<P> Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Johanna Chase, a professional potter, and Reginald Williams . Of mixed race, Williams has said his mother is Swedish and his father is African American, with some Seminole ancestry, from Georgia . His two younger brothers specialize in visual arts . Williams graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998 . After he graduated from high school, his parents each began teaching in the public school system, while his mother maintained her work in pottery . </P> <P> Williams graduated from Temple University with a double major in African American Studies and Film and Media Arts . Following in the footsteps of his parents, he taught high school in the Philadelphia public school system for six years: teaching American Studies, African Studies, and English . </P> <P> In 2005, Williams began to study acting and was chosen to participate in the New York Actors Showcase presented by ABC Television, one of 14 actors chosen from among over 800 individuals who auditioned . Since 2006, he has appeared in a number of television series, films and theatre productions . In 2012, he established a production company, farWord Inc . </P> <P> In May 2012, a fan campaign was organized to try to influence film executives to cast him in the role of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire . This news resulted in some Hunger Games fans protesting casting decisions made by the film executives . </P>

Who plays jackson's father on grey's anatomy