Lance Reddick portrayed Zeus in the first season of the show, which came out nine months after he passed away in March 2023. According to showrunner Dan Shotz, Reddick’s work even influenced who was cast for a major role in Season 2.
Recently, casting director Jeremy Shotz revealed how Lance Reddick’s wife, Stephanie, played a key role in finding Tamara Smart to play Thalia Grace in the Percy Jackson series. Shotz shared on Instagram that after a global search, Stephanie Reddick contacted him in mid-July 2024, suggesting he consider Smart for the role of the demigod daughter of Zeus.
The showrunner for Percy Jackson explained that the actress had previously played the daughter of a character on another show, making her a natural fit for their cast. They were very impressed with her and wanted her to audition, but ultimately realized she probably wouldn’t be the right person for the role, which was difficult to tell to Stephanie Reddick.
I was so impressed with Leah Sava Jeffries! She’d been on Resident Evil before, playing Reddick’s daughter, but she completely blew everyone away during the Percy Jackson auditions. Seriously, when her audition tape came in, it was amazing. Then I met her, and she was just fantastic. But the real moment was when she read with Walker Scobell – he immediately turned to us and asked, ‘Are we casting her? Because we have to!’ It was truly magical, and that’s exactly the word to describe her audition.
Shotz concluded the Instagram post by highly praising Smart, describing her as incredibly talented and soulful, and believing she beautifully embodies the spirit of Lance Reddick in her work. He also expressed gratitude to Stephanie and Lance Reddick for bringing Thalia into their lives.
Tamara Smart Will Have a Larger Role in Percy Jackson Season 3
Actress Smart first played the character Thalia Grace in a brief flashback during the fourth episode. Because Thalia had been turned into a pine tree marking the boundary of Camp Half-Blood, she wasn’t initially expected to be a significant part of the season. However, when the Golden Fleece was used to restore her, the magic worked unexpectedly well, bringing Thalia back to life.
Thalia has a more significant part in The Titan’s Curse, the third book in the series. Filming for Season 3 of Percy Jackson is already happening, and it will be based on the 2007 novel. As a result, Julia Smart, who plays Thalia, is expected to appear in more episodes next season alongside the main cast: Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri.
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Holt McCallany, known for his role in Mindhunter, will be joining Season 3 of Percy Jackson as Atlas, a powerful villain and Titan. David Costabile and Jesse L. Martin will also be featured in the new season, playing Dr. Thorn and Frederick Chase.
The newest episode of Percy Jackson Season 2, titled “We Check In to C.C.’s Spa & Resort,” will be available to stream on Disney+ starting December 31st.
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2025-12-28 19:17