She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be., Riordan dared those with a problem with this casting to take it up with me. He added, You have no one else to blame. The children of Greek gods attend a summer camp known as Camp Half-Blood, where they train and hone their abilities. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. If they could act, Disney wanted their tapes. As more casting announcements are revealed for this television series, it is obvious that Rick Riordan is trying to diversify the world that he created. For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by law. Rick Riordan made a promise that he was going to try to keep the spirit of his books alive with young actors who would be accurate to the ages of the characters. May 5th was D-Day. Now. One of the main gripes that anchored discourse in online circles was the way the characters looked. If I may quote from an excellent recent article in the Boston Globe about Dr. Khama Ennis, who created a program on implicit bias for the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Medicine in Boston: To say a person doesnt have bias is to say that person isnt human. ", The author added that those saying Jeffries doesn't fit the role because she's not white are dismissing her "years of hard work honing her craft, her talent, her tenacity, her focus, her screen presence. In the second film, Alexandra dyed her hair blonde to resemble Annabeth more. Like its so cool, Annabeth is a really inspiring character to people, she said. In comparison to Elba, the backlash against Thompson was more violent and consistent. !May 10, 2022. In a lengthy blog post published earlier this week, Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. Many non-Black people can wrap their minds around a Black villain just not a Black good guy. In the movie adaptions of Rick's book, Annabeth is played by white actress Alexandra Daddario. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as whitethat is racism.#LeahIsOurAnnabeth Read Ricks statement at the link below:https://t.co/DGeOzrjZuw. "Watch the show or don't. Shes real and fleshed out. When reading the reactions to his casting most of the comments were about how genius Riordans casting was except for a few expected trolls. There is power in plurality. People were in her Instagram comments calling for her death. That should mean something. In the books, Rue was a dark-skinned Black girl, and Amandla is light-skinned. Leah Sava Jeffries has an exciting new role she will be playing Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! Gender and race. In the meantime, you can check out the original film with your Disney+ subscription, or check out these other 2022 TV release dates to begin planning your viewing schedule. The Chris Columbus-directed film was greeted with a lukewarm reception from critics and even worse reactions from devout fans of the series. Muscles can be built. It is not racist to want an actor who is accurate to the books description of the character!, You are upset/disappointed/frustrated/angry because a Black actor has been cast to play a character who was described as white in the books. Jenna Ortega Starring in New Movie with The Weeknd, Cady Heron's Mom Has Been Cast for 'Mean Girls' Movie Musical. I, for one, am excited for Leah Jeffries to bring life to one of my favorite characters, and I am carving her name into the Emmys right now. Everyone was talking about the show; Percy trended on Twitter all day. Actress Alexandra Daddario has weighed in on the backlash against Leah Jeffries casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ show Percy Jackson and the Olympians. People cannot fathom that Black actresses, who auditioned for a role, were better than the white people who tried out. This is something that other studios have failed to do, but it should not be commended. Who would play Percy? "Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeths strength. This trio is the best. Her story is one of constant heartbreak, but also unflinching resilience and triumphs. Annabeth has always been incredibly important to me. Aryan Simhadri (Disneys Spin) and Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire) will join the show as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, respectively. Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. Its a shame such posts need to be written, but they do. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan had to pen a letter supporting Leah Jeffries after she had been cast as Annabeth Chase in the Disney+ series. If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeth's strength. WebAlexandra Daddario: Annabeth Showing all 35 items Jump to: Photos (29) Quotes (6) Photos 6 more photos Quotes [last lines] [Annabeth leaning in as if to kiss Percy, then swiping his In 2012, Amandla Stenberg was cast as Rue Barnette in The Hunger Games. Leah is a twelve-year-old child. Why does no one seem to care that much? Here was a main character who was the correct age and he had Percy energy! She might be perfect and a great actress but Annabeth is supposed to be blonde hair with grey eyes like Athena., I really wanted them to do everything by the book. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law. Alexandra Daddario originally portrayed the role of Annabeth in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, as well as its sequel The Sea of Monsters. ", Related:Joshua Cohen's 'The Netanyahus,' more awarded 2022 Pulitzer Prizes in books, drama, music. Author Rick Riordan, who wrote the original Percy Jackson novels, released a statement on his website defending the young actress. He stated his intent to cast the series without regard for factors like ethnicity and gender, and that Leah Jeffries was the best actress to embody Annabeths strength. Heres how it works. What much of this outcry boils down to is fan entitlement, anti-blackness, and misogynoir. ", You are judging [Leah]s appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. The only other thing she has is her wisdom and her ambition. Its either something we recognize and try to work on, or its something we deny. The things that distinguish us from one another are often our marks of individual greatness. You feel I must have been coerced, brainwashed, bribed, threatened, whatever, or I as a white male author never would have chosen a Black actor for the part of this canonically white girl. Web11 May 2022 by Valerie Complex Deadline Actress Alexandra Daddario has weighed in on the backlash against Leah Jeffries casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ show Mother's Day / My First Week at the Studios. Fan entitlement is far-reaching. Why can we not have both brand new characters and race-bend whatever characters we want? Rick Riordan has strong words for fans upset with thecasting of"Percy Jackson and the Olympians," an upcoming Disney+ show based on his book series of the same name. But following last weeks announcement that actress Leah Sava Jeffries was cast as the series deuteragonist and love interest Annabeth Chase, (@camphalfblood) May 10, 2022. They say that they could not picture Annabeth as Black, however for myself and many other Black women she was never anything other than that. You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid had some people saying it was scientifically impossible for a mermaid to be Black. By Aaron Perine "This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. She revealed in an Instagram live session that she was even driven to delete her TikTok account after receiving such hateful messages. WebPercy Jackson Author Shuts Down Backlash to Casting Black Actress as Annabeth Chase: Friends, That Is Racism 10 May 2022 by Andi Ortiz The Wrap Rick Riordan will not stand Simadri plays Grover, Percys best friend who is secretly a satyr, a half-man half-goat creature from Greek mythology. 'It is not racist to want an actor who is accurate to the books description of the character!' How The Mandalorian Wrote Out Gina Carano Is Cara Dune Still Alive? She also starred in the comedy Rel on the same network. Now. She was the daughter of Olivia Lyon, Jamals ex wife, who claimed she was his daughter, but it turned out she wasnt. There were also people in the comments pretending to care about fat people to veil their racism. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be. In a lengthy blog post published earlier this week, Riordan condemned the racist remarks made toward the young star set to play Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians., This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Riordan wrote. Tessa Thompsons casting as Valkyrie, on the other hand, unleashed a hellfire of vitriol. And by the way, these criticisms have come from across the political spectrum, right and left. Back in December, Daddario told WrapWomens UnWrapped podcast that she has no involvement in the new Disney+ series, but was excited to see who would be tapped to play the daughter of Athena next. Its a Friends, that is racism. On Tuesday, the author issued a lengthy statement defending the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. Following the release of Riordans statement, #LeahIsOurAnnabeth began trending on Twitter, with fans voicing their support for the young actress. And not just white people like me. The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength. "These thoughts are mine alone. New York, In the film, based on the novel by Melissa Hill, a womans life is upended when an engagement ring meant for someone else leads her to the person shes meant to be with, reports Deadline. "If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. While the response to Leah Jeffries casting was indeed mostly positive, the young actress was subject to some intense bullying on her social media accounts. A number of fans objected to the African-American actress being cast in the role. Take a look at her message below: Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!! But this will be an adaptation that I am proud of, and which fully honors the spirit of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, taking the bedtime story I told my son twenty years ago to make him feel better about being neurodivergent, and improving on it so that kids all over the world can continue to see themselves as heroes at Camp Half-Blood. The anticipation for who would play Annabeth and Grover was even more excruciating after Percys announcement. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. People rejoiced. Amandla was fourteen. If you dont get that, if youre still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesnt matter how many times you have read the books. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online areoutof line. Nevertheless, when Idris Elba was cast as Heimdall in Thor, a similarly undervalued character, the backlash was horrific. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. At times, her character gets into situations that are not pretty. Rick Riordan, writer and author of the popular fantasy novel Percy Jackson, is speaking out against critics angered by the casting of Leah Jeffries.

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