Leah Jeffries

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Leah Sava Jeffries
Jeffries in 2024
Born
Leah Sava Jeffries

(2009-09-25) September 25, 2009 (age 15)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationActress & Model
Years active2014–present

Leah Sava Jeffries (/sə.ˈveɪ/; born September 25, 2009)[1][2] is an American actress.[3][4] Jeffries made her acting debut on the American musical drama, Empire (2015) and later her feature film debut in the action-thriller Beast (2022). In 2022, Jeffries was cast as Annabeth Chase in the television adaptation of Rick Riordan's fantasy novel series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, which earned her two NAACP Image Awards, along with a nomination for the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer.

Early life

Jeffries was born in Detroit to Leah Sava Jeffries and Floyd S Jeffries Jr.[5][6] She has an older brother, Floyd Jeffries, who is also an actor and model.[6] She attended school in the Novi Community School District.[3]

Career

Prior to her acting debut, Jeffries worked as a model for children's products for Carol's Daughter.[6] Jeffries' acting debut was at age 5 as Lola Lyon on Empire.[6][7]

On May 5, 2022, Jeffries was announced as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Immediately following the casting announcement, Jeffries received harassment online because she was African-American, while her character, Annabeth Chase, was portrayed as white in the book series the show was based on.[4][8] On May 10, the books' author, Rick Riordan, posted a blog post in which he condemned the backlash against Jeffries and reaffirmed his support of her.[4][8][9] Alexandra Daddario, the actress who played Annabeth in the two movie adaptations, also posted support for Jeffries online.[9] Members of the fanbase who supported Jeffries' casting posted support online with the hashtag #LeahIsOurAnnabeth.[10]

In August 2022, the film Beast was released, in which Jeffries played Norah Samuels.[7] Later that year, Something from Tiffany's, in which Jeffries played Daisy Greene, was released.[11]

Filmography

Film

Year Project Role Notes Ref.
2018 Faith Under Fire Fiona TV Movie
2019 PawParazzi Monique
2022 Beast Norah Samuels [7]
2022 Something from Tiffany's Daisy Greene [10]

Television

Year Project Role Notes Ref.
2015–2016 Empire Lola Lyon Recurring role; 6 episodes [6]
2018–2019 Rel Brandi 11 episodes [7]
2023–present Percy Jackson and the Olympians Annabeth Chase Main Role [12]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2024 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-series) Percy Jackson and the Olympians Won [13]
Séries em Cena Awards Best Actress in an International Series Nominated [14]
BET Awards BET YoungStars Award Nominated [15]
2025 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series) Won [16]
Children's and Family Emmy Awards Outstanding Younger Performer in a Preschool, Children's or Young Teen Program Nominated [17]

References

  1. ^ "Which 'Percy Jackson' Star is 'Most Likely To' be a real Demigod?". YouTube. Variety. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Percy Jackson Fans Celebrate Annabeth Chase Actress Leah Jeffries's Birthday". Comicbook.com. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  3. ^ a b Hinds, Julie (May 13, 2022). "Metro Detroit tween lands role on Disney+ series, faces racist backlash on social media". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  4. ^ a b c Johnson, Christen A. (2022-05-11). "'Percy Jackson' Author Calls Out Racism Directed at 12-Year-Old Leah Sava Jeffries". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  5. ^ Lobo, Natalia (2022-05-10). "Leah Sava Jeffries' profile: Meet the 'Percy Jackson' actress". Bolavip US. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hinds, Julie. "Metro Detroit girl makes big 'Empire' impression". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  7. ^ a b c d Luckoff, Kaitlyn. "Child actress returns home to Metro Detroit to host 'Beast' movie screening". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  8. ^ a b Blair, Elizabeth (May 10, 2022). "Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan rips complaints about casting the TV series". NPR. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Thompson, Mary Pat (May 12, 2022). "Leah Jeffries gets support after backlash to her casting in 'Percy Jackson' Disney+ series". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  10. ^ a b Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (2022-05-11). "'They literally took down my whole account': Black child actress Leah Sava Jeffries' TikTok deactivated amid racist harassment campaign over 'Percy Jackson' casting". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  11. ^ Monson, Leigh (2022-12-08). "Something From Tiffany's review: a flawed but charming bauble of a rom-com". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  12. ^ Otterson, Joe (2022-05-05). "'Percy Jackson' Disney+ Series Casts Aryan Simhadri as Grover, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  13. ^ Jackson, Angelique (March 13, 2024). "NAACP Image Awards Winners List: 'The Color Purple' Picks Up Two More Wins as Virtual Ceremonies Conclude". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  14. ^ Séries em Cena Awards (April 24, 2024). "Conheça as indicadas da categoria "Melhor Atriz em Série Internacional" no #SECAwards 2024" (Tweet). Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (May 16, 2024). "Drake, Kendrick Lamar to Compete at BET Awards; Nicki Minaj, SZA, J. Cole Earn Multiple Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 7, 2025). "NAACP Image Awards: Ayo Edebiri, Keke Palmer, GloRilla, 'The Piano Lesson' and 'Fight Night' Lead Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  17. ^ Schneider, Michael (December 12, 2024). "Children's & Family Emmys 2024 Nominations: 'Percy Jackson,' 'Sesame Street,' 'Spiderwick Chronicles' Lead; Ceremony Moves to March". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2025.