Summary
Disney Plus premiered its newest fantasy series withPercy Jackson and the Olympians. But while some viewers wasted no time in complaining, one star also wasted no time in shutting down their racist rhetoric.
There’s already a lot to look forward to in this promising series. Not only doesPercy Jackson and the Olympiansfeaturethe late Lance Reddickin his final television performance, but it also seems to be aiming for the vindication of the originalPercy Jacksonbook series from author Rick Riordan after the rather less than well-received previous film adaptations. Aside from that, the show has its stellar cast backing it up. Unfortunately, some people have decided to base their entire criticism of one character in particular on her skin color. But luckily, the star behind that role isn’t letting them say all that without rebuttal.
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Leah Jeffries, who plays one of the series leads, Annabeth Chase, recently spoke withEssenceabout the hate-filled response she’s received from specific fans. As a young Black woman playing a role previously described in the books to be white with blonde hair, she seemed fully aware from the get-go that she would receive such petty backlash. So rather than try to appease those slinging racist abuse at her, she decided to do things her way. With respect to actress Alexandra Daddario, who played Annabeth in thePercy Jacksonmovies, Jeffries stood her ground and made the role her own.
“I listen to people say things and try to tear me down. They say you are not her [Annabeth]. You can’t play her like Alexandra Daddario. But, you know what? They’re right. I’m not her, and I cannot play like her. But, I’m going to show you whoI am, and howI’mgoing to play it. I’m not trying to be like anyone else. I want to be myself, and I want to make sure that other girls understand that too.”
The thing is, those spouting racism with the justification that Jeffries' casting is inauthentic to the books are directly at odds with Riordan himself. The author has spoken out numerous times regarding thepositive changes inPercy Jackson and the Olympians, and he pointed out the casting of Jeffries as one of them. In an interview withVariety, he flat-out confirmed that he was less concerned about physical proximity than including more representation for young viewers who deserve to see themselves in the media they enjoy.
“Leah impressed me from the moment I met her. She has that sort of steel that makes her a leader, but there’s a bit of vulnerability to her. Now, again, does she look like Annabeth looks in the books? No. Was that important to me? No. If anything, it was a massive benefit to broaden the cast in terms of representation.”
Percy Jackson and the Olympiansfocuses onThe Adam Project’s Walker Scobell as the young demigod protagonist of the same name (sans “and the Olympians”) as he struggles to come to terms with his newfound powers as the son of Poseidon, only to find himself an accusation from Zeus himself that throws all of Olympus into chaos. A significant focus of the original book series is on found family and acceptance, withRiordan praising the Disney PlusPercy Jacksonseriesfor sticking with those themes. That acceptance also extends to real life, and Riordan wrotein his blogabout how important it is to remember these are young actors who don’t deserve such hatred.
“If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. You have no one else to blame. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now.”
Percy Jackson and the Olympianshas garnered positive reactions so far, and luckily, the racist whining appears to be coming from a minority of viewers. Even so, these sorts of attacks are never acceptable.It’s important to remember that representation mattersfar more than any cosmetic difference between two character versions. Here’s hoping that Jeffries' words and performance can reach countless young Black girls worldwide and help them realize they can do anything.
Percy Jackson and the Olympiansdrops new episodes on Disney Plus every Wednesday.
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