Exclusive Interview
Jesse Williams Looks Back at First Movie Role in ‘Sisterhood of Traveling Pants 2’
Before he was Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy, Jesse Williams was Leo in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Every millennial girl remembers the sequel and how Lena (Alexis Bledel) began dating the dashing Leo after a falling out with her Greek love, Kostas (Michael Rady).
The 2008 follow-up film was Williams’ first-ever movie role. The Hotel Costiera actor spoke with Swooon and reflected fondly on that moment of his life.
“That was my first movie. I was nervous. I was working, waiting tables at the Soho Grand [in New York City],” Williams told Swooon. There was an orientation going on at the time, but he asked his manager to sneak away for the audition.
The actor recalled that he quite literally “ran to the audition” and “got there all hot and sweaty and out of breath.” He was still dressed in his work clothes. “I looked like a sailor or something,” he added.
Williams was able to calm down before he went in for the audition, which he felt went “really well” in the moment. (He also acknowledged that “auditioning sucks.”) The Broadway alum walked back to the Soho Grand with his “head held high” and eventually booked the role.
“I love New York. I love living in New York and hustling in New York, so it meant a lot to me to kind of watch this thing turn into a real job,” he said.
While he gets recognized mostly for his role on Grey’s Anatomy, Williams did admit that his fans do bring up The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Unfortunately for Leo, his romance with Lena doesn’t last. She ends up reuniting with Kostas.
“They bring everything up. It’s like being in a relationship with a woman. They remember everything,” Williams quipped about his fans.
