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