Coming from New York, you're kind of indoctrinated with anti-L.A. sentiment, but California is just a really dope state. Jesse Williams More Quotes by Jesse Williams More Quotes From Jesse Williams If someone says, 'Democracy is a sham, those people don't speak for me... the system's rigged,' you say, 'Vote.' Someone says, 'I was making a statement by not voting,' and then you say, 'Well I can't hear it.' Jesse Williams me you democracy people We often grow up being told that we can do this or that, but if you don't see anybody that looks like you doing it, you don't believe you can do it. But I had great teachers, and I wanted to be a great teacher. Jesse Williams great you teacher believe There's so much material out there that's unnecessarily racist. It takes a shot at what is 'urban' or demonstrates blackness with some sassy, neck-jiving character that's not even relevant to the plot. I see it time and time again, and it doesn't move the story forward. It just kind of cryogenically freezes us in this old racial paradigm. Jesse Williams story see time character Blackness is not a monolith. We are not homogenous people; we are not all the same. Jesse Williams same blackness people I'm very grateful and fully aware that 90 percent of actors are not working. Going from public school teacher to a show like 'Grey's Anatomy', I love what I do. Jesse Williams grateful teacher love school That's why the role that I have on 'Grey's Anatomy' is important to me, because it's a human being. He doesn't have to wear race on his sleeve; he doesn't even have to talk about it. We just lead by our actions. Jesse Williams wear me important race You have to be up-front from the very beginning about what your expectations of the other person are, and you can't make any promises you don't intend to keep. Jesse Williams promises your beginning you I always find that really interesting, you know, when I get to see characters that I love in TV and film and theater around their family. Jesse Williams know you family love I don't check for Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly or any of these demons on the Right. They don't wake me up in the morning. I don't care about them, and they certainly don't drive the conversations I'm thinking about, but they do have an audience, and they do lie all day, every day about disenfranchised people. Jesse Williams day me morning people I grew up in a really horrible school system, but my parents did not let that define how we function. They gave me more work at home from them than I ever got from school. To learn about the history of myself and my people, and that armors me. Jesse Williams myself me work history Storytelling is based on the word, being an honorable person of integrity is based on your word. Jesse Williams your person being integrity Staying true to our goals, Question Bridge as a company and as a project is not singularly about black males. One of the things I'm so excited about Question Bridge is that my vision goes far beyond black males. Jesse Williams bridge goals vision black I'm kind of in a middle space, being marketed as a biracial actor. Roles are written either stereotypically black, or they're written 'normal,' which is just code for white. Jesse Williams being black space white It was very important to me to be with a woman who is better than me at some things. You want someone who brings new, interesting things into your life. Jesse Williams woman me you life I download, like, forty songs a day, I'm a big music collector and a big record collector. Jesse Williams big day like music I'm always trying to find the next comedian that just gives me something a little funny to combine with all of the depressing news that I'm processing. Jesse Williams me news trying funny I'm an athletic junkie - I play in all the celebrity all-star games, and I've become buddies with a bunch of athletes. Jesse Williams celebrity become games play As an actor, you want to be able to move your character forward into new ground, but also it's really interesting to go backwards and unpeel those layers and the interesting elements of what your character is and what informs the decisions that you make so that you can have as much meat to work with. Jesse Williams new you work character Storybooks were always a big part of my imagination, and my childhood and adolescence. Jesse Williams big always childhood imagination I like to take credit for the work that I have done. Jesse Williams like credit done work
