Jesse Williams To Star In TV Adaptation Of ‘Take Me Out’
Deadline is reporting that Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams will lead the limited television series and adaptation of Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award-winning play Take Me Out, which comes from Anonymous Content.
Set in the early 2000s, Take Me Out follows Darren Lemming, a mixed-race star center fielder for the fictional Empires. Darren’s decision to come out of the closet sparks controversy and soul searching for American’s favorite pastime, revealing long-held, unspoken prejudices both on and off the field. Facing some hostile teammates and fraught friendships, Darren is forced to confront the reality of being a gay person of color within the framework of a classic American institution. As the Empires rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties and the price of victory.
Greenberg will adapt his play for the small screen with Broadway director Scott Ellis, who has directed episodes of shows including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Modern Family, will direct the pilot.
Williams (left) will play Lemming in the series as well as the Broadway revival, directed by Ellis and produced by Second Stage Theater. In the play revival, which was which was delayed due to COVID-19 theater closures, Williams stars alongside Patrick J. Adams and Jesse Tyler Ferguson with performances now set to begin at Second Stage’s Helen Hayes Theater in Spring 2022.
The play, which premiered at The Public Theater in 2002 before making its way to Broadway, was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize and won the Tony Award for Best Play.
Williams is set to star in upcoming film Marked Man and is currently filming Paramount’s Secret Headquarters. Best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, he has also appeared in The Cabin in the Woods, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Band Aid, and Selah and the Spades. He also produced the 2021 Oscar-winning short film Two Distant Strangers.