Leah Jeffries Stands Up Against Racist Trolls in Percy Jackson And The Olympians

The Controversy

Disney Plus premiered its newest fantasy series with Percy 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 does Percy Jackson and the Olympians feature the late Lance Reddick in his final television performance, but it also seems to be aiming for the vindication of the original Percy Jackson book 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.

Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Leah Jeffries' Response

Leah Jeffries, who plays one of the series leads, Annabeth Chase, recently spoke with Essence about 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 the Percy Jackson movies, 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 who I am, and how I'm going 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.'

Author Rick Riordan's Support

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 the positive changes in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and he pointed out the casting of Jeffries as one of them. In an interview with Variety, 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.'