Percy Jackson: Jessica Parker Kennedy Opens Up About Playing Medusa

By Liam Crowley

The fantastical world of Greek mythology is coming to Disney+. Production on Percy Jackson and the Olympians kicked off this past June as executive producer Rick Riordan and company began their eight-month adventure. The eight-episode first season will chronicle the events of Riordan's The Lightning Thief, the first installment in the novelized Percy Jackson pentalogy. While a number of iconic mythological monsters and demigods don't show their faces until late in the series, The Lightning Thief is home to a barrage of boss battles with famed faces from Greek tales.

One of the earliest confrontations comes with Medusa, the snake-haired cursed priestess of Athena, who will be portrayed by Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash) in the Disney+ show. Speaking to Cageside Press, Kennedy revealed that her Percy Jackson scenes incorporated a mixture of practical and special effects.

"Parts of the scenes we did with some prosthetic snakes, so that was very cool," Kennedy said. "Other stuff I had the little mo-cap on my head, which is a very ridiculous, horrible looking little cap that doesn't flatter anyone."

While working with motion-capture posed a challenge, Kennedy emphasized that the "wonderful" script made her job easy.

"I was doing this regal part with that on. You really just have to deep dive into character and do the best that you can, but it's easy because the writing is really wonderful in the show," Kennedy continued. "I think people are going to love it."

This will not be the first time Percy Jackson's Medusa has seen live-action spotlight. The gorgon was played by Uma Thurman into the 2010 film adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Kennedy spoke about her scenes in reminiscence, indicating that her on-set obligations have wrapped, which aligns with the fact that Medusa only factors into the earlier chapters of The Lightning Thief. Beyond Parker's Medusa, Walker Scobell's Percy will also have his hands full with Megan Mullally's Alecto and Suzanne Cryer's Echidna, two other monsters that give the young demigod trouble along his journey.

With roughly one month of shooting left, Percy Jackson has already said goodbye to one of its biggest players. Charlie Bushnell, who plays Luke Castellan, recently announced that he had wrapped his Season 1 scenes, teasing that he "can't wait" to return for more.

"Of course, first we have to get approval to do future seasons," Riordan wrote earlier this year regarding possible sequel seasons. "Right now, we are only green-lit for one season, but if you all watch and like it, I am optimistic we will get approval to do more."

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is expected to arrive on Disney+ in 2024.

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