Jesse Williams almost became a soap star.

Jesse William was almost a soap star

Jesse William was almost a soap star

The 40-year-old actor - who is known for starring as Dr. Jackson Avery on hit medical drama 'Grey's Anatomy' - revealed that he was once offered a role on a Los Angeles-based soap opera early in his career, despite having had no thought of acting at that time.

He said: "I was in college. I had no thoughts about acting at that time but I read for something. My agent got me an audition. They called me back and they offered it to me."

However, the star went on to explain that he couldn't take the role because it would mean that he would have to quit at school and move from his native Philadelphia for the "short stint".

Without naming the soap opera in particular, he added: "I would have to move from Philadelphia, drop out of school, go to Los Angeles [and] explain to my parents that I’m quitting school to do a short stint on some soap opera. So, it was lovely of them to offer, but I knew that was not my path."

Jesse - who has children Sadie, eight and Maceo , six with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee - took a variety of low-paid jobs in his early twenties and quipped that he only regretted turning down the job when he was struggling financially.

Speaking on 'Live with Kelly and Ryan', he added: "I was bartending and waiting tables, just New York hustling while I was figure out what I was gonna do with my life, having that quarter life crisis you have in your twenties. [I thought about the soap opera] when that unemployment cheque[ran] out. Like, 'How much were they gonna pay me?'"

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