The revolving door at Grey’s Anatomy continues to spin.
Jesse Williams is exiting the beloved ABC medical drama after 12 years in the role of Jackson Avery.
The actor who first appeared on Grey’s Anatomy Season 6 will exit on Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 15, set to air May 20, according to Deadline.
No details have been given on how Jackson’s final arc will play out, but we’re inclined to believe he will survive his final episode.
The series wouldn’t announce the exit this soon if something bad was going to happen to him.
“Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work,” Grey’s showrunner Krista Vernoff said in a statement to Deadline.
“We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery — played to perfection for so many years.”
“I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda [Rhimes], the network, studio, fellow cast mates, our incredible crew, Krista [Vernoff], Ellen [Pompeo] and Debbie [Allen],” Williams said in a statement.
“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.”
“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.”
Williams took center stage on Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 14, an installment that reunited him with his former co-star, Sarah Drew, who returned for a special episode.
The news marks the second series regular to exit this season after Gianniotti’s Dr. Andrew DeLuca was killed off in a freak incident earlier this year.
That exit sent shockwaves through the fandom, but this exit seems more so about giving Jackson a fulfilling arc, which could ultimately romantically reunite him with April.
He joins a list of actors, including Justin Chambers, Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight, Isaiah Washington, Jerrika Hinton, Sara Ramirez, Sandra Oh, Eric Dane, and Chyler Leigh, to bow out of the series.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 brought several cast members back into the fold, including those whose characters died.
This was all thanks to a dream-like scenario that found Meredith unconscious due to complications brought on from COVID-19.
The news also comes as the future remains in question for the medical drama, which has yet to land a renewal for Season 18.
What are your thoughts on the news?
Do you think it’s time to end the series?
Hit the comments below.
Remember, you can watch Grey’s Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.