Earlier this month, Disney hosted a virtual press conference with the cast and Executive Producers of Disney Plus’ Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The three stars, Walker Scobell (Percy), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth), and Aryan Simhadri (Grover), sat down with Jon Steinberg (Co-creator/Showrunner/
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Press Conference
The questions came rapid fire at these kids, from reporters all around the world that had been touched by the Percy Jackson books. There was a sense of nervousness in the room, like these young actors knew the weight of the world they were stepping into, and what it meant to those of us who have hoped for years for a good adaptation of this beloved series.
It remains to be seen, whether this show will manage to live up to the hopes we have for it, but whatever the outcome, this trio is something special. Their love for these characters is palpable. When Emily Garber from the podcast “Monster Donut” chimed in with her question, Walker Scobell recognized the podcast’s title immediately – a reference to the second Percy Jackson book, The Sea of Monsters.
The interview truly came alive for these three, however, when Miguel from R7 asked everyone if they took anything home from filming.
“On camera, no. Everything is where it should be.” Aryan Simhadri says, staring intensely into the camera. Then he breaks, smiling, and looks back at Dan Shotz.
Dan Shotz: “Um, these guys took everything.”
Walker Scobell: “Yeah, um, I did take the sword, I took two swords. I took a metal one and the bamboo one because I can’t…”
Aryan Simhadri: “You got the metal one?”
Walker: “I did.”
Dan: “Yeah, how’d you get them through security?”
Walker: “Um, so, well, I think I kind of forced him to give me the metal one on accident because I kept telling him I was going to steal it and I think they believed me. So I think they had to, like—I’m pretty sure there was a whole meeting about it. But, um, I did get to take the metal one. I got to take my armor and, uh, they told me I could only take one outfit, but I just put them all in a duffel bag and left. So I’m a little afraid to go back, yeah.”
Aryan: “Um, I, I managed to get a hold of the, the shoes, the flying shoes that, that me and Walker wear the, the ones that Luke gives us. That’s—I, I wear them on almost a daily basis. Um, and I think I also got, like one of the bamboo swords of Riptide and his shield from Capture the Flag. That was really cool. Oh, and the Mythomagic cards! I got like a full deck of those.”
Leah Sava Jeffries: “Um, I actually took a whole centaur home with me. I, I took him. Guys, like I literally, I was like, ‘You’re coming with me.’ So I, um, took it home—no, I’m just kidding, let me stop. Um, but what I did was, um, I got two shields. I have my own personal and I have the Camp Half-Blood shield and I have the necklace, uh, with my father’s ring on it. I also have my jacket—sorry, that I, um, that I wear in the show. And I feel like I’m forgetting something.”
Aryan: “Did you get a dagger?”
Leah: “I did, yes, I did. Um, I wanted to get the metal one, but I couldn’t, sadly. Because I did not force them…”
Walker: “Sorry.”
Leah: [LAUGHS] “But I did get that.”
Dan: “Walker’s gonna be jealous. We, uh… Jon and I took Ares’ sword.”
Walker and Aryan, simultaneously: “WHAT?!”
Dan: [LAUGHS] “You know, hanging it over the mantle.”
“Okay, I… As long as it looks cool.” Walker grumbles.
Some innocent conversation between friends, and I could see the three characters I’ve loved for so long. They were laughing and joking and talking over each other, like I had stumbled onto a live feed of Camp Half Blood that they didn’t even know was rolling. As a fan, it means a lot to get to see five of the people who brought this show to life gleefully discuss all of the love they poured into this project and continue to carry with them into (hopefully) future seasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb7au6Gmls
I hope you all check it out and enjoy Percy Jackson and the Olympians when it airs on Disney Plus, starting on December 20th!
