Andra Day Joins Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Cast as Athena

Andra Day, the multi-talented singer and actress, has been cast as Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, for the upcoming Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Athena, one of the central figures in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, is the mother of Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy Jackson’s close friend and fellow demigod.

Day’s casting is a thrilling addition to the show, as she steps into the role of a key Olympian goddess. The actress, who made a breakout performance as the legendary Billie Holiday in Lee Daniels' The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021), received widespread acclaim for her portrayal, earning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama, as well as a Grammy for Best Soundtrack. Her performance also garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Before her acting career took off, Day was best known as an R&B singer. Her debut album Cheers to the Fall (2015) earned her critical praise, while her latest album Cassandra (Cherith) was released in 2024. In addition to her role as Billie Holiday, Day’s future screen credits include starring roles in the upcoming films Exhibiting Forgiveness and The Deliverance, both of which are directed by Lee Daniels.

Season 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians introduced audiences to Percy (Walker Scobell), a 12-year-old demigod who is just beginning to understand his newfound powers. Alongside his friends Annabeth and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Percy embarks on a perilous journey across America to prevent a war between the gods. Season 2, however, promises to take Percy’s journey to new heights.

According to the official logline, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood a year later, only to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth begins to shift, he discovers he has a cyclops brother, Grover has mysteriously disappeared, and Camp Half-Blood itself is under siege by the forces of Kronos. Percy’s quest to restore balance will lead him into the treacherous Sea of Monsters, where he will uncover a dark fate that awaits the son of Poseidon.

Day’s casting was announced at a virtual panel during Disney’s D23 Expo in Brazil, with the exciting news shared on social media soon after. Check out a video of Day addressing Percy Jackson fans below.