Jesse Williams shares his thoughts on the nude leak. Image Source: Just Jared
Jesse Williams shares his thoughts on the nude leak.
The Internet was taken aback after a picture of Jesse Williams from his Broadway debut, ‘Take Me Home', was doing the rounds in which the actor appeared to be nude. One of the audience members did break the no-phone policy in the theatre and not only clicked a picture but also decided to post it on social media, which took no time to surface all over the internet.
Jesse Williams has now spoken about the incident during an interview with the Associated Press. He stated he does not want to have his images and films on the internet, especially when performing nude sequences on stage, but that actors must continue to advocate for themselves when it comes to their safety and stage performances.
The actor stated that he is not okay with the photos and videos being made public but it is their job as performers to go out every night and perform regardless of the circumstances. Jesse said, a theatre is a sacred place, and nobody really understands it, respects it, or even regards it in the way that theatre actors would like. He also emphasized the importance of consent and urged everyone to remember this internationally.
As the play is set within a fictional baseball team's locker room, there are multiple sequences in which performers, including Jesse Williams, appear nude on stage about which the actor stated in his previous interviews that he was nervous initially but then he got comfortable with it. The Grey's Anatomy alum noted that the play's nuance is extremely honest, and that something makes sense to everyone working on it, but that it isn't salacious. The scenes in which players appear naked on stage, according to Jesse, are designed to put the audience in an interesting position so that they may understand, resonate, and empathize with the characters.
After the picture was leaked, the production company, Second Stage Theatre, expressed their disappointment in the audience member who had leaked the picture and announced that they would be adding additional security and an infrared camera system facing the audience so that the authorities could monitor the audience, especially during the shower scene. The production company already has a no-phones policy in place, with ticket holders placing their phones in closed Yondr bags as soon as they enter the theater to prevent the actors from being filmed for their safety. After the show, audience members may unlock their phones as they leave.
The Second Stage Theatre is actively urging everyone to not share or distribute Jesse Williams’ pictures anymore because he did not sign up or was okay with being clicked while performing. Actor’s Equity also responded to the situation, stating that they are highly disappointed by the actions of one of the audience members who thought to not only click his picture but also leak it for the world to see. Even the fans of the actors have take it to social media and urged other people not to share the picture and have been sending love and support to the actor.
Take Me Out tells the story of a major league baseball player who comes out as gay and the ripple effect it has on the team. Jesse Williams, who plays the lead, has received a Tony Award nomination for his performance, and the production is also up for a revival nomination. It is directed by Richard Greenberg.
Actor Michael Oberholtzer, who has also earned a Tony Award nomination, stated that he is very disappointed with the way things have turned out. He added that people feel that they are allowed to do and say anything because they have paid for the admission or maybe because they are subscription members, but there is a boundary to every behavior. He described the entire fiasco as a violation of people’s consent.
Previously, Jesse Tyler Ferguson expressed his disappointment in the audience member by stating that it’s extremely saddening that someone would do this and not care about the relationship between the audience and the actors in a play.
