In Dec. 2023, fans of the Percy Jackson book series eagerly awaited the release of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney Plus. The show stars Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, who is 12 years old in the first book — so, is Scobell around that same age?

Age aside, Scobell may look familiar. The young actor’s big break came in 2023, starring as a kid-version of Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project on Netflix. As for Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan, when it came time to cast the part of Jackson in the Disney Plus series, Scobell was, for many reasons, a perfect fit — not least of which, he’s a fan of the books.

On giving the part to Scobell, Riordan wrote on his website, “It was obvious to me and the rest of the team that Walker had the perfect mix of comedic timing, sweetness, rebelliousness, snark, and heroism to embody our hero Percy Jackson.”

Scobell was born in 2009

According to Famous Birthdays, Scobell was born on January 5, 2009, meaning he’ll be almost 15 when the Percy Jackson show premieres — a bit older than Jackson in The Lightning Thief, the first book in the series, but close enough.

Speaking with the New York Post before the series premiere, Scobell confirmed he was steeped in Jackson lore before he got the part.

“I started reading the books in third grade. I’ve read them seven times, including while we were filming … I really love Percy Jackson, and I’m excited for everyone to see it. I’m pretty nervous, to see how everyone will handle it, but I’m mostly excited,” Scobell said.

And Scobell wasn’t the only person excited to hear the casting news. Scobell’s The Adam Project co-star Reynolds wrote on X, formerly Twitter:

“I guess this makes me older Percy Jackson? Congrats Walker Scobell! You were always a demigod in my mind.”

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