Leah Jeffries

Rick Riordan has spoken up in support of actress Leah Jeffries, after she was the subject of racist attacks after being cast in Percy Jackson.

[...] 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. Disney+ is yet to reveal a release window for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. What these angry users who have been attacking Jeffries – who has been nothing but kind and adorable with her responses to cruel messages – fail to notice is that they have the notion that Annabeth’s casting is based on anything other than the young actor's talent. Jeffries’ casting as the Camp Half-Blood student was received with criticism by so-called fans of the Percy Jackson saga, who were angry at the fact that Annabeth – a character who is canonically white – is being played by a Black girl. In his post, Riordan states that “if you’re still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesn’t matter how many times you have read the books. Joining previously announced Walker Scobell (who plays the title character) are Aryan Simhadri as satyr Grover Underwood and Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, the semi-godess daughter of Athena. That should be the end of what we hear on this casting matter, but you know the Internet, right?

Rick Riordan defended Leah Jeffries against racist critics who bullied her over her casting in the Disney Plus 'Percy Jackson' TV series.

“You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks,” he wrote. He closed out his statement by writing, “Watch the show or don’t. That’s your call. You have no one else to blame.

Actress Alexandra Daddario has chimed in on the backlash against Leah Jeffries casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ show Percy Jackson and the ...

Riordan and Jon Steinberg will serve as writers of the pilot, and James Bobin is directing. With help from his friends Grover (Simhadri) and Annabeth (Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus. Jeffries is feeling the impact of this as she stated on an Instagram live from earlier today, that her Tik Toc profile is gone due to bullying.

Author Rick Riordan hit back against those upset that a Black actor had been cast to play a character portrayed as white in his books.

We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. The books have sold over 180 million copies as of January 2022. Riordan also said that the production of the forthcoming Disney+ series, which he has been actively involved in, was committed to assembling a diverse cast.

'Percy Jackson' author Rick Riordan is standing with actor Leah Sava Jeffries, who plays Annabeth in the forthcoming Disney+ series.

We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. Percy Jackson and the Olympians centers on the title character, a 12-year-old who learns he is a demigod. Do we need to have a talk about the intersectionality of misogyny and racism? “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. Disney+ announced the casting of Jeffries and Ayran Simhadri as Annabeth and Grover Underwood on May 5. That neurodivergent kid who has failed out of six schools, for instance, may well be the son of Poseidon. Anyone can be a hero.

Following remarks by 'Percy Jackson' author Rick Riordan, Alexandra Daddario voiced her support for Leah Jeffries.

“Friends, that is racism.” Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. In a lengthy post on his official website, Riordan pushed back on detractors who criticized Jeffries taking over the role for the Disney+ series.

Alexandra Daddario and author Rick Riordan are supporting Leah Sava Jeffries amid backlash over her casting in Disney+'s new Percy Jackson show.

"We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. "Everybody else is confident. "To whoever is hating, stop doing that! "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. We condemn both," she wrote on Tuesday. "Getting yelled at? "If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me.