Walker Scobell is Hollywood's newest teen star. The 14-year-old is taking over the role of Percy Jackson from Logan Lerman in Disney+'s highly-anticipated series. Get to know this rising star.
By:
Avery ThompsonReading Time: 4 minutes
December 19, 2023 9:26PM EST
Walker Scobell is only 14 years old, and he’s already one of young Hollywood’s top actors to watch. Walker is playing the beloved role of Percy Jackson in Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which debuted on Disney+ and Hulu on December 19. New episodes will be released weekly.
So, who is Walker Scobell? He became the breakout star of Netflix’s The Adam Project, and he’s going to be a household name for a new generation of viewers with the Percy Jackson series. HollywoodLife has rounded up everything you need to know about this 14-year-old rising star.
Walker Plays Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson and The Olympians.
Walker stars as the titular character Percy Jackson in Disney+’s live-action series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He stars alongside Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri, who play Annabeth and Grover. The epic adventure is based on — and closely aligned with — Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan. The role of Percy Jackson was previously played by Logan Lerman in two movies. The first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered one day early on December 19.
The synopsis for the series reads: “Percy Jackson and The Olympians tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who’s just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus. Percy Jackson is a smart and compassionate kid with a sharp sense of humor. He’s always seen himself as an outsider, in no small part because of how the world sees his ADHD and dyslexia. He’s impulsive and rambunctious and is quick to anger when things seem unfair to him. But beneath his cynicism is an affectionate son and loyal friend who just wants to do right by those he cares about. If only he could find a place where he fits in.”
Ahead of the show’s debut, Logan sent his support to Walker and the rest of the Percy Jackson cast. “The show looks amazing,” Logan told the cast in a note that was revealed during the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I can’t wait to see you all crush it in your roles. You’re making a lot of people happy bringing these characters to life. I can’t imagine a better fit for Percy Jackson than Walker. You were so brilliant in The Adam Project. I hope you like eating blue food the next few years. I think you have a hit show on your hands.”
Walker Played a Young Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project.
Walker starred as a young Adam Reed in The Adam Project. In the film, Walker’s character deals with the pain of losing his father at a young age. Adam meets a time-traveling pilot, who also happens to be the adult version of Adam, played by Ryan Reynolds. Adult Adam is from the year 2050 and searching for his missing wife. The two Adams team up to save the future. The movie, which was released in Feb. 2022, became a hit for Netflix.
The Adam Project Was Walker’s First Onscreen Role.
Walker made his feature film debut in The Adam Project. Walker’s next role after The Adam Project was the Owen Wilson film Secret Headquarters. Walker is now firmly in Percy Jackson mode.
Walker Is a Huge Deadpool Fan.
Walker would watch Deadpool 2 before every audition and could recite the character’s speeches from memory, according to EW. Ryan, 46, actually recorded Walker on the set of The Adam Project reciting one of the speeches, specifically the “f**k Wolverine” speech. “I just turned the camera, and I went, ‘Deadpool 2. Go!’ And he does everything,” Ryan said. “Not just that, he does improvised stage direction and the exposition lines, the stuff that you would never remember, the stuff that’s setting up the premise.”
Walker being a fan of Deadpool and Ryan helped him nab the role of young Adam.“I feel like that was our superpower on this movie,” director Shawn Levy told EW. “We had seen hundreds of kids, and we knew when we found Walker that he was special and talented, but we didn’t know that he was a sick fan of Deadpool. So, he showed up ready with the chops, but he can channel Ryan.”
Walker Comes From a Military Family.
Walker is part of a military family and has lived all over California and Colorado, according to his IMDb profile. Walker discovered acting in elementary school drama class. On a trip to California, Walker decided to pursue acting full-time.
