Rick Riordan, author of ‘Percy Jackson’, defends show’s diverse cast: ‘Everyone can be a hero’

Rick Riordan, author of ‘Percy Jackson’, defends show’s diverse cast: ‘Everyone can be a hero’

It was important to the creator of Percy Jackson that everyone could see themselves in the characters of the series.

Percy Jackson gets a new chance at live action with a series developed for Disney+. However, since the production’s main cast was announced, the young actors playing Grover and Annabeth have come under criticism for not being as white as the characters are described in the books. But for the creator of the original work Rick Riordanthese changes are not only welcome, but necessary.

Talking to EntertainmentWeeklyRiordan explained that making the cast more diverse meant returning to the original purpose his work had in creating it, which was to make children of all types feel included, just like the son of the writer for whom Riordan originally created the story.

“He struggled with dyslexia and ADHD and struggled terribly at school, but if there was one thing he loved, it was Greek mythology.” Riordan recalled. “As a teacher, I knew a lot about Greek mythology. I loved teaching this. So I started telling him stories from the Greek myths, and when those stories were finished, I created a new Greek hero: a modern-day boy named Percy Jackson, who, like my son, suffers from ADHD and dyslexia and discovers that these may be indicators that that you are a demigod. My son had no trouble believing it.”

Leah Jeffries plays Annabeth in the series.

Continuing, the writer explained how the changes to make the series more diverse relate to this origin story:

“20 years later, it was important that I look at it again with fresh eyes and make sure that this story is relatable to every child, and that everyone can watch this series and see themselves in it. It’s so inclusive that anyone can be a hero—after all, that’s why I wrote the book in the first place. My son felt isolated because of his learning differences, and this was my way of saying, “It’s okay.” Being different is powerful. You will feel good. And you have a place in the world.”