Jackson Avery and April Kepner are not even surgeons who currently work at Grey’s Anatomy’s Grey Sloan Memorial, and yet the on-again couple remain one of the most beloved by the fandom. There’s something about the combination of the characters' on-screen chemistry and the mutual admiration actors Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew have for each other that makes them simply magnetic. The pair have had nothing but complimentary things to say about each other over the years, and Williams continued that trend when recalling a couple of intimate Grey’s Anatomy scenes that left him awestruck.
Jesse Williams reflected on one of the couple’s most iconic (and hottest) scenes, which occurred in Season 8’s "Let the Bad Times Roll," and saw the two hooking up after being overwhelmed by the stress of their medical boards. He told Insider that was such a big scene for Sarah Drew, because that part of her character hadn’t been explored, and he was in awe of her performance. In his words:
April hadn't ever been in her body, demonstrated that kind of sexuality and confidence, and sultriness before, and probably not often after to my memory, So this kind of sexual empowerment was like, 'Whoa,' it was a different scene partner.
Knowing that Jesse Williams recognized that moment of sexual awakening for April — to the point where he didn’t even recognize his scene partner — makes me love the relationship these actors share even more. That kind of respect between him and Sarah Drew is part of what’s had fans clamoring for a Japril spinoff for years. (And with Ellen Pompeo leaving Grey’s Anatomy, now would be the perfect time for that spinoff to come to fruition.)
Longtime fans know that Jackson and April’s relationship wasn’t without struggles accompanying the snuggles, though, and Jesse Williams also talked about Sarah Drew’s performance in Season 11’s “All I Could Do Was Cry.” That episode showed the birth of Jackson and April’s son Samuel, who had been diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta and lived only a few hours. Williams said he “didn’t know the difference” between real childbirth and what Drew was portraying, and even forgot he was acting. He said:
Good lord, I mean, it was real. ... I was sitting right next to her all up in her face and I lost track of that I was supposed to be in the scene. I was just watching her, riveted.
As emotional a day as that was for Jesse Williams, the effect it had on Sarah Drew also can't be denied. Ten hours after filming that heartbreaking scene, she went into premature labor with her own baby, who was born a month early and spent two weeks in the NICU.
They may not be on Grey’s Anatomy anymore, but showrunner Krista Vernoff is aware of how beloved Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew are. The couple already made a guest appearance in the Season 18 finale, and Williams returned to direct and appear in a Season 19 episode that set up Meredith Grey’s big move, so hopefully they’ll keep feeding us these little Japril updates.
For now, though, fans can rewatch all of Jackson Avery and April Kepner’s biggest moments, as the first 18 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
