<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ellen Pompeo's final episode of "Grey's Anatomy" as a series regular aired February 23. </li><li>I don't like her character Meredith Grey, but the show shouldn't even try to go on without her. </li></ul><p>I'm no <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-meredith-grey-best-worst-moments-ellen-pompeo-2023-2">fan of Dr. Meredith Grey</a>. In "Grey's Anatomy," she's a cold, <a href="https://www.insider.com/9-nepo-babies-that-raise-the-profiles-of-their-parents-2022-12">entitled nepo baby</a>, who cares about her patients but maintains a steely exterior. Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, says she helps and mentors women, but at times she's also been the show's "mean girl" who only supports those in her inner circle, which changes on a whim.</p><p>On Pompeo's final episode as a series regular, which aired on February 23, Meredith leaves Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (named in part for Meredith's sister Lexie Grey) to do Alzheimer's research at the Catherine Fox Foundation. Her final turn in the operating room ends with a patient dying followed by a pitiful, slapdash send-off party complete with sparkling apple cider and the wrong cake.</p><p>The episode, titled "I'll Follow the Sun," shows that as much as things change, they also stay the same. Patients die in surgery. Busy colleagues throw underwhelming office events. And even though Meredith's leaving the hospital that essentially raised her, but she'll be back (Pompeo <a href="https://tvline.com/2023/02/16/ellen-pompeo-greys-anatomy-season-19-return-date-meredith-abc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">confirmed she'll return for at least the season 19 </a>finale).</p><div type="image" title="meredith grey season 17 greys anatomy beach" height="1080" width="1440" msid="98428845" hostid="261" sizebytes="37132"></div><p>In the meantime, "Grey's Anatomy" is trying to fill its Pompeo-sized hole with yet another new class of interns. Meredith's half-sister Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/every-greys-anatomy-character-ranked-by-episodes-2020-11">joined the cast in season 11</a>) and her sister-in-law Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone, whose character moved to Seattle on season 10) will likely take on more responsibility to maintain the show's "family vibes." But the truth is, no matter how hard it tries, "Grey's Anatomy" will not last much longer without Meredith Grey. </p><p>As anyone with access to the internet probably knows by now, Meredith is the last member of the original intern class from <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-shonda-rhimes-old-men-medical-drama-fail-sex-2022-10">Shonda Rhimes' pilot to leave Grey Sloan</a>. She's literally and figuratively the last bit of magic to disappear from the series. (The original series characters Meredith, Alex, George, Izzie, and Cristina's names are an acronym for "magic").</p><p>Even though I never liked the character of Meredith Grey, Pompeo's exit as a series regular is bigger than any other cast member's exit. She wasn't just any series regular, she was the core of the show's identity. Her departure means that the show now has completely new DNA, so it might as well have a new title, too. </p><p>"Grey's Anatomy" has tried over the years to fill nearly every gap, and sometimes it worked. But most of the time, it didn't. Character departures have caused trauma for viewers and left us with scars, and there's only so much pain we'll endure.</p><h2>There's a limit to the amount of change fans can tolerate</h2><div type="image" title="Ellen Pompeo." height="1800" width="2400" msid="98428847" hostid="261" sizebytes="1319936"></div><p>After Dr. Derek Shepherd's (Patrick Dempsey) death on the show in <a href="https://time.com/3834589/grief-counselor-mourn-fictional-character-death/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015, Time spoke</a> to the clinical director of the Seleni Institute for Women, Christiane Manzella, about the grief viewers were feeling from his loss.</p><p>"Human beings love stories and making connections, even if it's to fictional people. We create meaning and then experience actual grief when that connection is broken," she said.</p><p>Still, the reason why so many "Grey's" fans have stuck with or come back to the show after so much heartache is the overwhelming sense of comfort the show provides.</p><p>When my favorite characters Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) and Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) died as a result of a plane crash in season eight, I boycotted the show in a fit of rage, but eventually returned and felt more connected to the show than ever thanks to a storyline <a href="https://www.insider.com/sarah-drew-christmas-movie-lifetime-greys-anatomy-2022-11">involving Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew)</a> and Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams).</p><div type="image" title="Sarah Drew, Jesse Williams, and Ellen Pompeo" height="1500" width="2000" msid="98428849" hostid="261" sizebytes="108436"></div><p>After Drew and Jessica Capshaw (who played Dr. Arizona Robbins) were written off in 2018, I left with them and never expected to return. I eventually did, when <a href="https://www.insider.com/japril-jesse-williams-sarah-drew-fans-earned-greys-anatomy-spinoff-2022-2">Drew returned to help Williams</a> exit. </p><p>As humans, we can only adapt to change so much before we decide we've had enough. My story is probably just one of the thousands of stories that fans around the world have about why they've grown increasingly tired of a show they once rooted for time and time again.</p><p>Narratives have a natural end. <a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-pompeo-greys-anatomy-impact-medicine-betr-remedies-2021-12">Pompeo herself told me in 2021</a> that she used to often ask people attached to "Grey's," "what story are we going to tell?" and they'd respond, "Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'"</p><div type="image" title="Ellen Pompeo" height="1503" width="2004" msid="98428852" hostid="261" sizebytes="95924"></div><p>Network executives might not care about storylines and character development as much as raking in gazillions of dollars, but thousands of fans who have grown up with the show do. I don't like Meredith Grey, but as a character who defined "Grey's" for 19 seasons, she still held a place in my heart, a heart that's stretched to capacity as new characters come and go and come and go. We'll I'm done. Why should I stretch my heart for a show that's lost its own?</p><p>"Grey's Anatomy" is dead. Even though a couple of the original ancillary characters like Dr. Richard Webber (Jim Pickens Jr.) and Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) remain, a new class of interns can't duplicate the magic. It's not my show anymore and it hasn't even <a href="https://deadline.com/2017/08/shonda-rhimes-deal-netflix-leave-abc-studios-1202148014/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been Rhimes' show since she left in 2017.</a> </p><p>I wish we could all just accept that by pouring some actual champagne out for all characters we loved, and move on.</p><p>"Grey's Anatomy" airs  Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.</p>

Meredith Grey was the worst character on 'Grey's Anatomy,' but the show won't survive without Ellen Pompeo

31 'Grey's Anatomy' couples ranked by their chemistry

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Carsyn Rose, 11, stars in a modern version of "Amber Brown," based on the beloved children's book series. </li><li>Rose and costar Sarah Drew told Insider they had instant chemistry as mother and daughter. </li></ul><p>In her <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fshow%2Famber-brown%2Fumc.cmc.3rbpynkdkoc4rlyskaa8n3nmi%3Fign-itscg%3D30200%26ign-itsct%3Dtv_box_link" rel="nofollow sponsored">Apple TV+ adaptation</a> of the beloved tweenager book series "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAmber-Brown-10-book-series%2Fdp%2FB075VDYCTK" rel="nofollow sponsored">Amber Brown</a>," written by Paula Danziger and originally published between 1994 and 2003, creator, director, and executive producer Bonnie Hunt aimed to do more than just update the characters' wardrobes.</p><p>The show uses Amber's (Carsyn Rose) video diaries and vibrant drawings, which come to life as animations, to give the audience access to Amber's complicated emotions as she navigates her parents' divorce, starting middle school without her best friend, and the big emotions that come with testing out independence for the first time. </p><p>Hunt's show also brings Amber's reality forward into 2022 with subtle but authentic representation: Amber is biracial, and her friends belong to many different communities. But that's not what the show is about. </p><div type="image" title="Carsyn Rose and Liliana Inouye in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="2160" width="2880" msid="93373990" hostid="261"></div><p>As star Sarah Drew (who plays Amber's mom, Sarah Brown) pointed out to Insider in a recent interview, there is one main ingredient at the core of "Amber Brown": love.</p><p>"There is not a page of the script that is not bursting with love," she told Insider. </p><p>In a joint conversation with Insider, Rose and Drew discussed how the show mixes scripts full of love with some TV magic to achieve a lofty goal: Encouraging the children watching to "become good, kind, and brave adults," as Drew put it. </p><h2>Playing mother and daughter came naturally to Drew and Rose</h2><div type="image" title="Sarah Drew and Carsyn Rose in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="5461" width="7281" msid="93373993" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Insider: The <a href="https://www.insider.com/mother-daughter-movies-mothers-day-marathon-2020-5">mother-daughter bond</a> can be so intense, and it's such a central part of "Amber Brown." How did you build that together, and were there scenes that felt particularly emotional to film?</strong></p><p><strong>Sarah Drew:</strong> Honestly, Carsyn, I just remember <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zoom-earnings-uphill-battle-continue-to-grow-post-pandemic-2022-3">that first Zoom</a>, the chemistry read, I felt like we connected right away even just on the computer, right?</p><p><strong>Carsyn Rose:</strong> Yeah. We have such great chemistry, and I feel like when we're doing those really emotional scenes, we could just talk to each other and feed off of each other's energy.</p><p>We were filming the scene where Sarah was supposed to be frustrated at me because I did something wrong and I'm just truly regretting it. And I remember afterward I'm like, "Sorry, Sarah."</p><div type="image" title="Ashley Williams and Sarah Drew in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="2160" width="2880" msid="93373994" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Drew</strong>: Carsyn was like, "I hate being mad at you. I hate it."</p><p>And you're so present, Carsyn. Very few child actors know how to be as present as you are in a scene. You really listen and you really connect. It makes finding all of those moments of joy — and humor, sadness, and anger, and all the different range of emotions — so easy when I get to act with you.</p><p>Honestly, the trust was just there immediately, and then we just get on set together and know what to do.</p><h2>Representation that's true to life matters on 'Amber Brown' </h2><div type="image" title="Carsyn Rose and Michael Yo in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="2160" width="2880" msid="93373997" hostid="261"></div><strong>Carsyn, why do you think that it's important that Amber is biracial in this adaptation and that kids get to see you playing her on-screen? </strong><p><strong>Rose:</strong> I watch TV and I just don't see a lot of <a href="https://www.insider.com/white-father-sparks-discussion-tiktok-childs-skin-color-2022-3">biracial kids reflected</a> on TV. And if they are, the whole story is about them being biracial. That's the point. I love "Amber Brown" because it's just happening. It isn't a big storyline, it isn't something that's a problem. She just is biracial.</p><p>I think that could help people who are watching the show and are biracial too, because they can feel like it just is normal. It makes it more normal to see it on TV. And that's really important. I know I didn't have that as much when I was little and even now, so I just want people have that.</p><p><strong>Sarah, can you talk about why authentic representation is important for you as a mom when it comes to shows like "Amber Brown" that your kids can watch? </strong></p><p><strong>Drew: </strong>I was lucky enough to be on another show that did that for nine years. <a href="https://www.insider.com/japril-jesse-williams-sarah-drew-fans-earned-greys-anatomy-spinoff-2022-2">I think "Grey's Anatomy"</a> was one of those incredible forefront shows that they didn't have to comment on every single aspect [of being a minority]. It just showed people of all different backgrounds living and working together. And we didn't have to spend all of our time on why, or pointing toward it. We were just showing humanity in all of its fullness.</p><p>It's important for my kids to watch "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fshow%2Famber-brown%2Fumc.cmc.3rbpynkdkoc4rlyskaa8n3nmi%3Fign-itscg%3D30200%26ign-itsct%3Dtv_box_link" rel="nofollow sponsored">Amber Brown</a>" and see families from every different background and not feel like anything is strange or necessarily noteworthy about it. Again, it's living life. And the more colors that we can have in terms of human experience on screen, the more relatable we'll be and the bigger the audience we'll have and the more people will feel seen.</p><div type="image" title="Carsyn Rose and Brianna Helm in &quot;Amber Brown.&quot;" height="5461" width="7281" msid="93374201" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>The character of Paula, a young girl who Amber meets the night she performs in her school play  (played by Brianna Heim), is important to me as a writer who uses a wheelchair. I love that she and Amber just become fast friends at the play and her voice-assist technology isn't an issue. Carsyn, what did you like about telling that part of the story? </strong></p><p><strong>Rose</strong>: I love that kids are going to be able to see this interaction, because it shows there isn't a big difference [between abled people and disabled people]. You can be friends with them. It's important to teach kids that from a young age, so that they don't end up being adults and still afraid to talk to someone in a wheelchair.</p><p><strong>Drew: </strong>That scene is such a beautiful moment of positivity too, of these two characters coming together and finding the joy in the moment. It's such a joyful moment. It's not sentimental, it's not sappy, it's just joyful.</p><h2><strong>The show also focuses on the parents' perspective, emphasizing empathy</strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Sarah Drew and Carsyn Rose in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="5168" width="6890" msid="93374205" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Amber's quest to get her ears pierced is a big deal on the show. Carsyn, why do you think it's so important that Amber expresses how she feels about wanting more control over her body and her life in her art journal and video diary? </strong></p><p><strong>Rose: </strong>With everything that's going on in our world right now, I think it's so important that people see that it is normal to feel things — how it's okay to want your ears to be pierced, or to be a little bit sad that your <a href="https://www.insider.com/dont-hold-off-on-divorce-until-your-kids-are-adults-2021-5">parents are getting divorced</a>. These are normal emotions that people feel. And I love that Amber shows this to kids, so that they don't feel alone if they're experiencing any of this. </p><p>And I just love that line so much, when she's talking about getting her ears pierced: "It's my ears. I want to get them pierced."</p><p><strong>Drew: </strong>But what Sarah says to Amber is, "It's not about the ears. It's not about the ears being pierced. It's never been about that." And for me, that whole story is really about the relationship between Amber and her mom, about trust, and about when trust is broken — how does it feel? How does it rest?</p><p>I love the animation where you see the earrings get bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and weigh Amber down further, and further, and further. It's such a great image of what it feels like when you are not telling the truth to the person that you've always had good trust with.</p><p>Parents are going to relate to the heartbreak that happens as a parent when your kid lies to you, and how do you work through it, and how do you navigate through the broken moments in your relationship and figure out how to repair it? We get to model that in a really beautiful way.</p><div type="image" title="Carsyn Rose in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="2160" width="2880" msid="93374206" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Rose:</strong> Kids can see the parents' conversations as well as Amber's thoughts in the show. They can see parents interacting and maybe get to see the background to the decisions, to understand why the parents are doing what they're doing. They're not doing it to control your life.</p><p><strong> </strong><strong>Drew:</strong> We really get to have empathy for both <a href="https://www.insider.com/choose-words-carefully-around-kids-doctors-say-2021-8">parents and kids</a> in the show.</p><h2>Rose and Drew hope 'Amber Brown' inspires kids to become 'better adults' </h2><div type="image" title="Liliana Inouye, Carsyn Rose, Sarah Drew, Darin Brooks and Ashley Williams in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="2160" width="3840" msid="93374208" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Carsyn, what's the most important lesson you learned from Sarah? </strong></p><p><strong>Rose: </strong>How important authenticity is. I noticed that when we're doing a scene together, she's just so authentic. You can tell that she's pulling from an emotion that she's had. She's using her experience, which makes it that much more realistic. I found that when we were on the last episode versus the first one, I learned how to really pull my emotions that I've had into the scene.</p><p><strong>And Sarah, what's the biggest lesson you learned from Carsyn? </strong></p><p><strong>Drew: </strong>It's like a shot in the arm of joy, when you're working with someone who's so talented and so excited to be there and so enthusiastic.</p><p>You're taking in every aspect and really taking advantage of being on that set to learn as much as you can, which is something that I want to emulate everywhere I go. I don't want to just get stuck scrolling on my phone in between shots. I want to be activated. And so, that's a very joyous and beautiful piece of getting to work with you, Carsyn.</p><p><strong>Rose: </strong>I just really love being on set. I can't even describe it. I just feel like it's in my blood to be an actress. I love being there.</p><p><strong>Drew:</strong> It's so joyous when you have the person who's the lead of the show, who's there the most often, coming in with just boisterous, delighted, enthusiastic, positive energy, kindness for everyone, curiosity for everyone. You just can't help but rise into that energy for the crew, and the cast, and the producers, and the director. It's a very important job to be that number one person on the call sheet, because you really do set the tone, and you set it in a really beautiful way, Carsyn.</p><div type="image" title="Carsyn Rose and Liliana Inouye in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="2160" width="3840" msid="93374210" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Rose:</strong> Thank you so much. That's so important to me, because I just try to include everyone, show everyone's important no matter what job they have. If you're a makeup artist, if you're a camera person, if you're the actor that's on the screen, every aspect's important.</p><p>You couldn't do it without every person. Even the background people, it all adds to the story. And I just make sure that I make everyone feel like they're important on the set, because I feel like that trickles down and then everyone feels welcomed on the set.</p><p><strong>Why does the world need a show like "Amber Brown" right now? </strong></p><p><strong>Drew: </strong>What I say to Bonnie Hunt every time we read an episode is that there is not a page of the script that is not bursting with love. This show is motivated by love. Every frame of it is motivated by love. You're witnessing a family dynamic shift in a really big way and in an explosive way, but everybody is doing their best to love each other well and trying to navigate it with compassion and kindness for each other.</p><p>I just think we need more of that in this world. This is <a href="https://www.insider.com/ted-lasso-star-jeremy-swift-talks-shows-second-season-emmys-2021-7">like "Ted Lasso" for families</a>. It's just a big shot of love out into the world.</p><div type="image" title="Carsyn Rose and Sarah Drew in “Amber Brown.&quot;" height="5218" width="6957" msid="93374212" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Rose:</strong> There are so many things going on in the world, so many conflicts. People can get caught up in these bad feelings. And "Amber Brown"  just gives such a positive energy. When I was watching it, I just felt like, "Oh my gosh! I <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/is-happiness-genetic">just feel happy</a> when I'm watching this." Although I may be a little bit biased.</p><p>It really sends a message of positivity and kindness and love, because it's teaching kids from a young age to connect with the other members of their family and grow empathy. And that's going to make for better adults in the future.</p><p><strong>Drew: </strong>Yes, we want better adults. We want all these kiddos to become good, kind, and brave adults.</p><p><em>This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. </em></p><p>You can stream all 10 episodes of <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fshow%2Famber-brown%2Fumc.cmc.3rbpynkdkoc4rlyskaa8n3nmi%3Fign-itscg%3D30200%26ign-itsct%3Dtv_box_link" rel="nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">"Amber Brown" on Apple TV+</a>.</p>

The new 'Amber Brown' show is 'bursting with love' and the authentic representation we need on TV

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Footage of "<keyword id="11995413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greys-anatomy" source="Orion">Grey's Anatomy</keyword>" star <keyword id="12020198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jesse-williams" source="Orion">Jesse Williams</keyword> naked on <keyword id="13890495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stage" source="Orion">stage</keyword> leaked on Monday.</li><li>"It's a body," Williams said on Monday's "WWHL" when asked if he was nervous to appear nude in "<keyword id="13400726" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="take-me-out" source="Orion">Take Me Out</keyword>."</li></ul><p>Jesse Williams spoke about appearing nude on stage in his <a href="https://www.insider.com/take-me-out-review-jesse-williams-broadway-jesse-tyler-ferguson-2022-4">Broadway debut</a> on the same day that video footage and photos of him naked were leaked online.</p><p>In response to a question about nerves from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbcJR3WtyJE&amp;ab_channel=WatchWhatHappensLivewithAndyCohen">"Watch What Happens Live"</a> host Andy Cohen on Monday's show, which appears to have been filmed before the leak became public, Williams said, "Everybody makes such a big deal. It's a body...once you see it you realize...whatever. It's a body."</p><p>As reported by <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/05/09/naked-video-of-take-me-out-star-jesse-williams-leaked-after-tony-nomination/">the New York Post</a>, leaked pictures and video of Williams naked during a shower scene in "Take Me Out" surfaced Monday. The NSFW site GayBlog.ca appears to have been the first to publish the footage.</p><p>Williams was also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/09/theater/tony-awards-nominees.html">nominated for a Tony Award</a> for his performance in the play the same day as the leak.</p><p>Representatives for Williams and "Take Me Out" didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbcJR3WtyJE" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>"Take Me Out" opened last month at Second Stage's Helen Hayes Theater in New York City, where filming performances is strictly prohibited. The theater takes extreme measures to protect actors' privacy, requiring patrons to secure their phones <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/theater/take-me-out-review.html">in Yondr pouches</a> before taking their seats in an attempt to prevent photography.</p><p>Williams plays the fictional Darren Lemming in the play. He's a major league baseball superstar grappling with the unexpected reaction his colleagues and friends have when he suddenly comes out as gay. "As the Empires struggle to rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties, and the price of victory," <a href="https://2st.com/shows/take-me-out">Second Stage's synopsis reads</a>. </p><p>The "Cabin in the Woods" star noted on "Watch What Happens Live" that people's shock about the fact that he's fully nude in "Take Me Out" has been going on for a long time because the production was delayed during COVID-19. </p><p>He said he's had "two years of everybody around me going, 'are you serious? Are you sure? Nude, nude? Naked, naked?'"</p><div type="image" title="Patrick J. Adams and Jesse Williams in &quot;Take Me Out.&quot;" height="2249" width="2999" msid="91476395" hostid="261"></div><p>The nudity occurs at a very intense moment in the play, <a href="https://twitter.com/BravoWWHL/status/1523858110829322240">so Williams said on "WWHL</a>," "A non-reaction is an interesting reaction, you know? The quiet."</p><p>As much as he tries not to make a big deal about the scene, the "Grey's Anatomy" star admitted that sometimes the audience response "creates a lot of insecurity" for him.</p><p>"I'm told it's quite insane," Williams told Cohen of his decision to appear naked in his <keyword id="11909345" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="broadway" source="Orion">Broadway</keyword> debut. </p><p>He also said he changed his mind about wanting to know if his family and friends are in the audience before the show. "I realized I don't want to know, absolutely not," he said. </p><h2>Ellen Pompeo was nervous to see Williams naked</h2><div type="image" title="Jesse Williams and Ellen Pompeo." height="1500" width="2000" msid="91476397" hostid="261"></div><p>Williams wasn't aware when his former "Grey's Anatomy" costars Ellen Pompeo and Debbie Allen came to see a performance, though Pompeo previously said on her podcast "Tell Me With Ellen Pompeo" that she was nervous to attend the show <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-ellen-pompeo-jesse-williams-naked-2022-4">because of the nudity</a>.</p><p>Pompeo told her guest, comedian Ms. Pat (whose full name is Patricia Williams), on an April episode that she's "not really trying to find out" what Williams looks like naked. </p><p>She even discussed it with Allen before they went. "I was like, 'what are we gonna do? How are we gonna go see this show?'" Pompeo recalled of her conversation with Allen. "'Cause you want good seats but you want to be up close, but if he's gonna be naked on stage we don't want to be up close."</p><p>"I have to go support my friend," she said. </p><p>Pompeo told Insider in November that <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-spinoff-ellen-pompeo-sarah-drew-jesse-williams-2021-12">Williams is "like a brother"</a> to her and that she wanted to be "super supportive of all of his new things," including "Take Me Out." </p><p>But she also supports a "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff featuring Williams and his former on-screen love interest, Sarah Drew, if they want to pursue it in the future. </p><div type="image" title="Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams in the &quot;Grey's Anatomy&quot; episode &quot;Personal Jesus&quot;" height="1682" width="2242" msid="91476399" hostid="261"></div><p>"I know people love 'Japril,'" she told Insider. "Sarah Drew and Jesse are both great to watch, but whatever Jesse wants and whatever Sarah wants, if they wanted to do it, then I would be so happy for the fans. I get it. I'd watch it."</p><p>In April, it was reported that <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-jesse-williams-sarah-drew-return-season-18-finale-2022-4">Drew and Williams would return</a> to ABC's hit medical drama as Jackson Avery and April Kepner for the season 18 finale, which is also the 400th episode of "Grey's Anatomy." </p>

'Grey's Anatomy' star Jesse Williams talks being nude on stage the same day naked footage of him leaked online: 'It's just a body'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13899796" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="elisabeth-finch" source="Orion">Elisabeth Finch</keyword> left "<keyword id="11995413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greys-anatomy" source="Orion">Grey's Anatomy</keyword>" in March 2022 after questions arose about her medical history.</li><li>Reports earlier that month said Finch faked <keyword id="6355291" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cancer" source="Orion">cancer</keyword>, a kidney transplant, and PTSD.</li></ul><p>"Grey's Anatomy" writer Elisabeth Finch was reportedly placed on "administrative leave" following "serious concerns" within <keyword id="11995416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="shonda-rhimes" source="Orion">Shonda Rhimes</keyword>' production company Shondaland that "parts of Finch's life story she shared in the writers' room and with the press were made up," the <keyword id="11896019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">entertainment</keyword> newsletter <a href="https://theankler.com/p/shocker-disney-investigating-greys?s=r">The Ankler wrote</a> earlier this year.</p><p>According to The Ankler and personal essays Finch had published with <a href="https://www.shondaland.com/live/body/a12244867/redefining-brave/">publications such as Shondaland.com</a> and <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/greys-anatomy-producer-why-i-wrote-my-cancer-an-episode-guest-column-1181487/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>, Finch had survived cancer, lost a kidney and part of a leg, and had to abort a fetus while undergoing chemotherapy.</p><p>Finch's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, told Insider in a statement that she was never placed on leave. Yet two weeks after the initial report that Disney was expected to begin an internal investigation into the claims of Finch's faked ailments, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/greys-anatomy-writer-elisabeth-finch-leave-of-absence-medical-history-1235220751/">the writer took a leave of absence.</a></p><p>"I will always remain one of 'Grey's Anatomy's biggest fans. I loved the show from day one and had the honor to write for it since season 11," Finch said in part in a statement to Insider, sent by her lawyer in April. </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/facts-about-greys-anatomy-2018-8">"'Grey's Anatomy' is one big-hearted, brilliant family, "</a> it continued. "As hard as it is to take some time away right now, I know it is more important that I focus on my own family and my health."</p><p>When reached for comment by Insider in April, Shondaland, which produces "Grey's Anatomy," said in a statement, "Only Elisabeth can speak to her personal story." ABC declined to comment in April when reached by Insider.</p><p>It reads like the end of the story, but it's just the beginning. Because on May 2, the world got to read Finch's estranged wife's side of the story in Vanity Fair, and it's stranger than the fiction Finch wrote on <keyword id="11898468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tv" source="Orion">TV</keyword>.</p><p>Brettler told Vanity Fair that some of Beyer's claims are untrue. He told the magazine Beyer was "neither 'reliable' nor 'unbiased'" since Finch and Beyer are currently going through a "highly contentious divorce," according to Brettler.</p><p>Shondaland did not have further comment when reached in May after the release of the Vanity Fair articles, and ABC didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment in May.</p><p>Here's everything we know about the latest <a href="https://www.insider.com/patrick-dempsey-terrorizing-set-before-greys-anatomy-exit-report-2021-9">scandal surrounding "Grey's Anatomy."</a></p><h2>Finch became a writer and producer on 'Grey's Anatomy' in 2014 for season 11</h2><div type="image" title="Elisabeth Finch on set of &quot;Grey's Anatomy.&quot;" height="1350" width="1800" msid="91495261" hostid="261"></div><p>According to <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/greys-anatomy-elisabeth-finch-truth-lies">Vanity Fair</a>, Finch caught Shondaland's attention in 2014 because of a now-deleted essay she wrote for Elle about living and <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sarcoma/chondrosarcoma">working with chondrosarcoma</a>, a rare form of bone cancer that is usually fatal. </p><p>Finch wrote in the essay that she continued working <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-vampire-diaries-fun-facts-things-to-know">on the set of "The Vampire Diaries," </a>a show that follows the dangerous lives and complicated romances of vampires and other supernatural creatures, against a doctor's advice after her diagnosis. </p><p>"I watched the producers' cuts under a fog of Demerol, punched up dialogue about vampire-werewolf hybrids with a shunt in my spine," her essay read, per Vanity Fair. "Yes, I was down 17 pounds, bald, vomiting relentlessly, but I was still living alone. Still stubborn as hell."</p><p>A development executive at Shondaland noticed the essay and showed it to the then-showrunner of "Grey's Anatomy" as a potential hire for the ABC medical drama's eleventh season. Finch later met with Rhimes herself, who then hired Finch, according to Vanity Fair. Since joining the show as a writer in 2014, Finch has <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2353156/">produced 172 episodes</a> of the hit ABC series and has a writing credit on 13 of them. </p><p>She's credited with writing  <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/greys-anatomy-producer-why-i-wrote-my-cancer-an-episode-guest-column-1181487/">"Anybody Have A Map?," a 2018 "Grey's Anatomy" episode</a> that features Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen) having an operation to treat her aggressive chondrosarcoma. Finch is also the writer of <a href="https://ew.com/recap/greys-anatomy-season-15-episode-19/">"Silent All These Years,"</a> a 2019 episode featuring rape survivors that <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/473216-greys-anatomy-episode-about-sexual-assault-spurs-over-40/">got a lot of press attention</a>. </p><p>Vanity Fair reported that in February 2022, Finch's estranged wife, Jennifer Beyer, sent an email to Rhimes' personal email account, warning the acclaimed showrunner that Finch was faking her story. Rhimes didn't respond to the message, according to Beyer, so she said she texted the current "Grey's Anatomy" showrunner, Krista Vernoff, and was soon contacted by Disney's human resources department. </p><p>This seemingly marked the beginning of the end of Finch's time working on "Grey's Anatomy." </p><h2>According to Vanity Fair, Finch first began speaking about her cancer diagnosis when she was working on 'The Vampire Diaries'</h2><div type="image" title="Elisabeth Finch wearing scrubs." height="1178" width="1571" msid="91495262" hostid="261"></div> Vanity Fair spoke to some of Finch's family members, who said she began to tell them she had cancer<strong style="color: #0000ff;"> </strong>around the time she was working on <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-vampire-diaries-cast-then-and-now-photos-2018-8">"The Vampire Diaries."</a> Finch, who grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, told relatives that doctors discovered her bone cancer after an alleged knee replacement surgery.<p>"It was devastating," an unnamed cousin, who lives in New Jersey, told the magazine of learning the <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword>. </p><p>According to Vanity Fair, the cousin said a bald Finch would sometimes visit from Los Angeles while supposedly undergoing chemotherapy, looking "sick." Finch also had a bandage on her body where a chemo port would be, according to her cousin.</p><p>In part two of <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/greys-anatomy-elisabeth-finch-jennifer-beyer">Vanity Fair's report</a>, Beyer, who's also a nurse, told the magazine that Finch doesn't have a port scar. She also said Finch had full eyelashes and eyebrows, which is strange <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/an-artist-specializes-in-henna-crowns-for-chemo-patients-2017-4">because chemo patients</a> lose hair. </p><p>Finch still said she had cancer in 2014 when she got <a href="https://www.insider.com/every-greys-anatomy-character-ranked-by-episodes-2020-11">the job on "Grey's Anatomy.</a>" Other staffers on the show told Vanity Fair that Finch's diagnosis afforded her privileges at work, like extra time to write episodes. She also took time off to supposedly make visits to the Mayo Clinic for cancer treatment. Friends said that even though they drove her there, she never wanted them to come inside. </p><p>There were two other cancer survivors in the "Grey's Anatomy" writers' room, but an unnamed writer told Vanity Fair that those people stopped feeling comfortable talking about their cancer experiences because Finch would always become emotional during those conversations if anyone questioned or contradicted her. </p><p>Vanity Fair reported that when confronted by a suspicious Beyer toward the end of their relationship, "Finch 'admitted' that she had at <em>one</em> time had cancer, but that she got chemo, and recovered."</p><h2>Finch's story of abuse mirrors her estranged wife's </h2><div type="image" title="Elisabeth Finch." height="2411" width="3214" msid="91495263" hostid="261"></div><p>Beyer and Finch met at a treatment facility in Topeka, Kansas, in 2019, Vanity Fair reported. Beyer told writer Evgenia Peretz she was there to treat the psychological symptoms of an abusive marriage.</p><p>Finch entered the center about six months into Beyer's stay under the pseudonym "Jo," the same name of the "Grey's Anatomy" character she was researching for a storyline. She told residents she was also <a href="https://www.insider.com/do-i-have-ptsd">there to treat PTSD,</a> according to the magazine. </p><p>The women became close and therapists allowed them to room together even though they were in the same process group, according to Beyer. Soon, Finch's abuse story began to mirror Beyer's. </p><p>When Beyer's husband threatened to come and find her, with the facility increasing security as a result, suddenly Finch said her brother Eric (whom she said abused her as a child) was threatening to find her, too. Beyer said she saw a letter Finch said Eric wrote but didn't read it herself. </p><p>After treatment, Finch and Beyer's relationship deepened thanks to visits with each other. On one of Beyer's trips to Los Angeles, she got a call from the Kansas Department of Children and Families informing her that her husband had committed suicide, Beyer told Vanity Fair. </p><p>According to Vanity Fair, two weeks later, without Beyer's knowledge, Finch sent an email to her "<a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-pompeo-greys-anatomy-watched-a-handful-of-episodes-2022-2">Grey's Anatomy" coworkers</a>. </p><p>"I've gone bc my brother <a href="https://www.insider.com/my-little-sister-died-by-suicide-im-talking-about-it-2022-5">died by suicide</a>. He was on life support for a short while but ultimately did not survive," it read, according to the publication. "I say this not bc I need or want anything from anyone, I'm not a delicate flower or whatever, I just want people to know I'm still here, still part of the team."</p><p>However, Finch's brother is still alive and currently works as a doctor, per Vanity Fair. He declined to comment when reached by Vanity Fair regarding their report on Finch. Insider reached out to Eric but didn't get a response.</p><h2>Finch once said she cleaned up a friend's remains from the floor of a synagogue after a mass shooting</h2><div type="image" title="Elisabeth R. Finch and Debbie Allen" height="2000" width="2666" msid="91495265" hostid="261"></div><p>Vanity Fair reported that Finch, who grew up in a middle-class Jewish family, had tweeted about being the victim of a hate crime and also once told coworkers and family she suffered PTSD related to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/us/active-shooter-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html">mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh</a>, during which 11 people were killed.</p><p>Finch, who went to college in Pittsburgh, told people, including Beyer, that one of her friends died in the attack. She said she went to the site of the tragedy in the aftermath to help "clean up the remains of her friend's body from the synagogue floor," the article reported, in accordance with Jewish tradition.</p><p>"Grey's Anatomy" writers told Vanity Fair that they had to be even more mindful of what they said around Finch after the shooting because even phrases like "shot down" would cause her to wince "dramatically."</p><p>Finch said her experience at the shooting site caused <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-ptsd-can-affect-your-body-2020-6">her alleged PTSD</a>, which is why she went on leave and sought treatment at the center in Topeka, where she met Beyer.</p><p>Vanity Fair contacted the two Chevra Kadisha burial societies that coordinated cleaning up the synagogue and found that "nobody named Elisabeth Finch was involved." When Insider reached out to New Community Chevra Kadisha in May, a coordinator said that only men were present from their organization while the second burial society, Pittsburgh's Orthodox chevra kadisha, did not immediately respond.</p><h2>Finch said that <keyword id="12003357" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="anna-paquin" source="Orion">Anna Paquin</keyword> gave her a kidney </h2><div type="image" title="Writers Kate Barnow (L) and Elisabeth Finch attend The Paley Center for Media's &quot;Inside the Writers Room: True Blood&quot; on October 28, 2009." height="590" width="786" msid="91495268" hostid="261"></div><p>One of Finch's first jobs in Hollywood was acting as an assistant to Alan Ball, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/true-blood-cast-then-and-now-2018-9">creator of "True Blood." </a></p><p>So, when she said she was diagnosed with a rare cancer that caused other alleged <a href="https://www.insider.com/signs-of-kidney-problem-2019-4">health issues like kidney failure</a>, Finch told her <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-paquin-hugh-jackman-put-through-wringer-x-men-wolverine-2021-6">friend Anna Paquin</a>, the star of HBO's hit vampire series that ran from 2008 to 2014.</p><p>According to Finch, Paquin donated a kidney to her.</p><p>Vanity Fair confirmed via an unnamed source that Paquin does not "have anything to do with Finch's kidneys." Representatives for Paquin didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p><p>"Two hospital hangouts. Nearly two weeks of hell. But FINNNALLLLY…One happy, healthy kidney. Thanks for all the [heart emoji]," she wrote on Facebook, according to Vanity Fair.</p><p>Later when they were engaged, Beyer told VF that Finch went to the hospital with pain that she said was "probably kidney stones" in her one good kidney. "Looking squarely at Beyer, the doctor said, 'Her <em>kidneys</em> look fine,' stressing the plural," the magazine added of the experience. </p><h2>Finch's future on the show remains in question </h2><p>"Grey's Anatomy" was renewed for <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/greys-anatomy-renewed-season-19-ellen-pompeo-1235146757/">a historic season 19</a> back in January.</p><p>Finch remains on personal leave as of May, and her future on the show remains unknown. </p><p>The last writing credit she has on the show is for <a href="https://www.insider.com/sarah-drew-greys-anatomy-return-japril-endgame-interview-2021-5">season 17 episode 14 titled "Look Up Child"</a> in which Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) visits his father Robert (Eric Roberts) and his ex-wife April Kepner (Sarah Drew) to get clarity about his future before moving to Boston with April and their daughter Harriet.</p>

A 'Grey's Anatomy' writer recently left the show after allegedly faking cancer. Here's everything we know about the scandal.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12020199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ellen-pompeo" source="Orion">Ellen Pompeo</keyword> said she's "not really trying to find out" what <keyword id="12020198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jesse-williams" source="Orion">Jesse Williams</keyword> looks like naked. </li><li>"I have to go support my friend," she said on her podcast about Williams' <keyword id="11909345" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="broadway" source="Orion">Broadway</keyword> debut in "<keyword id="13400726" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="take-me-out" source="Orion">Take Me Out</keyword>."</li></ul><p>Ellen Pompeo said on Wednesday that she's "not really trying to find out" what her former costar Jesse Williams looks like naked, but she's facing a dilemma.</p><p>Williams does <a href="https://www.insider.com/jesse-williams-unsure-about-greys-anatomy-costars-broaadway-audience-2022-3">have nude scenes</a> in his role as queer baseball player Darren Lemming in the 2022 revival of Richard Greenberg's play "Take Me Out."</p><p>"I have to go support my friend," Pompeo told her <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ms-pat/id1586148064?i=1000557444273">"Tell Me With Ellen Pompeo"</a> guest, comedian Ms. Pat (whose full name is Patricia Williams).  </p><div type="image" title="Ellen Pompeo smiling" height="2083" width="2784" msid="90855712" hostid="261"></div><p>Around the 22:30 mark of the episode, the pair were talking about the decriminalization of marijuana when Pompeo brought up the fact that Williams apparently has a lot of knowledge on the subject. Then she immediately changed the subject to Williams' Broadway debut and how she was nervous to see him naked.  </p><p>She said she was talking to <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-why-jesse-williams-left-hit-medical-drama-2022-3">fellow "Grey's" star</a> Debbie Allen, who also executive produces the medical drama, about her trepidation. "I said, 'I can't see Jesse naked on stage,'" Pompeo told Ms. Pat.</p><p>The comedian was interested in figuring out the degree of Williams' <keyword id="11916733" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nudity" source="Orion">nudity</keyword>, asking if he appears as naked as "a newborn baby" in the show. </p><p>Pompeo admitted she was unsure at the time the episode was recorded, which was before "Take Me Out" debuted.</p><p>"I don't really know, Pat. But I'm honestly not really trying to find out either," the mom of three said. "I mean, I have to go support my friend."</p><div type="image" title="Jesse Williams and Ken Marks in &quot;Take Me Out.&quot;" height="1816" width="2421" msid="90855713" hostid="261"></div><p> The ABC star pointed out that it might be a strange experience for Allen, too, because her character Catherine Fox is Williams' character Dr. Jackson Avery's mom on the hit medical drama. </p><p>"I was like, 'what are we gonna do? How are we gonna go see this show?'" Pompeo recalled of her conversation with Allen. "'Cause you want good seats but you want to be up close, but if he's gonna be naked on stage we don't want to be up close."</p><p>Pompeo said she and Allen have "a real situation to figure out" and invited Ms. Pat to go with them. </p><p>Ms. Pat was more than willing to go and said "I'll just cover your eyes" during the scenes in question. </p><p>Pompeo <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-spinoff-ellen-pompeo-sarah-drew-jesse-williams-2021-12">told Insider in November</a> that Williams is "like a brother" to her and she wanted to be "super supportive of all of his new things," referencing his Broadway debut. </p><div type="image" title="Sarah Drew, Jesse Williams, and Ellen Pompeo" height="1500" width="2000" msid="90855714" hostid="261"></div><p>She also said she'd <a href="https://www.insider.com/japril-jesse-williams-sarah-drew-fans-earned-greys-anatomy-spinoff-2022-2">watch a "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff</a> featuring Williams and his former on-screen love interest Sarah Drew reprising their roles as Jackson and April if they wanted to pursue the project. </p><p> "I'm also super grateful that the fans want a 'Japril' spin-off. Thank you to those loyal fans who still have ideas for our show and want to see new things," she said. </p><iframe frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;background:transparent;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ms-pat/id1586148064?i=1000557444273"></iframe><p>"Take Me Out" is playing now through June 10 at the Helen Hayes Theater. </p><p>New episodes of "<keyword id="11995413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greys-anatomy" source="Orion">Grey's Anatomy</keyword>" return May 5 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.</p>

'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo says she's 'not really trying to find out' what former costar Jesse Williams looks like naked but she has to go support her friend in 'Take Me Out'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12020198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jesse-williams" source="Orion">Jesse Williams</keyword> revealed why he decided to leave "<keyword id="11995413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greys-anatomy" source="Orion">Grey's Anatomy</keyword>" after 12 seasons in The <keyword id="11898698" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="new-york-times" source="Orion">New York Times</keyword>. </li><li>"I needed to get out of my comfort zone," Williams explained. </li></ul><p>Jesse Williams recently revealed in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/theater/jesse-williams-interview-broadway.html">New York Times profile</a> that he knew it was time to leave "Grey's Anatomy"  when he began to feel "increasingly safe, protected, insulated." </p><p>The actor, who got his big break on <keyword id="11896774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abc" source="Orion">ABC</keyword>'s hit medical drama, exited the show in 2021 <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-jesse-williams-leaving-greys-anatomy-last-episode-2021-5">after 12 seasons</a> playing plastic surgeon and ENT specialist Dr. Jackson Avery. </p><p>"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' <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/05/jesse-williams-leaving-greys-anatomy-jackson-avery-12-seasons-1234750666/">statement about his departure</a> read in part, per Deadline. The site also reported that Williams' decision came when his most recent two-year contract on the show expired. </p><div type="image" title="Sarah Drew laughing with Jesse Williams." height="2057" width="2742" msid="90279680" hostid="261"></div><p>In the new interview promoting his <keyword id="11909345" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="broadway" source="Orion">Broadway</keyword> debut in the Richard Greenberg play "<keyword id="13400726" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="take-me-out" source="Orion">Take Me Out</keyword>," in which he stars as Darren Lemming, a fictional baseball star who comes out as gay, Williams explained why he decided to make his Broadway debut so soon after leaving "Grey's." </p><p>"I knew that as I designed my exit, the next thing I did had to be terrifying," he said. "I needed to get out of my comfort zone, I needed to go into a very unknown place." </p><h2>Williams wanted his next project to challenge him, which is exactly what drew him to 'Take Me Out'</h2><div type="image" title="Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery." height="2004" width="2672" msid="90279682" hostid="261"></div><p>Williams' physical appearance was emphasized during much of his run on "Grey's Anatomy." In one of his first episodes of the show, his character Jackson addressed his looks. "I'm pretty. In my family, I was always the pretty one. My face, my eyes. The body. You should see me with no shirt on. It's sort of ridiculous," <a href="https://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/im-pretty-in-my-family-i-was-always-the-pretty-one-my-face/#:~:text=%5Bpause%5D%20In%20my%20family%20I,me%20with%20no%20shirt%20on.">the character said</a>. </p><p>His former "Grey's Anatomy" coworkers reiterated the same in the Times' new profile.</p><p>"Yes, he really does look like that," Krista Vernoff, the drama's current showrunner, said. "And yes, he is really smart. And really, really talented."</p><p>"He's handsome. Girls always like that," said <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-spinoff-ellen-pompeo-sarah-drew-jesse-williams-2021-12">former costar Ellen Pompeo</a>, who has played Meredith Grey since the series began.</p><p>But Williams told Insider in a joint conversation with <a href="https://www.insider.com/japril-jesse-williams-sarah-drew-fans-earned-greys-anatomy-spinoff-2022-2">former on-screen "Grey's Anatomy" love interest Sarah Drew</a> in December that the pair worked hard to make a lot of the relationship between Jackson and Drew's character, Dr. April Kepner, feel deep and authentic.</p><div type="image" title="Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew" height="2000" width="2666" msid="90279683" hostid="261"></div><p>"We carved a lot of that on our own with tremendous support, but it was not like it had to be that way. We could have been lazier about it," he told Insider.</p><p>Though Williams is not gay like his "Take Me Out" character Darren, he told the Times that he was drawn to the role because he "really wanted the challenge." </p><p>"The last thing I want is to be the shiny rich <keyword id="11898468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tv" source="Orion">TV</keyword> guy that thinks he can just show up and do something, because that's just absolutely not how I feel," he said. "I'm just here to learn."</p><p>Drew told the Times that he's up for it. "There's nobody that worked as hard as he did," she said of their time on the <a href="https://www.insider.com/jesse-williams-sarah-drew-greys-anatomy-wedding-interruption-japril-2021-12">"Grey's Anatomy" set</a>. "Nobody."</p><p><em>"Take Me Out" officially opens at the Hayes Theater in New York City on Monday, April 4.</em></p>

Jesse Williams reveals he realized it was time to leave 'Grey's Anatomy' when it started feeling 'increasingly safe'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="118885" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jesse-Williams">Jesse Williams</keyword> told Insider on Tribeca's closing night <keyword id="6360359" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Red-carpet">red carpet</keyword> he knows fans want a <keyword id="11299192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="japril">Japril</keyword> show.</li><li>He left "<keyword id="21899" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Greys-Anatomy">Grey's Anatomy</keyword>" in May with other projects lined up, but doesn't dismiss a future spinoff.</li><li>"I won't say it's not a possibility. I sure as hell won't say that," Williams told Insider.</li></ul><p>Jesse Williams <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-jesse-williams-leaving-greys-anatomy-last-episode-2021-5">departed "Grey's Anatomy" back in May</a>, but he's well aware that fans would love to see a continuation of his character Jackson Avery's story with April Kepner (Jackson's longtime love interest, played by <a href="https://www.insider.com/sarah-drew-greys-anatomy-return-japril-endgame-interview-2021-5">Sarah Drew</a>).</p><p>The actor didn't shut down the possibility of a Jackson and April (or "Japril," as they're affectionately known to fans) spinoff series, separate from "Grey's Anatomy," while speaking with Insider on the red carpet for <keyword id="11476740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tribeca-festival">Tribeca Festival</keyword>'s closing night film, "<keyword id="1762859" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dave-Chappelle">Dave Chappelle</keyword>: This Time This Place," at New York City's Radio City Music Hall last Saturday.</p><p>"It's all love. It feels good," Williams said of how passionately <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-jesse-williams-exit-time-for-japril-spinoff-opinion-2021-5">fans are campaigning for Japril spinoff</a>.</p><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/HRbNY4w8-gFnR6QwM.html" width="100%" height="100%" style="position:absolute;"></iframe><p>Though Williams has plenty of other projects lined up (he teased to Insider on the red carpet that he signed on for a new movie with Owen Wilson and Michael Peña just hours before arriving), he still has plenty of love for the "Grey's" fandom.</p><p>The actor, who will next <a href="https://people.com/tv/jesse-williams-will-get-naked-for-terrifying-broadway-debut/">make his Broadway debut in a revival of the play "Take Me Out"</a> next year, also agrees the idea for a spinoff that viewers are pitching, following a reunited Jackson and April as they move to Boston to help underserved and underrepresented communities through Jackson's family's foundation, "makes total sense."</p><div type="image" title="Grey's Anatomy season 17 episode “Look Up Child”" height="1503" width="2000" msid="83733487" hostid="261"></div><p>"It's a really interesting premise. We would kill it," Williams continued, adding that his former costar Drew "is such a tremendous person and actor."</p><p>"So, I get it. I'm with them," he added.</p><p>Of course, there's a difference between liking the idea and being open to actually helming a spinoff.</p><p>While Williams obviously can't make any promises, he believes such a show can certainly happen in the future.</p><p>"I won't say it's not a possibility. I sure as hell won't say that," he told Insider.</p>

Jesse Williams responds to 'Grey's Anatomy' fans clamoring for a Jackson and April spinoff: 'We would kill it'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="118885" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jesse-Williams">Jesse Williams</keyword>, who played Jackson Avery on "<keyword id="21899" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Greys-Anatomy">Grey's Anatomy</keyword>," is leaving the show after 12 seasons. </li><li>His character's last episode is set to air May 20 and was planned in advance to be his final plot.</li><li>Actor Justin Chambers, who played Alex Karev for 15 years, <a href="https://www.insider.com/stars-who-left-successful-tv-shows-2018-8">left the show last year</a>. </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/facts-about-greys-anatomy-2018-8">"Grey's Anatomy"</a> has surprised viewers again with a surprising exit from another main character - Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams).</p><p>After 12 seasons on ABC's hit medical drama, Williams <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-actors-who-left-2018-10">is leaving the show</a> at the end of the month. </p><h2>Williams has been on the show since season 6, and his final appearance is set to be next week</h2><p>The actor announced his departure in a statement to <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/05/jesse-williams-leaving-greys-anatomy-jackson-avery-12-seasons-1234750666/">Deadline</a>.</p><p>"I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda, the network, studio, fellow castmates, our incredible crew, Krista, Ellen and Debbie," Williams said in his statement.</p><p>He continued, "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."</p><p>"The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift I'll carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies and dear friends."</p><p>Williams' character first appeared on season six of "Grey's Anatomy" during the hospital merger with Mercy West. He quickly became popular with fans and even won an NAACP Image Award in 2019 for best supporting actor in a drama for his role. </p><p>His final episode as Avery is set to air on Thursday, May 20 - just two weeks ahead of season 17's finale.</p><div type="image" title="april and jackson grey's anatomy" height="2004" width="3000" msid="82459254" hostid="261"></div><h2>The actor and showrunners planned Avery's final episodes in advance</h2><p>Williams and <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-season-16-where-everyone-ends-up-season-recap-2020-4">"Grey's Anatomy"</a> showrunner Krista Vernoff had multiple conversations about how to end Jackson's story, according to Deadline. </p><p><em><strong>Warning: Spoilers ahead for Williams' second-to-last episode, "Look Up Child," which aired on Thursday. </strong></em></p><p>His final arc involves a reunion of Japril, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-couples-ranked-2018-10">fan-favorite couple</a> composed of Avery and April Kepner (Sarah Drew). Kepner, Avery's ex-wife and the mother of his child, was written off of the series ahead of season 15.</p><p>On Thursday's episode, Avery visited Kepner and also revealed he would be taking over his family's foundation to create "real racial equality in medicine."</p><p>Avery intends to move to Boston and asks Kepner and her husband, Matthew (Justin Bruening), to follow him so he can continue to see his daughter. Kepner then <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-cast-then-and-now-2018-10">reveals she has split up with Matthew</a>. </p><p>The season has <a href="https://www.insider.com/worst-movies-greys-anatomy-cast-2020-1">built up to Avery's departure</a> by showing his character becoming increasingly more frustrated with the inequities in the healthcare system. In previous episodes, he used his credit card to book hotel rooms for low-income patients and started to question why he didn't attend activist protests as a child or teen.</p><p>"Grey's Anatomy" has not yet been renewed for season 18.</p><h2>Williams is not the first 'Grey's' star to leave the show after over a decade</h2><div type="image" title="Jackson Avery and Alex Karev Grey's Anatomy" height="1735" width="2314" msid="82459259" hostid="261"></div><p>Justin Chambers, who played Alex Karev since 2005 left the show in January 2020. </p><p>"There's no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that's defined so much of my life for the past 15 years," <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/justin-chambers-is-leaving-greys-anatomy-after-playing-dr-alex-karev-for-15-years/">Chambers said in a statement</a> obtained by The Wrap. "For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time."</p><p>The character's final episode aired in November, though fans didn't know at the time. Chambers' <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-season-16-where-everyone-ends-up-season-recap-2020-4">official farewell</a> was done over a voiceover a few episodes later in what many fans call the <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/03/greys-anatomyl-alex-karev-farewell-surprise-twist-wrap-story-izzie-shocker-showrunner-krista-vernoff-lvideo-1202875717/">worst goodbye a character on "Grey's" has ever had</a>.</p><p>Representatives for ABC didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p>

Jesse Williams is leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' after 12 years, and his final episode is next week

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sara Drew is a conservator at <keyword id="9387330" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="center-art-studio">Center Art Studio</keyword> in <keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword> City.</li><li>She showed us how she cleans and restores a 180-year-old painting of English opera singer <keyword id="9387329" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lucia-elizabeth-vestris">Lucia Elizabeth Vestris</keyword>.</li><li>The painting has paint loss, thick layers of dirt and tobacco smoke, and physical tears.</li></ul><p><em>The following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>.</em></p><p><strong>Sara Drew:</strong> My name is Sarah Drew, and I work as an <keyword id="1105" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="art">art</keyword> conservator at Center Art Studio in New York City. This is a portrait of Madame Vestris. The first thing we do is inspect the painting with a blacklight to understand what all the issues are.</p><p>So you see the purple light, and then you see the kinda, like, the greenish light? That indicates to us that there's, like a heavy, thick old varnish on that surface. If there wasn't that, you would just see pure purple.</p><p>You couldn't make out any sort of contrast or light in the background. The ornament and the details on her clothes were completely obscured. There was something on her head; we weren't sure if it was a hat or if it was hair.</p><p>When you're running the Q-tip over the painting, it can be quite black or quite orange or yellow depending on what you're taking off. Her skin was beautiful. It was bright, it had brushstrokes, color contrast, light.</p><p>The first step of removing the painting from the stretcher is to take out all of the tacks that are holding the sides of the canvas onto the stretcher. I'll save them and I'm gonna reuse them later.</p><p>You can see me using a knife to separate the lining canvas fully from the structure. Now comes the riskiest part, separating the painting from the stretcher. You want to be very careful because if the paint is not stable, you risk bending the painting and causing flaking or further damage. I need to cut strips of linen and attach them to the canvas so that I can then put the whole piece back together again.</p><p>I cut strips of BEVA, which is a conservator's adhesive. I then put the painting on the stretcher and use tacks to reattach the painting to its stretcher Then I filled, with a water based putty, areas of damage.</p><p>And I overfill the areas a little bit, and then I come back in with a damp cotton swab and clean up those fills.</p><p>Also, the original canvas doesn't extend quite to the edges of the stretcher so I need to go and fill about a quarter of an inch around the entire perimeter of the painting. Once the painting is filled, I will begin the retouching process.</p><p>I will use a paint that is specifically designed for conservation work. You're just trying to match the color to the color that the artist put there, and making sure that you're not painting over any of that original paint. There's two types of inpainting that I will do here. The first is inpainting over the fills that I just made. The second is inpainting the background. And this is the area that was previously overcleaned by the other restorer.</p><p>It's really important to use a conservation paint that dissolves in a solvent that is different than the original paint. And this allows our paint to be completely reversible. We could easily use that solvent to take off our paint and then the original paint would be unaffected.</p><p>Then I will be ready for varnish. We use a completely reversible non-yellowing varnish. I need to wipe off the surface of the painting with just a cloth because, like anything, it can accumulate little particles of dust, little hairs. I wanna make sure that that surface is as clean as possible. So once I wipe it off, I will brush on the varnish.</p><p>When you brush on the varnish, those fills, that inpainting, it all kind of blends cohesively into the background and into the surface of the painting and it just looks complete. And the <keyword id="61642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Restoration">restoration</keyword> is complete.</p>

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