Original-Cin Q&A: Percy Jackson's Cast and Creator on Chariot Racing and enduring The Ironclad

By John Kirk

Season Two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians begins this week, and through the technical labyrinth of the Internet, the young cast were presented on Zoom to talk about their encore season.

We were joined by Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth), Walker Scobell (Percy) and Daniel Diemer(Tyson). They shared what they enjoyed and what fans could look forward to in the new season. Rick Riordan, author of the book series, and co-screenwriter, also joined in.  

CLICK HERE to read my review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Season Two.

Walker Scobell and Leah Sava Jeffries in Percy Jackson and the Olympians

ORIGINAL-CIN: It’s so great to meet everyone and congratulations on a second season. Such a rich and imaginative fantasy series, what stands out as your favourite moments in this season?

WALKER SCOBELL: It’s hard to pick a favorite scene.

DANIEL DIEMER: I think one of my favorites - especially since it’s not a spoiler - would be the chariot races. I think just to have a set that’s been built so, so massive, but also to be able to have a lot of practical elements in the action.

Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan

Between the horses, and then also the rigs that they built for us when we were on the chariots on the mechanical side of things, it is such an incredible experience. And to be able to have an action sequence that spanned, like, weeks of filming for me was kind of crazy. It was very much a first. I loved every moment of that for sure.

SCOBELL: I think it’s hard. You can’t really pick, like, a least favorite, you know what I mean? There are only days that are, like, harder than others. So, I think some of the days that were hardest were the ones in the Ironclad (a gigantic warship crewed by fallen soldiers)

DIEMER: Mm-hm.

SCOBELL: Because, you know, it was pouring rain and there were fans blowing in our faces and they had these massive water jets and they were shooting it at us.

And it wasn’t one of things that you can just get done. We had to shoot an entire week, and then they had to take the entire Ironclad apart, tilt it eight degrees, and then we had to shoot the whole second half of it. So, it was kind of a long time to shoot in weather conditions like that.

LEAH SAVA JEFFRIES: I think, like Walker and Daniel said, you can’t really pick a favorite, but also at the same time, I love the chariots.

For me, it’s not, like, what my favorite scene was, but more like what was the favorite set, because there were so many different scenes filmed in the same sets.

Obviously, when you watch it, you always think that Camp Half-Blood will be your favorite to film, just because of all the graphics. But if you’re talking about when you’re filming right then and there and there is no editing, it has to be the chariots, because you just like to connect. It’s the most practical and it’s the game connection.

You know, when you’re playing the game and if you go too far out of balance and stuff, you just get stuck. But with the chariots and stuff, I can go as far as I want to and just get to explore everything. I feel like that was the best, because I was able to just connect and get more into the character.

RICK RIORDAN: Oh, so many. I mean, the big moments are incredible. The sailing of the Ironclad into the Sea of Monsters between Scylla and Charybdis comes immediately to mind—it’s incredible. The chariot races, amazing. The scenes on Polyphemus’ island, amazing.

But honestly, I have to say that the scenes that have stuck with me from Season 2 are the quieter ones, the ones of the characters just being together and learning how to trust each other and be a family and be conflicted about their feelings. Those are the ones that impressed me the most, because the actors are just so great.

O-C: On the heels of that, for the cast: what’s it like to have the creator of the series present to work with on this adaptation?

JEFFRIES: It’s a true blessing, basically. Like, I think it’s, it’s already great enough that we have so many good producers on this show helping the book come together into a live-action thing. But to actually have Rick, who created it, be with us.

I think just having Rick there and being able to ask some questions that he knows for sure and stuff. And for Rick to be proud, that’s how you know you’re doing good, because he’s the one that created it. He’s the one that had all this imagination. And to be able to, work and satisfy and please Rick, it makes me even more happy because I know that this is going to do great when it comes out.

SCOBELL: Yeah, he has an interesting way of looking at it, that I like. It’s like, when we’re on set, I always have to go up to him and ask him questions about the books or the different  pronunciation of things.

And he’s very, like, “It’s up to you,” you know what I mean? He kind of writes the book and then it’s kind of just out there for everyone to decide. And I think that’s really interesting. He kind of leaves it all up to your interpretation, you know?

DIEMER: Yeah, I mean, again, exactly like they said, For me it’s been a book that’s been in my life since I was 13 years old, so to be able to have that much history with a world like this and to be able to meet him and be able to have that kind of voice behind me, to bounce things off of. But also, it’s just to be able to know that everything’s kind of being taken care of.

There’s a lot of adaptations that struggle to really honor the original source material. And, at least for me, it was such an exciting thing to be able to just meet him in person as well.

O-C: Rick, what’s it like to see these young actors personify your character creations and were you involved in the casting?

RIORDAN: They live in my head, and have for, what, 20 years now? So, seeing them, incarnated as actors is always challenging for me to sort of wrap my mind around.

But having been involved in the casting, I was able to sort of see all the options and I am absolutely confident that we have the most incredible team of actors to play these characters. Yes, I’m very pleased, honored that they have decided to live in this world and make these characters their own. They’re all incredible people, and also just massively talented.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Season Two streams on Disney+ December 10.