Jesse Williams sparked an internet frenzy Monday after a nude video of him in the Broadway play Take Me Out emerged online.
Filming at the show is strictly prohibited, but one audience member clearly broke the rules and shared the clip online.
The leak came as Williams nabbed a Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Tony Awards nomination for his role as Darren Lemming.
The play’s synopsis on 2nd Stage reads, “When Darren Lemming (Williams), the star center fielder for the Empires, comes out of the closet, the reception off the field reveals a barrage of long-held unspoken prejudices.
“Facing some hostile teammates and fraught friendships, Darren is forced to contend with the challenges of being a gay person of colour within the confines of a classic American institution. As the Empires struggle to rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties, and the price of victory.”
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Most of the male cast, including Patrick J. Adams, go full frontal in the shower scene in the play.
Williams told Andy Cohen of what it’s like being naked on stage during Monday’s “Watch What Happens Live”: “A non-reaction is a really interesting reaction. The quiet, you know. Creates a lot of insecurity.”
READ MORE: Jesse Williams Wanted A ‘Terrifying’ Challenge After ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Exit
Broadway star Jesse Williams dishes on audience reactions to his nude scenes in Take Me Out. #WWHL pic.twitter.com/w3zttHqqxJ
— WWHL (@BravoWWHL) May 10, 2022
Twitter had quite the reaction to the nude clip:
Me at the ticket counter to see Jessie Williams on Broadway. pic.twitter.com/WK3qNIl0ZZ
— TYLER PERRY’S MY BOSS (@DiTarrieLaRons) May 10, 2022
Good morning to Jessie Williams and to Jessie Williams only @iJesseWilliams
— ♣Scarlett (@sca404) May 10, 2022
Damn, I regret missing that broadway show 🤪 #JesseWilliams #TakeMeOut
— tiny dancer (@itsmaylea) May 10, 2022
Good morning to Jesse Williams, and Jesse Williams only pic.twitter.com/kW6DebP2sP
— Nettie (@CaptureThe_) May 10, 2022
I was confused last night when someone I followed tweeted about Jesse Williams seemingly out of nowhere and then I just found out why pic.twitter.com/TGPUb5ogjM
— 💜D'Andra💜 (@namjoons_her) May 10, 2022
Daaaayyyyuuuummmm #JesseWilliams pic.twitter.com/i5v3ML18bo
— ♋️🇯🇲SLEEPY CUZZ 🇹🇹♋️ (@SuccMyDrift) May 10, 2022
When I saw Jesse Williams was trending I thought he was coming back to Greys or he had a spin-off. I was pleasantly surprised with the real reason. Unf. pic.twitter.com/mqWyVp1xu0
— Francesca. (@FurtiveSplendor) May 10, 2022