Percy Jackson Star Teases the Changes Made to Annabeth Chase in Disney+ Adaptation

Percy Jackson star Leah Jeffries teases how the Disney+ version of her character, Annabeth Chase, will differ from the one in Rick Riordan's books.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians star Leah Jeffries recently expressed excitement about portraying a character who breaks the mold and can be seen as an inspiration for other girls.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly that was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Jeffries discussed how her portrayal of Annabeth Chase would differ from the one in Rick Riodan's Percy Jackson novels. "I'm playing a character that is a different person, different hair color, different skin tones, and all that. That's what the prototype was," Jeffries says. "Just to hear that I'm playing her different was like, 'Wow, I'm now gonna be an inspiration to other girls.'" The actor added, "My experience filming the series has been phenomenal and unbelievable."

Jeffries joined the cast of Percy Jackson in May 2022 as Annabeth Chase, the daughter of the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, Athena. While her casting was well-received by most of the Percy Jackson fandom, there was a small, but vocal minority that criticized the casting on the basis of Jeffries' skin color. Following the backlash, Riordan took to his blog to condemn the fans who were bullying and harassing Jeffries online simply because she was a Black actress playing a character originally described as a blonde white girl.

Rick Riordan Addresses Casting Backlash

"You are upset/disappointed/frustrated/angry because a Black actor has been cast to play a character who was described as white in the books. 'She doesn’t look the way I always imagined,'" Riordan wrote in May 2022. "I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me." The author continued, "You refuse to believe her selection could have been based on merit. Without having seen her play the part, you have pre-judged her (pre + judge = prejudice) and decided she must have been hired simply to fill a quota or tick a diversity box."

Over a year later, in June 2023, Riordan discussed Jeffries' casting with The Hollywood Reporter, believing that the actor "shouldn’t have to deal with that." He added, "And I want her to know that I stand behind her 100 percent. The entire team of the Percy Jackson series stands behind her unconditionally." The author reiterated that Jeffries "got a part because she merited getting the part" and dismissed suggestions that she was hired merely to hit "a quota."

Percy Jackson Adapts The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson Season 1 will adapt author Riordan's 2005 children's novel, The Lightning Thief, which follows 12-year-old demigod Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) as he embarks on a cross-country quest with his friends Annabeth Chase (Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) to track down the lost lightning bolt of Zeus and restore order to Mount Olympus.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres on Disney+ on Dec. 20.