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.
Leah Sava Jeffries | |
|---|---|
 Jeffries in 2024 | |
| Born | Leah Sava Jeffries September 25, 2009 |
| Occupation(s) | Actress and model |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Early life
editJeffries 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
editPrior 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
editFilm
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit- ^ "Which 'Percy Jackson' Star is 'Most Likely To' be a real Demigod?". Variety. October 18, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Percy Jackson Fans Celebrate Annabeth Chase Actress Leah Jeffries's Birthday". ComicBook.com. September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ 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 September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Christen A. (May 11, 2022). "'Percy Jackson' Author Calls Out Racism Directed at 12-Year-Old Leah Sava Jeffries". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Lobo, Natalia (May 10, 2022). "Leah Sava Jeffries' profile: Meet the 'Percy Jackson' actress". Bolavip US. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Hinds, Julie (April 2, 2015). "Metro Detroit girl makes big 'Empire' impression". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Luckoff, Kaitlyn (August 13, 2022). "Child actress returns home to Metro Detroit to host 'Beast' movie screening". The Detroit News. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Blair, Elizabeth (May 10, 2022). "Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan rips complaints about casting the TV series". NPR. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ 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 September 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (May 11, 2022). "'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 September 28, 2023.
- ^ Monson, Leigh (December 8, 2022). "Something From Tiffany's review: a flawed but charming bauble of a rom-com". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (May 5, 2022). "'Percy Jackson' Disney+ Series Casts Aryan Simhadri as Grover, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Séries em Cena Awards [@secawards] (April 24, 2024). "Conheça as indicadas da categoria "Melhor Atriz em Série Internacional" no #SECAwards 2024" (Tweet). Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.