'Grey's Anatomy' Alum Reveals Reaction to Final Episode

Jesse Williams said a sad goodbye to Grey's Anatomy after working for 12 seasons on the doctor drama. In a recent appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Williams admitted it he was surprised when he became emotional watching his character Dr. Jackson Avery finally leave Grey-Sloan Memorial hospital for the last time. "It was a little more emotional than I expected, to be honest," Williams shared. "It's been a long, beautiful, just spectacular journey."

The most emotional moment for him came when watching the final montage. "Seeing this young kid start and what that character's journey was, you know, it did contextualize it for me a little bit," he noted. "It's pretty nice." Like his character grew throughout his time on the show, Williams also underwent his own career growth. The series served as one of his biggest acting roles to date, he said. He earned his first experience as a director on the show as well.

Williams announced he was leaving the show in May, leaving fans quite upset (Greg Germann was also announced to leave at the same time). "As an actor, director and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many," he said in a statement to E! "And I thank our beautiful fans, who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our shared worlds." He continued: "The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift I'll carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies and dear friends."

"Greg Germann is a comic genius and we are so lucky that he brought his talents to our show these last few years," Vernoff told Deadline. "We will miss Greg terribly in the day-to-day – but we plan to see Tom Koracick again!" Germann joined the series as a recurring star during Season 14, then was bumped to series regular after two seasons. "To have worked with all the incredibly talented people involved with Grey's over the past few years has been such a privilege," Germann said of his surprise exit. "A big thank you to the fans as it has truly been a shared experience!"