How to Get Cast on ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’

Like the novels, the Disney+ series centers on Percy (Walker Scobell), a 12-year-old boy who discovers he’s not only a demigod, but the son of Poseidon. When he finds out that his place in the Greek pantheon has put him in the line of fire, he ventures to Camp Half-Blood, a refuge and training ground for demigods on Long Island. There, he makes friends with Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries), the daughter of Athena; and a satyr named Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri).

As Percy struggles to grasp the magnitude of his powers, Zeus (Lance Reddick) accuses the tween of stealing the Master Bolt, his deadliest weapon; the development sends Olympus into upheaval. Together with his newfound companions, Percy must clear his name and prevent an all-out war among the Greek gods.

Season 1 features:

• Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson
• Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase
• Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood
• Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan
• Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano
• Azriel Dalman as Young Percy Jackson
• Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus
• Adam Copeland as Ares
• Threnody Tsai as Sarah
• Andrew Alvarez as Chris
• Lance Reddick as Zeus
• Toby Stephens as Poseidon
• Timothy Omundson as Hephaestus
• Jay Duplass as Hades
• Jason Gray-Stanford as Maron
• Glynn Turman as Chiron
• Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue
• Jelena Milinkovic as Nereid
• Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa
• Megan Mullally as Alecto
• Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes
• Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson
• Olivea Morton as Nancy Bobofit
• Manoj Sood as the Principal
• Jennifer Shirley as the Oracle

Denise Chamian (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Elvis”) and Jordana Sapiurka (“The Old Man,” “Strange Angel”) put together the ensemble of the Disney+ adaptation.

Chamian says that she sees every performer as an individual. “Everybody wants to discover someone new, and the proof is in the audition,” she told us.

“Many actors are artists, and they approach the craft that way,” she said in an interview with Direct Submit. “Others are workers and approach acting as a business along with the talent they have. Both work. I love actors and their process. I’ve never stopped being curious about how they do what they do. I am in awe of their skill, and I do what I can to help them be the best they can be so they can succeed.”

On Feb. 7, Disney+ officially renewed “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” for a second season. According to Disney+ and Hulu, the series was one of the top 5 premieres of 2023, garnering over 26.2 million views in its first three weeks on the streamers. 

In a press statement, Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, celebrated the news by saying, “rich in magic, wonder, adventure and heart, ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ captivated the imaginations of viewers of all ages everywhere. We’re thrilled to embark on an exciting new quest and a season two with Rick Riordan, our fantastic partners at 20th Television, and the exceptional ensemble of cast and creative talent that bring this story to life.”

Riordan is also excited to keep the magic alive. “I can’t wait to bring the next season of Percy Jackson to Disney+! Raise anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the Sea of Monsters,” he said in the statement. 

Filming dates for the new season haven’t been revealed. However, Season 1 was filmed from  June 2022 to February 2023, so it’s likely that Season 2 will pick up soon. Stay tuned for more updates. 

Now with Season 2 officially in the works, we suggest keeping an eye on Riordan’s website; he posted audition calls for Season 1 on his blog as the casting team was building out the core ensemble. In 2021, for example, he shared details on what they were looking for during preliminary auditions for the lead role.

You can also check out our roundup of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”–inspired gigs and bookmark our main casting page for updates on the latest opportunities. For more advice, read our guide on how to audition for Disney projects.

Here’s some advice from a few of the series’ stars.

Be ready for anything. Jay Duplass, who plays Hades, began his career as a director. But when he added acting to his repertoire, he developed a newfound appreciation of the craft.

“It was basically, like, learning how to be totally vulnerable and divulge all of our hangups and let it rip,” he told IndieWire. “I took it as a director because I was tired of being scared of actors, and I noticed that like all actors and directors were scared of each other. And I didn’t want that; I wanted to feel them and understand them and know how to talk to them and support them.

“And I feel like that is the biggest difference in my breakthrough as a director, is being able to really love actors and support them,” he continued. “Since then, though, I’ve definitely relied on that experience as an actor—just letting things happen to me and allowing anything and being open to anything.”

Ignore the naysayers. Megan Mullally, who plays Alecto, credits her long career in comedy to never giving up on her dreams. “Don’t listen to the negative belief systems that some people have,” she told us. “You have to develop your skills and do your side of it; but as long as you’re passionate about it and you hang in there, I truly believe there is room for everybody.”

Don’t be afraid to improvise. “There are people you can try and model yourself after, but you can’t have anybody else’s career,” Jason Mantzoukas (Dionysus) said in an interview with Vulture. “You can only have yours, and you can try and figure it out as best you can.

“I ended up being abroad for just under two years. And it’s a very improvised life,” he continued. “There is not a lot of forward planning I could do. A lot of it required me to actually go to the places, start talking to people, build relationships—all of the kinds of things that required me to just move the ball forward down the field in the moment. That is a lot of what this career is. I can’t predict or know what is going to come next or how it’s going to unfold. I have to keep moving what I have right now down the field.”

Trust in the process. Transforming your passion into a career isn’t always easy, but with determination and positivity, you can make your dreams a reality. Miranda, who plays Hermes, told us in an interview about his directorial debut, “Tick, Tick…Boom!” that you must believe everything will unfold as it’s meant to.

“ ‘It’s gonna be OK.’ That’s hard to hear when you’re where Jonathan [Larson] is at the end of ‘Tick, Tick…Boom!’ and you have to look up at a hill that you haven’t built yet,” the Tony winner said. “I wish I could go back and say, ‘It’s gonna be OK. Keep working. Enough with the morbid fantasies. You’re gonna be alright. Life is longer than you think it is.’ ”