Very mild spoilers ahead from Power Season 6's October 27, 2019 episode.
Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Jackson Avery wouldn't even recognize the heavily tattooed character Jesse Williams just played on Starz's Power. Williams took a break from Grey Sloan drama for a guest role in Power Season 6, Episode 9, "Scorched Earth," which aired Sunday, October 27 on Starz.
In the episode, Jesse Williams had the small role as Kadeem, LaKeisha's (La La Anthony) ex-lover, who had a scene with Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora).
Jesse Williams had previewed his cameo the day before it aired:
How did Jesse Williams end up nabbing a role in Power's final season? As he told Entertainment Weekly, he's a good friend of Power creator Courtney Kemp, and he's also a big fan of the show.
Courtney and I have been trying to figure out a way to work together for some time. We figured hell or high water, we’re going to find a way to sneak me in. With the show wrapping up, she wanted to squeeze me in for kind of a surprise cameo and to get our working relationship started. It’s a monster show and I thought it would be fun to pop in for the final season. It’s an interesting character. The character had a presence in the show for a duration because he was in a relationship with La La Anthony’s character and is the father of Cash. He’s just been off-screen this whole time. It’s kind of cool to come in with a character that’s kind of been ever-present.
Now Power fans can imagine Jesse Williams' Kadeem in the background of every moment from the series so far. But that doesn't mean he'll be a continuing presence on the upcoming Power spinoffs that have already been announced. While he wants to continue working with Courtney Kemp, he's not currently on board for the Power spinoff:
Not that I know of and I’m not withholding, I just don’t know. We really are fans of each other, we’d love to figure out ways to work and she’s got really cool ideas for the spinoffs. I’m open to doing cool, creative, different work that I haven’t done before. It’s certainly a possibility as far as I can tell.
Right after the news came out that Power would be ending with Season 6, executive producer Courtney Kemp talked about having four potential spinoffs in the works:
We will follow some of your beloved Power characters beyond the scope of the initial series. But we will play with your expectations of which characters, where, and the master timeline of it all, creating a Power universe as unpredictable as the original.
Sounds like Jesse Williams is definitely open to the possibility of more Power moves, but what about Grey's Anatomy? Jesse Williams was reportedly the last series regular to sign on for the currently airing Grey's Anatomy Season 16. He didn't just sign for this year, though, he's on board for ABC's Season 17 as well.
According to Deadline, one of Jesse Williams' Grey's Anatomy contract sticking points was his availability this year so he could do Power, presumably, but also prepare for his Broadway debut this spring. He may be missing some episodes later this year to prepare for that role. As of now, Dr. Avery is enjoying a new romance in a Station 19 crossover, and not enjoying spending more time working with Dr. Tom Koracick.
Jesse Williams told EW Grey's Anatomy has been very accommodating with his schedule, since he's been there 11 years.
I’m on Grey's, I’ve got a relationship with a character on another Shonda show. I’m doing Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu. I’ve done a couple of movies. I’m getting ready for a play. I’ve got some tech companies that has me running in and out of the state. Grey's allows to the best of their ability for us to be able to have a life outside of the show while carrying a big load for them. I can’t say enough about how accommodating and loving they are.
That's good to hear. Jesse Williams has become one of the main stars of Grey's Anatomy, and fans were briefly worried that they might lose Jackson to the fog of the Season 15 finale. As Williams noted, he has a lot going on career-wise beyond Grey's Anatomy and we'll have to stay tuned to see if he indeed returns for a Power spinoff or if that was just some one-off fun.
Power is currently airing its final season on Sundays, although the episodes might get disrupted for Comcast subscribers (and 50 Cent is not happy about it). Grey's Anatomy continues Thursdays on ABC.
