Percy Jackson author demands end to 'unacceptable racist harassment' of young actress

Percy Jackson won’t be brown, but that’s not what bothers some internet users. Disney + revealed on May 6 the identity of the three main actors of the series adapted from the books of Rick Riordan, and the photo in question did not have more to certain Internet users. Indeed, although this does not change the plot in any way, the character of Annabeth – daughter of the goddess of Athena – will not be white and blonde as she is described in the books. She will be played by Leah Jeffreys, a young black girl known in particular for having played the role of Lola in the series Empire.

After this announcement, the author of the literary saga – who is also one of the producers and screenwriters of this adaptation on Disney + – reacted publicly on his blog this Tuesday, May 10. Evoking a reception mostly very “positive“, Rick Riordan did not ignore the criticisms of certain Internet users, sometimes racist, towards the choice of Leah Jeffrey: “We should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child on the Internet is wrong and inexcusable. As strong as Leah is, (…) the negative comments she has received are unacceptable. They must stop. Now“.

“You judge his legitimacy for this role exclusively on his appearance. (…) I was looking for the best actors to bring these characters to life, and their physical appearance was secondary to me. It took us a year to find the crème de la crème. This trio is the best. Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase“, insisted the writer. The young actress was also able to count on the support of Alexandra Daddario, who had played Annabeth in the cinema in 2010 and 2013. “Leah Jeffries is going to be an amazing Annabeth!“, she enthused on Twitter.

In this highly anticipated series by fans of Percy Jacksoncharacter of Grover Underwood will be played by Aryan Simhadri, seen in the Disney TV movie Spin. As for Percy Jackson, it is the revelation Walker Scobell who will slip into his skin after having burst the screen on Netflix in The Adam Project.

Hero in the making. ⚡ Meet Annabeth, Percy and Grover from Percy Jackson and The Olympians, an original series streaming soon on #DisneyPlus. ⚡ pic.twitter.com/RyQR9dBBes

— Disney+ FR (@DisneyPlusFR) May 6, 2022