Percy Jackson Showrunners Praise Season 1’s Guest Stars’ Impact on Young Ensemble

Percy Jackson and the Olympians revolves around the show’s titular character, but that’s not to say he’s without a significant supporting boost. Alongside Walker Scobell’s Percy Jackson is Leah Jeffries’s Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri’s Grover Underwood. This trio captains Percy Jackson, starring together in every episode. While all three have enough filmography credits to be considered acting veterans, their collective average age of 15 years old makes them one of Hollywood’s youngest main ensembles in recent memory. That said, the trio had plenty of experienced supporting stars joining them throughout their quest.

Percy Jackson Showrunners Praise Veteran Guest Stars

A quest is always undertaken by three, but that doesn’t mean more can’t pop in along the way.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz reflected on the value that the show’s veteran guest stars brought to its young ensemble.

“I think it’s a big deal every time you bring somebody new,” Steinberg said. “That person is really going to set a tone for the day, for the scene, for how these kids see a pro doing it. You’re asking a lot of them. We got very lucky that every one of them set a great example and was just somebody that you felt good about being the mentor for the day, for the week, or for the season for these kids. It was just a great run of guest stars.”

These veteran guest stars came from all walks of life. Glynn Turman (Chiron) enters the project with over five decades of acting experience. Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hermes) continues his Hollywood career following years spent on the Broadway stage. Adam “Edge” Copeland (Ares) steps away from the wrestling ring to portray the god of war.

“They were just great people, but they also had their own connections to the books,” Shotz added. “It was like they had something to talk about right away. There was like a connection over the love of Percy Jackson. That was just pretty immediate. It was really special across the board. The younger guest stars and the older guest stars, everybody just came in not only just nail their job, but they also just had a blast doing it.”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, December 20th. Tune into ComicBook Nation presents Riptide Radio – A Percy Jackson Aftershow every Wednesday at 5 PM ET for an in-depth discussion and exclusive interview!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 is based off of the first novel in Rick Riordan’s critically-acclaimed book series, The Lightning Thief. Starring Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) as the titular demigod, this eight-episode first season embarks Percy on a quest to return Zeus’s stolen master bolt, as he is framed as the prime suspect. If he is not successful by the Summer Solstice deadline, the world bears the consequences of Mount Olympus in-fighting. The series also stars Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood), Leah Jeffries (Annabeth Chase), Glynn Turman (Chiron), Jason Mantzoukas (Dionysus), Dior Goodjohn (Clarisse La Rue), Charlie Bushnell (Luke), Adam “Edge” Copeland (Ares), Jay Duplass (Hades), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hermes), Timothy Omundson (Hephaestus), Lance Reddick (Zeus), and Toby Stephens (Poseidon).