Percy Jackson and the Olympians Cast: See How the New Actors Compare to the Originals

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If you loved the original book series and movies, you may be wondering who’s in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast and how the reboot actors compare to the original stars. At least two original cast members have given their newer counterparts their blessings. Percy Jackson and the Olympians started as a book series by author Rick Riordan in 2005.

The series, which is titled Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, consists of seven books: 2005’s The Lightning Thief; 2006’s The Sea of Monsters; 2007’s The Titan’s Curse; 2008’s The Battle of the Labryinth; 2009’s The Last Olympian; 2023’s The Chalice of the Gods; and 2024’s Wrath of the Triple Goddess. The series follows three pre-teenagers: Perseus “Percy” Jackson, a young demigod and the son of Poseidon; Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena who has been training at Camp Half-Blood for five years; and Grover Underwood, Percy’s best friend and a satyr who is disguised through magic as a 12-year-old boy.

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The books were adapted into two films in 2010 and 2013: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. News broke in May 2020 that a Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series was in the works at Disney Plus. In an interview with Variety in 2023, Riordan explained why he thought a TV show was a better format for his books than the movies, which were canceled after just two films. “My feeling was always that television was the better format for ‘Percy,’ because it allows us a larger canvas to tell more of the story,” Riordan said. “And to be more faithful to the source material, which is what the fans of the books really would love to see.”

Unlike the movies, Riordan is a creator and an executive producer on the series. Though he understood why the movies cast older actors, he noted a key difference between the films and the TV series is how the cast is closer to the real ages of the Percy Jackson characters. “Now, having been through the production process, I totally get why they did that. It’s much easier to work with older actors,” Riordan said. “Once you have older teens, it’s a completely different dynamic. You lose so much of the wonder. The magic of being a middle grader doesn’t come across the same way. There’s a jaded teenage quality.”

When asked about the new trio of Percy Jackson characters, Riordan told Variety, “They’re perfect, and they’ve only become more perfect.”

So who’s in the Percy Jackson in the Olympians cast and how do they compare to the original actors? Meet the new Percy Jackson cast ahead and see their photos side by side the actors who originated their characters.

1. Who’s in the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast?

Meet the stars of the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast and see how the reboot actors compare to the original cast members from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians movies.

2. Who plays Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

Perseus “Percy” Jackson is played by Walker Scobell in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series. Scobell, was 14 years old at the time Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered, previously starred as a younger version of Ryan Reynolds’ Adam Reed in Netflix’s 2022 movie The Adam Project. He also starred as the lead of the 2022 superhero movie Secret Headquarters opposite actors like Owen Wilson, Michael Pena, Jesse Williams, and Charles Melton.

Logan Lerman played Percy in the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians movies. After Scobell was cast as Percy, Lerman sent him a note commending him on taking on the role of Percy. The note was read aloud during an episode of the podcast “Happy Sad Confused” in December 2023. “I can’t imagine a better fit for Percy Jackson than Walker [Scobell],” Lerman wrote. He continued, “The show looks amazing. I can’t wait to see you all crush it in your roles. You’re making a lot of people happy bringing these characters to life. I can’t imagine a better fit for Percy Jackson than Walker. You were so brilliant in The Adam Project. Hope you like eating blue food the next few years because I think you have a hit show on your hands.”

3. Who plays Annabeth in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

Annabeth Chase is played by Leah Sava Jeffries in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series. Leah, who was 14 years old at the time Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered, previously starred in TV shows like Empire, along with Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, and movies like 2022’s Beast with Idris Elba. She also starred in the 2022 romantic comedy Something From Tiffany’s with Zoey Deutch and Kendrick Sampson.

Alexandra Daddario played Annabeth in the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians movies. Daddario reacted to the reboot in an interview with Comic Book in December 2022. “It’s wonderful. That movie was so great for my career. It was great for my life,” Daddario said. “It was a wonderful part to play and I’m so excited for her that she gets to play it. The Percy Jackson books are so beloved. I was just a small part of it.” She continued, “It was a long time ago, and I still get recognized for it!”

She added, “I’m really excited about the series and I hope people love it. I now have stepchildren, and you realize [shows like Percy Jackson] get kids into reading. It gets kids thinking. It gets them understanding about what it is to be different and to struggle with things.”

She also explained why she thinks the Percy Jackson and the Olympians stories are so beloved by fans. “I think that’s why people love it so much. It’s this really warm, supportive story that teaches you to be who you are and be supported when you’re going through hard times,” Daddario said. “In addition to just being wonderfully entertaining! I think it’s great that a whole new generation of kids will have the opportunity to see it on TV.”

4. Who plays Grover in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

Grover Underwood is played by Aryan Simhadri in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series. Simhadri, who was 17 years old at the time Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered, previously starred in movies like 2020’s The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run and 2022’s Cheaper by the Dozen. He also starred in TV shows like Just Roll With It, Mira, The Royal Detective, and Adventure Time: Distant Lands. He was nominated for a Young Artist Academy Award in 2021 for his role in The Main Event.

Brandon T. Jackson played Grover in the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians movies. In an interview with Pop Entertainment in 2013, Jackson revealed how he was cast in the films. “When I got the movie, I read all the books. Well, actually, I read four of them, to be honest. I didn’t read all seven. I read four because I thought we were going to shoot the movies back-to-back. I just hurried up and read three and when I was shooting I read the fourth. That’s when I found out about the books. They were cool,” he said.

5. Who plays Chiron in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

Mr. Brunner, also known as Chiron, is played by Glynn Turman in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series. Turman previously starred in the original Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun, as well as shows like Peyton Place, A Different World, and The Wire. He received a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the HBO drama In Treatment.

Pierce Brosnan played Chiron in the original 2010 Percy Jackson and the Olympians movie, The Lightning Thief. He was recast by Anthony Head in the 2013 sequel, Sea of Monsters.

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