- Jesse Williams has addressed the nudity leak of his Broadway debut.
- "I'm not down about it. Our job is to go out there every night, no matter what," the actor said in an interview.
- However, he did note that "we do need to keep advocating for ourselves" when it comes to what the theatrical community stands for.
Jesse Williams is brushing off the nudity leak of his Broadway debut.
The actor vowed not to be discouraged after leaked video and images of his onstage nude scene in Take Me Out were posted online last week.
In an interview with Associated Press, Williams said, "I'm not down about it. Our job is to go out there every night, no matter what."
However, the actor praised the support he's received since the leak, adding that "we do need to keep advocating for ourselves. And it's wonderful to see a community push back and make clear what we do stand for and what we don't. Consent is important, I thought. So, let's keep that in mind universally."
"Theatre is a sacred space, and everybody doesn't understand that," Williams said. "Everybody doesn't necessarily respect or regard that in a way that maybe they should, or we'd like."
Speaking more about the scene itself, Williams said: "It's not salacious. It serves the story. It puts the audience in an interesting position to relate, to empathize with the characters."
Williams, who was nominated for a Tony Award on the same day the footage leaked, stars as a gay baseball player in the Richard Greenberg play. Much of the production is set in a locker room, and the actors go full-frontal during a shower scene.
Following the leak, the Actors' Equity Association denounced the audience member who filmed and published the nude scene.
Second Stage Theatre, which produces the show, also released a statement via Instagram, along with Williams' co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
READ MORE | Jesse Williams Broadway nude leak condemned as 'breach of consent'