Jesse Williams told Andy Cohen during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live that his naked body was “not such a big deal.”
Williams, 40, was the victim of a nude photo leak after someone violated his show Take Me Out’s no-phone policy. In one scene in the play, Williams appears completely nude.
As the images spread like wildfire on social media, Williams appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on May 9.
Williams told Cohen during the after-show portion of the program, “It’s a body, as soon as you see it you realize it’s whatever, it’s a boy! I just don’t have to make it such a big deal.’
Williams’ nude photos were leaked May 9 after a viewer broke the theater’s no-phone policy
Williams, who plays baseball player Darren Lemming from the fictional New York Empires, is the only actor to appear nude on the show
Williams, who appeared on Watch What Happens Life with Andy Cohen alongside co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, said he tries not to worry about audience reaction to his nudity
In Take Me Out, Williams portrays midfielder Darren Lemming, who comes out as gay at the peak of his powers on the field for the fictional New York Empires.
A disclaimer on the official website for the play reads, “Please note: Take Me Out includes adult situations and nudity.” Williams is the only actor to appear nude on stage.
During the interview, Williams spoke about the various reactions he’s received to his nudity: “A non-reaction [from the audience] is a really interesting reaction. The silence.’
When asked what audience reaction he preferred, Williams said, “I don’t like any of that.”
Williams added that since the run began, he’s learned not to try to “interpret” the various reactions his nude scene evokes because it creates “more insecurity” for him.
He later joked that he didn’t feel good about his penis being seen on stage, leading to sympathetic groans from the audience.
A message on the Hayes Theater website tells viewers that the show is a “phone-free room.”
The theater partners with a company called Yondr, which “uses a patented system to create phone-free spaces for performers.”
When asked if he liked any of the reactions, Williams said, “I don’t like any of it.”
Spectators’ phones are placed in pockets and locked. Patrons keep their bags and have them unlocked in the theater lobby after the show.
However, after leaking Williams’ photos, it’s clear that at least one person ignored the disclaimer.
Speaking to Cohen, Williams went on to say that he didn’t want to know if his friends would be in the audience.
Williams said, “I didn’t know Ellen [Pompeo] or Debbie [Allen] came and I learned in my first few weeks in production that I don’t want to know. I thought I was confident, ‘Oh yeah sure tell me,’ and I realized I don’t want to know, absolutely not.”
Pompeo admitted during an April 2022 episode of her podcast. Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo, where her guest was comedian Ms. Pat, revealed that she wasn’t looking forward to seeing her co-star naked on stage.
She said: “I don’t really know, Pat. But to be honest, I’m not really trying to find out either. I mean, I have to support my friend.’
Williams spoke about the feeling of appearing naked on stage during a 2021 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The star told guest host tWitch, “The character calls for a bit of nudity, so what I’m going to say is that it’s terrifying in all the right ways. I’m looking for new challenges. Fear and excitement of being pushed.’
Take Me Out runs at the Hayes Theater until June 11th. Williams joked during his performance with Andy Cohen that he didn’t want his friends to let him know when they were attending
Williams, who played the role of Dr. Jackson Avery left Grey’s Anatomy in May 2021, appeared shirtless on the show, which was the closest thing to the nudity he got during his performance.
The show’s executive producer Shonda Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly in July 2020, “We felt that a shirtless Jackson Avery would be a benefit to society, so we’ll see a little bit of that early in the season.”
Take Me Out runs on Broadway at the Hayes Theater through June 11.