Grey's Anatomy has lost many characters since the show's premiere, but some cast members' exits have stung more than others -- like Jesse Williams' departure during Season 17. Williams had played Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC series since Season 6, when Avery arrived as a surgical resident shortly after the merger between Mercy West Medical Center and Seattle Grace Hospital. He was promoted from recurring cast to series regular in Season 7, meaning that he spent a full ten seasons in the main cast.
By that point, Williams had become a cornerstone of the series, so why did he leave? Was it another case of the Grey's Anatomy writers opting to get rid of a character (one of the reasons why the show may have overstayed its welcome and shouldn't continue without Ellen Pompeo), or did the actor decide that ten seasons was enough time to spend on one character? Here's the story behind Jackson Avery's time on Grey's Anatomy and the reason why he moved on.
Who Was Jackson Avery on Grey's Anatomy?
Avery started his Grey's Anatomy tenure working with chief of plastic surgery Mark Sloan, until Sloan's death in a tragic plane crash during the Season 8 finale. It was also in Season 8 that Avery and fellow doctor April Kepner (played by Sarah Drew) began their tumultuous relationship. After many ups and downs, the pair secretly married and lost their newborn son to Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 2 shortly after their wedding. In an effort to grieve her son's death, Kepner joined the Army in Season 11 and became a trauma surgeon alongside Dr. Owen Hunt. Soon after she returned, Kepner and Very began having problems and ultimately divorced -- although she revealed she was pregnant again after the divorce was finalized.
After their divorce, Avery reconnected with his father and inherited almost $1 billion after his famed grandfather Harper Avery passed away. He also had short-lived relationships with Maggie Pierce and Jo Wilson before he decided to reunite with his former wife and their daughter Harriet. Williams left the long-running medical drama after the reconciled family moved to Boston to work on the Harper Avery Foundation during the Season 17 episode "Tradition."
Why Jesse Williams Left Grey's Anatomy
Much like his character, Jesse Williams was ready to try something new. Williams' Grey's Anatomy contract came to a close, and the actor decided against renewing it. "I needed to get out of my comfort zone, I needed to go into a very unknown place," he said in a New York Times profile. Williams definitely got out of his comfort zone when he accepted a leading role in the new Broadway revival of Take Me Out, playing fictional mixed-race baseball star named Darren Lemming, who comes out as gay to his teammates.
Since Avery wasn't killed off, Grey's Anatomy left Williams an opportunity to guest star in future seasons, which he has yet to do given that it's only been one season since he left. His reasons for walking away from the series are completely understandable, since he played Jackson Avery for longer than some entire TV series go on. With Grey's renewed for at least Season 19, there's still a chance the fan-favorite will be back someday.