Jesse Williams is already diving into his next projects. The former Grey’s Anatomy star is set to play the villain in Paramount’s upcoming film, Secret Headquarters.
As theGrio previously reported, Williams officially left the long-running drama Grey’s Anatomy after playing Dr. Jackson Avery for 12 seasons. With the fan-favorite actor’s schedule cleared up, he has been diving into new projects, including a Broadway play and now, an upcoming family-action flick from Paramount entitled Secret Headquarters.
The upcoming film is set to debut in theaters in August 2022 and will be directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.
Per Deadline, the film is “described as Home Alone set in the Batcave.” The film also boasts other stars, including Owen Wilson, Michael Peña, Walker Scobell, Momona Tamada, Keith L. Williams, Abby James Witherspoon and Kezii Curtis. Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman will produce the film.
Williams took to Instagram on Thursday to celebrate the casting announcement. The actor posted a screenshot of the Deadline article and wrote in the caption, “in the pocket…of big villainy!” in the post that already has over 25,000 likes.
Williams recently dedicated a lengthy post on Instagram to his farewell from Grey’s Anatomy, shouting out everyone from his fellow cast members to series creator Shonda Rhimes herself.
He wrote at the time, “As an actor, director and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many and I THANK OUR INCREDIBLE FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our lives and work. You are central to this story!”
He continued, “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 this array of tools, allies, opportunities and dear friends. Gratitude and love, now and forever.”
Williams has been keeping himself busy since his departure from Grey’s Anatomy in the spring. As TheGrio previously reported, he is also set to star in a Broadway play entitled, Take Me Out. Set to open on Broadway next spring, the play is about “a star baseball player who must overcome prejudice from teammates and friends after he reveals he’s gay.”
In an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Williams opened up about the role and the on-stage nudity involved.
He shared, “The character does call for a little bit of nudity, so what I will say about that is it’s terrifying in all the right ways,” he continued. “I’m looking to be challenged in new ways. To be scared and excited, to be pushed. One of the beautiful things about the job that I’ve had for so long is the comfort it creates. So, I’m excited to do something new.”
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