

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2024, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jesse Williams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor, producer

Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement (2016)

97th percentile spread · 73% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Only Murders in the Building (2021)

Midcredits 94th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jesse Williams' work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles24–93 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles18–58 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles30–71 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles17–62 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles13–86 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.