Jesse Williams has addressed the leaked footage showing him nude in the Broadway play “Take Me Out.”
Speaking to Associated Press on Saturday, the “Grey’s Anatomy” actor discussed the unauthorized video of the scene, which was taken by an audience member and was later released online.
“I’m not down about it. Our job is to go out there every night, no matter what,” he said. “I’m not really worrying about it. I can’t sweat that.”
While he expressed that he was personally unaffected by the video, Jesse stressed the importance of respecting theatre rules.
“We do need to keep advocating for ourselves,” the 40-year-old continued, referring to performers. “And it’s wonderful to see a community push back and make clear what we do stand for, what we don’t.”
Elsewhere, Jesse noted the difference between consenting to perform the nude scene to an in-person audience and an infinite online one.
Theatergoers are required to put their devices in special cases for “Take Me Out,” which can only be unlocked in the lobby.
“Consent is important, I thought. So, let’s keep that in mind universally,” he added. “Theatre is a sacred space, and everybody doesn’t understand that. Everybody doesn’t necessarily respect or regard that in a way that maybe they should, or we’d like.”
Jesse stars as Darren Lemming in the revival of the show, which follows a gay baseball player coming out to his teammates and the press.
He has landed a Tony Award nomination for his performance. Meanwhile, Twitter is still flabbergasted by Jesse’s manhood almost a week later.
#JesseWilliams #Broadway https://t.co/8kV1jeHqle
