Actress Leah Sava Jeffries plays the role of Annabeth Chase in Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. However, her casting for the role was subject to brutal online trolling and racist comments. Based on author Rick Riordan’s best-selling Young Adult novel series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians promises to be an epic adventure series with Greek mythology sprinkled all over it.
Leah Sava Jeffries’ Annabeth Chase is a white character in the source material, and the diverse casting choice resulted in fans trolling her online. However, in a recent interview, Jeffries spoke candidly about the racist comments against her casting and expressed excitement about seeing fan reactions to her role after the series premiered on Disney+. Here is what Leah Sava Jeffries said about the criticism and backlash she faced.
Also Read: “Percy Jackson will slap”: Racist Trolls Run Back to Their Caves as Show Scores 97% Rotten Tomatoes Rating.
Leah Sava Jeffries Spekas Out Against Racist Backlash Over Her Casting
Leah Sava Jeffries was announced to be playing the role of Annabeth Chase in the live-action series Percy Jackson and the Olympians in May 2022. However, her casting received criticism online, particularly because the character is depicted as white in the books, and Jeffries is African-American. The backlash quickly turned into racist trolling aimed at Jeffries, and the young actress addressed its impact on her in an interview with Hindustan Times.
“I think that backlash happened because no one saw me play Annabeth yet. But now, everything is done, everything has come together well, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
Jeffries, who is 14 years old and hails from Detroit, added that she viewed the negative comments as a source of motivation. Jeffries stated that she wanted to prove the online trolls wrong and believed the concerns and hate comments would end upon watching her performance.
In the interview, Jeffries also thanked her cast and crew mates for helping her navigate the sea of negative comments and focus on putting her best foot forward with the role. She added that her cast mates were instrumental in keeping her morale high during the production of the big-budget series.
Leah Sava Jeffries Proves Naysayers Wrong
Leah Sava Jeffries’ faith in her hard work and the crew’s faith in casting her has certainly paid off. Not only is the series receiving stellar reviews, but viewers are also taking to social media with outpouring praise for Jeffries’ performance as Annabeth Chase. Here is what fans are saying on X.
Leah Sava Jeffries Was Amazing As Annabeth!#PercyJackson#PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians pic.twitter.com/nV6xHlY6HF
— sarah trevino (@sarahkyle7) December 20, 2023
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YALL, BUT ONE LINE. Just this one line alone and Leah Sava Jeffries completely demolish all doubts: THIS IS ANNABETH. SHE IS ANNABETH. This is so perfect 🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/FwIVnl1xru
— 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚊 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊 ⧗ (@lady0fheartssi) December 20, 2023
I swear to all gods, if I ever see anyone hating on Leah Sava Jeffries’ Annabeth…. pic.twitter.com/hRGGDwnwPh
— Kei 慧 🌌 (@YumiSasuri) December 20, 2023
Based on the above comments, it is safe to say that Leah Sava Jeffries’ performance left a mark on viewers. Furthermore, she seems to be winning over those skeptical of her casting, thereby shutting down the negative and racist trolling she was subjected to even before Percy Jackson and the Olympians debuted.
Also Read: “Way higher than I thought it was gonna be”: Percy Jackson Early Reviews Have the Fans Hyped.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Release Date and Cast Details
The wait for fans of the books and the newcomers excited to dive into the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is over. The series premiered on Disney+ on December 20, 2023, with its first two episodes dropping on the streaming service on the same day. The first season consists of eight episodes. Subsequent episodes will debut weekly on Tuesdays at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians stars Walker Scobell as Perseus “Percy” Jackson, the protagonist and demigod and son of Poseidon. Scobell is known for his role in the 2022 film The Adam Project. The series also features Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. Jeffries gained recognition with the Idris Elba-led Beast, while Simhadri starred in 2022’s Cheaper by the Dozen.
Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson, Glynn Turman as Chiron / Mr. Brunner, Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus / Mr. D, Megan Mullally as Alecto / Ms. Dodds, Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue, and Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan, appear in recurring roles for the first season. The late Lance Reddick, Toby Stephens, and Lin-Manuel Miranda guest star as Zeus, Poseidon, and Hermes, respectively. Thus, it is evident that despite the story’s roots in Greek mythology, the makers have opted for a more diverse and subversive cast.
