Jesse Williams discusses Take Me Out nude scene as video from Broadway play leaks online
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Grey's Anatomy alum Jesse Williams went viral on Monday, but not for the reasons he was probably hoping for.
As the actor received a Tony Award nomination for his performance as center fielder Darren Lemming in the Broadway play Take Me Out, video of his full-frontal nude scene leaked online and instantly went viral on Twitter.
Coincidentally, Williams also spoke about being nude on stage during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live alongside his Take Me Out costar Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The episode aired Monday and was reportedly recorded before the leak.
"Everybody makes such a big deal," Williams said of his nude scene when asked about it by host Andy Cohen. "It's a body. Once you see it, you realize it's whatever."
A few of the pair's other Take Me Out castmates were manning the WWHL bar, including Eduardo Ramos and Julian Cihi. "Does the audience react to the nudity on stage?" Cohen asked, starting at the 3:04 mark in the video clip above.
"A non-reaction is a really interesting reaction," Williams chimed in. "The quiet, you know, creates a lot of insecurity." When asked if he prefers a reaction from the audience over the nudity, Williams replied, "I don't like any of it. I've learned in my minutes of theater [experience] — which is all a first for me — is don't try to read into it because it just creates more insecurity."
"How insane, though. This is your stage debut and you're, like, fully naked. I mean, that's doubly scary," Cohen said.
"I'm told it's quite insane, but it's a first so I have nothing to compare it to and I won't be scared of anything after this, that's for sure," Williams remarked.
Joan Marcus Jesse Williams in Broadway's 'Take Me Out'
Take Me Out stars Williams as a baseball player who comes out as gay and faces personal and professional repercussions. The production opened at Second Stage's Hayes Theater last month and runs through June 11.
Attendees are required to keep their cellular devices locked in cases throughout the entirety of the performance in order to protect the actors. No photography or recording is permitted inside the theater. However, it seems someone did not follow these rules as video of Williams' naked shower scene began making the rounds online following news of the actor's Tony nomination.
Reps for Williams did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment. Second Stage issued a statement Thursday afternoon condemning the leak, calling it "a gross and unacceptable violation of trust between the actor and audience."
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