The anticipation surrounding the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Disney+ series has been sky-high, with one factor being its impressive cast. The upcoming show is headlined by a trio of young actors in Walker Scobell (The Adam Project), Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire), and Aryan Simhadri (Cheaper By the Dozen).
Serving as the second live-action series based on the Percy Jackson franchise, it is expected to closely follow the titular character as he discovers that he is actually the son of Poseidon, the Greek God of the sea. Production has already commenced for the Disney+ show, with set videos revealing the first look at the main trio filming together.
During this year's D23, Percy Jackson's first teaser was unveiled, giving fans the highly anticipated footage. And now, more reason to be excited about the series has emerged due to a passionate remark from its lead actor.
Walker Scobell's Unveils Passion for Percy Jackson
At Disney’s Epic Entertainment Showcase: The Musical: The Extravaganza" from D23, Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan spoke to the cast of the upcoming Disney+ series, revealing tons of details about their respective characters.
During the panel, Riordan asked lead star Walker Scobell about his version of Percy Jackson, to which the young actor responded with passion.
Scobell described his iteration as "funny," "witty," and "very sarcastic," while also promising fans that he will try his "hardest every single day" to bring the character to life for everyone:
“I play Percy Jackson. Percy, he’s funny, he’s witty, he’s very sarcastic. Very hot-headed. I’m just incredibly grateful to be able to portray one of Rick’s characters, we all are. And I promise you I will always try my hardest every single day to bring Percy Jackson to life for all of us.”
Aryan Simhadri, who plays Grover Underwood, also shared what's in store for his character in the upcoming Disney+ series:
“I play Grover Underwood. He’s kind of the protector of the group. He becomes fast friends with Percy at Yancy [Academy]. And he kinda helps guide their journey when Percy and Annabeth finally meet. I’m so excited for you guys to get to see him. I can’t wait.”
Leah Jeffries, who portrays Annabeth Chase, revealed that her character is "supportive" and a "swordfighter" while also claiming that "you gotta impress her really to be her friend:"
Jeffries: “So, my character is Annabeth Chase, well I play Annabeth…”
(crowd cheers)Jeffries: “Thank you, and also she’s a daughter of Wisdom, she’s smart, she’s nice, and also you kinda gotta be in her circle. You gotta impress her really to be her friend though, but she’s supportive and she’s a swordfighter. But you know, she’s amazing and I love playing her.”
In a separate interview with Shine on Media, the Percy Jackson cast shared their reaction to the show's first teaser.
Simhadri admitted that he "couldn't pick [his] jaw up off the floor" upon seeing the footage.
Meanwhile, Jeffries openly said "Bro, no way" in amazement while Scobell said that he couldn't believe how the studio "thew that together so fast:"
Simhadri: “I couldn’t pick my jaw up off the floor. Just seeing like… again, ’Im going to try not to spoil anything, but it was awesome. It was really incredible.”
Jeffries: “Yeah, my word that I say all the time when I’m amazed, just, ‘Bro, no way.’ That’s what I said.”
Scobell: “Well I was super amazed how they threw that together so fast. And I remember filming all those scenes like it was yesterday and it’s so weird that I’m seeing like that finished product right now.”
Simhadri also pointed out that Grover was "way different" from the one he understood when he was reading the books, saying that it gave him an opportunity to obtain "more insights into who he really is:"
“Well like when I originally auditioned… how I imagined Grover like just from reading, and the movies, and everything, it was way different than what I’ve kind of like understood that he is now. Just getting to work like in that character for as long as we’ve been filming, it has kind of given me more insights into who he really is and it’s awesome to see him grow and develop.”
Jeffries also touched on the experience of finding out that she was cast for the role in the Disney+ series, thanking fans for the overwhelmingly positive response:
“It’s amazing because when the casting announcements went out, like it wasn’t even 10 seconds we were just gaining followers, and like we were all so proud of ourselves, and we were just like, we’re actually in school when it came out, and then we just heard like, ding, ding, ding, and then we just went like we just walked out of school, I don’t know where, we were just like, Guys, the casting announcement just came out!’ And we were just going crazy. But like just hearing all the love from all the fans, really I can’t wait… for all the thousands of people to see what’s gonna come out tonight.”
When asked if there are skills that they picked up while playing these characters, the cast responded with interesting answers, ranging from sword fighting to even "walking like a goat" for Simhadri:
Scobell: “I think my favorite skill is all the sword-fighting, but Aryan…”
Simhadri: “Walking like a goat.”
Jeffries: “My learning is being a really good sword fighter and just being that… I can’t say that. I can’t say it on here but just being like Annabeth really that bad person… not bad person, but you kind of [know] what I mean almost.”
Why The Hype for Percy Jackson is High
Walker Scobell's passionate remarks about playing Percy Jackson continued to cement why he is the perfect choice for the role. The young actor's commitment is poised to carry over in his on-screen portrayal, thus further hyping up his debut.
Moreover, The Adam Project star's promise of doing his "hardest" every day is exciting, and it establishes the idea that he will not do anything to disappoint fans with his portrayal. His passion could also influence his co-stars in the series, leading to a more effective small-screen showcase.
This is on top of the stamp of approval from Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan, who was heavily involved with the casting process for the Disney+ series.
In fact, this isn't the first time that Scobell has shown his full commitment to a dream role. While promoting The Adam Project, the young actor nailed his Deadpool impression, with him reciting all of Deadpool 2 in front of Ryan Reynolds who is blown away by such passion.
At a young age, Scobell is poised to have a bright future, and his role in Percy Jackson could catapult him even further while staying honest and passionate with his portrayal.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024.
