Jesse Williams will be reprising his role in an upcoming episode of 'Grey's Anatomy.' Williams will guest star and direct the fifth episode of season 19.

ABC/ Mike Rosenthal

FILM & TV

Jesse Williams Returning to Grey’s Anatomy in New Episode

Jesse Williams will be reprising his role in an upcoming episode of 'Grey's Anatomy.' Williams will guest star and direct the fifth episode of season 19.
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Paging plastics, Dr. Jackson Avery is returning to Grey Sloan Memorial. Jesse Williams will be reprising his role in an upcoming episode of the hit medical drama. Williams will guest star and direct the fifth episode of season 19, “When I Get to the Border,” airing on November 3.

After twelve seasons of playing the famous plastic surgeon, Dr. Avery, the series announced that Williams would leave Grey’s Anatomy in its seventeenth season. The news of the actor’s departure was revealed in the fourteenth episode of season 17, and his final appearance as a series regular was in the following episode. 

In episode fifteen, Jackson moved to Boston to run his family’s foundation. Sarah Drew, who embodied one of Williams’ love interests, and fellow surgeons, Dr. April Kepner, also appeared in the episode as a guest star. Williams and Drew returned to the series again last season, revealing that their characters had reconciled their relationship.

Deadline reported that Williams will only appear in the upcoming episode in passing. Dr. Avery will catch up with Ellen Pompeo‘s Dr. Meredith Grey when she takes a trip to Boston. Episode five of the new season will be the fourth episode of the ABC drama that Williams has directed. 

News of Williams’ return is not the first development from season 19 regarding Grey’s Anatomy‘s veteran cast members. Before the season’s premiere, Deadline also reported that Pompeo will scale back her appearances as the series’ titular character. In addition, Pompeo will only appear in eight episodes of the new season to have time to pursue other projects. 

Fans are thrilled that Dr. Avery will return to the series and are excited to tune in to the next episode of Grey’s Anatomy. All episodes of Grey’s Anatomy are available to stream on Hulu