If you’re a fan of the Percy Jackson Universe, then you’ve probably heard about the fact that the actors for the golden trio (Percy, Annabeth, and Grover) have been cast a few weeks ago for the new series that is going to be aired on Disney+. I basically grew up on the Percy Jackson saga, so you can imagine how excited I was. I hope that I will be able to do these actors justice and convince you to watch the show when it airs.
*REMINDER*
Remember that these actors are CHILDREN and that they deserve to be respected and appreciated. They earned these roles with their hard work, so any and all hate will not be tolerated. And before you say anything, yes, the author Rick Riordan himself had a say in who would be the perfect role for the characters, so don’t go around saying that the actors are not who he wanted.
Remember that these actors are CHILDREN and that they deserve to be respected and appreciated. They earned these roles with their hard work, so any and all hate will not be tolerated. And before you say anything, yes, the author Rick Riordan himself had a say in who would be the perfect role for the characters, so don’t go around saying that the actors are not who he wanted.
Percy jacksonNow that reminders are out of the way, let me introduce you to our main character, Percy Jackson. He’s a 12-year-old boy from New York who was accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt. He’s a typical 12-year-old boy, reckless and curious. With that being said, allow me to introduce you to the amazing 13-year-old actor that will be playing our seaweed brain. |
Walker Scobell
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Now I don’t know about you guys, but Walker is the best Percy I could’ve ever asked for. He may seem familiar to some of you, right? If yes, then it may be because he starred as Young Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project. Let me tell you that I am being completely honest when I say that this boy is an amazing actor, and he has the best personality. Just take a look at some of his interviews and you will see that his personality is god-tier and so similar to the one that we imagine Percy to have in the books. Even his acting is amazing; not just any person can work on an extravagant film with Ryan Reynolds and absolutely ace every execution. If this boy can be a young Ryan, then he most definitely is going to make the best Percy.
Hair and eye color can be changed, so stop being pissy about it
Let me talk about the part of the fandom that I hate: the people that say he will make a terrible Percy because he doesn't have black hair and green eyes. People do know that contacts and hair dye exist, right? Like honestly, what matters here is that we get an actor that can actually execute a character well, not whether they were born with the correct physical description. I wouldn’t care if Walker played Percy with blond hair as long as he’s enjoying what he’s doing and he tries his best to fully execute the character. I find these people to be absolutely insufferable. So don’t be like those people, because hair dye and contacts exist.
A PJO nerd like the rest of us
Last but most importantly, he’s a huge Percy Jackson fan. When I saw his reaction to being cast, it made all of my doubts go away because I knew that Walker Scobell will absolutely cherish and put his all into Percy’s character. The reason I had my doubts at first was because the last time the books were adapted into a live action movie, Percy’s old actor (Logan Lerman) had little to no connection with his character.
Before I say anything, I want you all to know that I intend absolutely no hate to Logan, he’s an amazing actor and an amazing person. The reason I know that he knew close to nothing about the most important parts of Percy’s character: in one interview, he was asked if he liked blue food. If you know even a little bit about the series or have even read just the first book, then you know that blue food is a huge part of Percy’s character, but Logan didn’t understand what it meant and proceeded to say that blue food had nothing to do with Percy’s character or the saga. In the end, I intend no hate to Logan because I love and respect him greatly, but I feel that Percy just wasn’t meant to be played by him. Walker is the Percy Jackson that we all dreamed of, and I have faith that he will be the Percy he’s always wanted to see on the big screen.
Hair and eye color can be changed, so stop being pissy about it
Let me talk about the part of the fandom that I hate: the people that say he will make a terrible Percy because he doesn't have black hair and green eyes. People do know that contacts and hair dye exist, right? Like honestly, what matters here is that we get an actor that can actually execute a character well, not whether they were born with the correct physical description. I wouldn’t care if Walker played Percy with blond hair as long as he’s enjoying what he’s doing and he tries his best to fully execute the character. I find these people to be absolutely insufferable. So don’t be like those people, because hair dye and contacts exist.
A PJO nerd like the rest of us
Last but most importantly, he’s a huge Percy Jackson fan. When I saw his reaction to being cast, it made all of my doubts go away because I knew that Walker Scobell will absolutely cherish and put his all into Percy’s character. The reason I had my doubts at first was because the last time the books were adapted into a live action movie, Percy’s old actor (Logan Lerman) had little to no connection with his character.
Before I say anything, I want you all to know that I intend absolutely no hate to Logan, he’s an amazing actor and an amazing person. The reason I know that he knew close to nothing about the most important parts of Percy’s character: in one interview, he was asked if he liked blue food. If you know even a little bit about the series or have even read just the first book, then you know that blue food is a huge part of Percy’s character, but Logan didn’t understand what it meant and proceeded to say that blue food had nothing to do with Percy’s character or the saga. In the end, I intend no hate to Logan because I love and respect him greatly, but I feel that Percy just wasn’t meant to be played by him. Walker is the Percy Jackson that we all dreamed of, and I have faith that he will be the Percy he’s always wanted to see on the big screen.
Annabeth ChasE
Now that you’ve met our amazing Percy, let me introduce you to Annabeth Chase, a 12-year-old genius demigod who’s been at Camp Half-Blood ever since she ran away from her home in Virginia at the age of 7. She’s the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and it’s safe to say that Annabeth got much of her intelligence from her mother. Meet our wise girl… |
Leah Sava JefferieS
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First of all, I love this girl with all of my heart and will fight anyone who says something nasty.
Race Has Nothing To Do With How Well A Person Plays A Character
Secondly, although I don’t know much about her acting career, I know that she doesn't deserve to be told that she’s not suited to play Annabeth because she's not what everyone thought Annabeth was going to look like.
Annabeth’s Stereotype Discussion
Some people say that Annabeth’s whole character arc and inner battle in the books is that she defies that dumb white blond stereotype, and I agree with them to about extent. But let me ask you one thing:
Who is more likely to be stereotyped today? A young blond white girl or a young black girl?
I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that question without me having to tell you, which is why I completely agree with this casting. Although Leah isn’t what people imagined, she’s what we needed. She’s an inspiration to not only young black girls but also any POC child. She's the proof that just because a character was originally made to be different, enough hard work, perseverance, and talent will show incredible results. There are so many different things that people say about those with darker skin tones, and POC have always been forced to fight tooth and nail against those stereotypes previously placed upon us. And a Black woman is more likely to get stereotyped than anyone else. If I hear anyone so much as say that she isn’t qualified to play Annabeth because she doesn’t have to deal with stereotypes, I will have no mercy in making your life miserable.
Go Be Racist Somewhere Else
In conclusion, regarding Leah playing Annabeth Chase, take your racist ideologies somewhere else because she doesn’t deserve the hate that she is getting when you and I both know she will make the best Annabeth ever.
Race Has Nothing To Do With How Well A Person Plays A Character
Secondly, although I don’t know much about her acting career, I know that she doesn't deserve to be told that she’s not suited to play Annabeth because she's not what everyone thought Annabeth was going to look like.
Annabeth’s Stereotype Discussion
Some people say that Annabeth’s whole character arc and inner battle in the books is that she defies that dumb white blond stereotype, and I agree with them to about extent. But let me ask you one thing:
Who is more likely to be stereotyped today? A young blond white girl or a young black girl?
I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that question without me having to tell you, which is why I completely agree with this casting. Although Leah isn’t what people imagined, she’s what we needed. She’s an inspiration to not only young black girls but also any POC child. She's the proof that just because a character was originally made to be different, enough hard work, perseverance, and talent will show incredible results. There are so many different things that people say about those with darker skin tones, and POC have always been forced to fight tooth and nail against those stereotypes previously placed upon us. And a Black woman is more likely to get stereotyped than anyone else. If I hear anyone so much as say that she isn’t qualified to play Annabeth because she doesn’t have to deal with stereotypes, I will have no mercy in making your life miserable.
Go Be Racist Somewhere Else
In conclusion, regarding Leah playing Annabeth Chase, take your racist ideologies somewhere else because she doesn’t deserve the hate that she is getting when you and I both know she will make the best Annabeth ever.
Grover Underwood
Last, but not least, part of our golden trio: allow me to introduce Grover Underwood. Grover is a 32-year-old satyr, and before you go on and get all shocked, keep in mind that satyrs age half as fast as humans do, so in reality, he looks around 16. Anyways, back to Grover’s character: He’s a satyr who’s in charge of taking Percy to Camp Half-Blood (a satyr in the PJO saga is a half-human, half-goat in Grover’s case). Without further ado, give a warm welcome to our one and only G-man. |
Aryan Simhadri
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Don’t know much about him, but I will harm anyone who argues he’s not amazing
I honestly don’t have much to say regarding Aryan besides the fact that he’s perfect for the role. Personality, looks, energy, everything checks off perfectly. Even Rick Riordan said that Aryan won over everyone’s hearts with his audition: his line delivery and energy were unmatched.
He’s Already Manifesting Grover In The Early Stages
Grover has been known to be the mood maker of the Golden Trio and the goofball. The pressure to play Grover is tough, but Aryan has had no trouble fitting perfectly into goat boy’s shoes. He and Walker have already become so close, which if you ask me is basically fate, since Percy is Grover’s first real friend and vice versa. (He was also a main role in the Disney+ movie Cheaper By The Dozen.)
All in all, I haven’t seen much of Aryan Simhadri, but I’m ecstatic to see how he plays Grover Underwood. I know that he will put his all into this character, and I can’t wait to see his progress as an actor.
I honestly don’t have much to say regarding Aryan besides the fact that he’s perfect for the role. Personality, looks, energy, everything checks off perfectly. Even Rick Riordan said that Aryan won over everyone’s hearts with his audition: his line delivery and energy were unmatched.
He’s Already Manifesting Grover In The Early Stages
Grover has been known to be the mood maker of the Golden Trio and the goofball. The pressure to play Grover is tough, but Aryan has had no trouble fitting perfectly into goat boy’s shoes. He and Walker have already become so close, which if you ask me is basically fate, since Percy is Grover’s first real friend and vice versa. (He was also a main role in the Disney+ movie Cheaper By The Dozen.)
All in all, I haven’t seen much of Aryan Simhadri, but I’m ecstatic to see how he plays Grover Underwood. I know that he will put his all into this character, and I can’t wait to see his progress as an actor.
Finishing Thoughts
In the end, I am completely in love and 100% agree with this casting. The actors' personality and desire to play these characters is so much more meaningful and much more important than their appearance.
And before I hear anyone try to argue by saying that they’re not “book accurate” and therefore it’s terrible: while they’re not book accurate, they are exactly what the author imagined them to be. Rick Riordan himself said that if people have anything bad to say about the casting, take it up with him and leave the kids alone. He had a major role in deciding who was going to get cast. He flat out said that if you say Leah can’t play Annabeth because of her appearance and race, that’s racism.
So I want you to rethink your bad opinions about the casting. Because if you say that the new POC cast isn’t fit to play, then it’s plain racism.
Respect the actors as they are still kids (and because of the fact that they are amazing actors). I wouldn’t change anything about the cast, and I hope you learn to love them for their abilities and not judge them by their appearances.
In the end, I am completely in love and 100% agree with this casting. The actors' personality and desire to play these characters is so much more meaningful and much more important than their appearance.
And before I hear anyone try to argue by saying that they’re not “book accurate” and therefore it’s terrible: while they’re not book accurate, they are exactly what the author imagined them to be. Rick Riordan himself said that if people have anything bad to say about the casting, take it up with him and leave the kids alone. He had a major role in deciding who was going to get cast. He flat out said that if you say Leah can’t play Annabeth because of her appearance and race, that’s racism.
So I want you to rethink your bad opinions about the casting. Because if you say that the new POC cast isn’t fit to play, then it’s plain racism.
Respect the actors as they are still kids (and because of the fact that they are amazing actors). I wouldn’t change anything about the cast, and I hope you learn to love them for their abilities and not judge them by their appearances.
ARIADNA TORRES
