Leah Sava Jeffries gives Black girl magic a new meaning in Disney+’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series. The 14-year-old stars as half-mortal, half-goddess Annabeth Chase in the fantastical tale about the titular Percy (Walker Scobell), a tween demigod who embarks on an unexpected adventure to restore order to the mythological world of Olympus. The TV adaptation, which also stars Aryan Simhardi, breathes new life into the stories previously told in author Rick Riordan’s best-selling novel series. Jeffries has much to do with that.

The young starlet’s character is a blonde white girl in the “Percy Jackson” books, but Jeffries says it “feels surreal” to tackle the prototype as a young Black actress for a new generation. Although Riordan’s fantasy universe existed long before the Detroit native was born, she still connected with the nearly two-decade-old story years before joining its Disney+-inspired show.

“I read the books when I was in fifth grade, and that really got me started out on Greek mythology,” Jeffries tells BET.com. “I didn't know about [that] stuff, but then after I read [the “Percy Jackson”] books, I was like, wow, I didn't know that there was like a Zeus or an Aphrodite.”

The novels became Jeffries’ study material for her self-proclaimed biggest role to date. As a kid, she starred in shows like “Empire” and “Rel,” and later in films like Lifetime’s “Faith Under Fire,” “Beast” starring Idris Elba, and the “Something from Tiffany's” rom-com with Zoey Deutch and Kendrick Sampson. But now, as one of the main leads in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” — which follows the franchise’s 2010 and 2013 movies — Jeffries is on a different level of stardom.

The exciting news of Jeffries’ casting was announced in May 2022, making her one of the first Black actresses to play a demigod. Her role as the strong-minded daughter of the Greek goddess Athena centers around helping Percy on his journey, but the Disney+ series takes time to delve into her character’s humanity, too. As evidenced in the first batch of episodes, Jeffries’ Annabeth is a dynamic, badass warrior unafraid to speak her mind and has no problem facing challenges head-on. The young actress says she “cannot wait for people to see” what comes of her role as the show progresses.

Initially, it took Jeffries a minute to process the shock of being part of a massive fantasy franchise that’s earned a reputation almost as acclaimed as Harry Potter’s. She shares, “The pressure, I feel like it was on when [my casting] first got announced just with how fast those followers went up,” adding that her following went from 29K to 71K within an hour of the news. “... I feel like that's when it really came on me because [normally] when an announcement came out that I got a part for anything, it was just, ‘Congratulations!’ But this was a whole different thing.”

Not everyone was thrilled to see a young Black actress play Annabeth. Jeffries received online hate comments and harsh criticism from book purists over her character’s race. Riordan quickly nipped that in the bud by posting a firm letter on his website entitled “Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase.” He wrote, “As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now.”

Jeffries didn’t falter under the hatred, though — her support system wouldn’t let her. Looking back at how the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” creator, and even her past and current co-stars, came to her defense, Jeffries says, “It was an honor to see them stand up for her so fiercely. Seeing how many people really cared and supported me, it was a lot,” she recalls. “I knew that people supported me, but I never knew that it was so big … I don't have to worry about what anybody else thinks because I know that Mr. Rick, the author of the books, the creator of everything, and the person who started all of this, is telling me I don't have to worry about nothing. I’m great just the way I am.”

The weight of being the first Black person to achieve anything is a burden Jeffries knows all too well now. However, she sees her accomplishment as an empowering milestone for a genre where Black representation isn’t always reflected or prioritized. “With this generation now, they're being very inclusive, and I just love how a lot of these Black girls are getting parts that people would never really want to have them in. It's very surprising, but [also] a powerful moment,” she says. “... Being a Black girl in a part that people stereotyped as Caucasian, it's tough at first, but once you find the right audience and, and the right people to stick around with, nothing else matters but the positive stuff.”

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” allows Jeffries the opportunity of a lifetime to finally show the world what she’s capable of doing in genres outside of drama and comedy. The series is also a chance for her to break barriers for Black actors in Hollywood and step outside the box they’re often confined to. Through her portrayal of Annabeth, Jeffries hopes she can be an example for other young Black girls who aspire to follow in her footsteps. 

“What I want them to take from this is definitely that you can do anything,” she says. “I want them to know that because I feel like with anyone really, sometimes with their race and how they are, people will try to make them stick to a certain thing. [They’ll] automatically put you in some type of superhero role, or as the villain, or try to stereotype people with certain hair and eye colors, you know? That's not how it should be. I want people to take from this that you could be anything, anywhere, at any time.”

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” premieres on Disney+ on December 20, with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.