Actor Charlie Bushnell on Bringing Luke Castellan to Life in Disney+’s New Percy Jackson Series
Four episodes in, we truly couldn't be happier with Disney+'s new show, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and its magically faithful recreation of Rick Riordan's iconic book series.
It's already been met with critical acclaim, and for good reason, depicting a powerful teen drama with a good dash of Greek mythology mixed in, making for something that would be hard for anyone to resist. If you're familiar with the books, you're probably paying particularly close attention to Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, who's masterfully played by 19-year-old actor Charlie Bushnell. Ahead of the second half of the season, we got the chance to chat with Charlie all about his acting career, the show and what playing a demigod means to him. Read all about it in the interview below.
Sweety High: When did you discover your passion for acting? Was there any specific a-ha moment that made you realize it was the path for you?
Charlie Bushnell: There was, in fact, a very distinct a-ha moment. I was in seventh grade and I binged Season 1 of Stranger Things and I very clearly remember telling my parents that I wanted to be an actor so I could be in the show. It was the first time it had ever occurred to me that the characters in
movies and shows were actors. I was always in the annual school play and loved making films with my friends when we were little, but never thought about becoming a professional actor until then.
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SH: Have you always been a Percy Jackson fan? What does it mean to you to join such a beloved franchise?
CB: My mom read the first couple of books to my brother and me when we were little, but it wasn't until I got the role that I read the whole series for myself. I wish I had read them sooner because they are such fun books! I'm a massive fan now. But the really cool thing about the Percy Jackson universe is the fandom and community. The books mean so much to so many people. I was so excited when I found out I got the role but also a little nervous due to that fact. I just really wanted to do Luke justice.
(Photo credit: Disney/David Bukach)
SH: What can you tell us about your character, Luke? What is his role in the larger series?
CB: Luke is a son of Hermes and a camp counselor at Camp Half-Blood. On top of that, he's an extremely skilled sword fighter. He's also one of the first people to really welcome Percy into camp and make him feel comfortable. But there's a bit more to Luke than first meets the eye, and he plays a pivotal role in the story and in the Great Prophecy. That's about all I can say…
SH: How similar are you to Luke in real life? What would you say are your biggest similarities and differences?
CB: I would say one big similarity between Luke and me is my relationship with Walker, Leah and Aryan and his relationship with Percy, Annabeth and Grover. Obviously, they are my friends first, but seeing as I am a few years older than them and sometimes they'll ask me life advice, etc., I also feel a bit like an older brother/mentor figure the same as he does. Another thing
about Luke that no one can take away from him is his confidence and strong beliefs. If he believes in something or someone or a cause, he will do whatever he can to support that cause, and I feel like I share that quality with him—kind of. Though I definitely won't go to such great
extremes as he does.
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SH: If you could pick any Greek god or goddess to be your parent, which one would it be, and why?
CB: Honestly, being a child of Poseidon would be pretty awesome. I mean, you can breathe under water. I'm already sold. I love the beach, and when I was younger, I had a total obsession with sea creatures, so I think if I were a child of Poseidon, I would just go diving in the ocean every day and explore. Sounds like a blast to me.
SH: What's it been like to work with your Percy Jackson castmates?
CB: Getting to work with and getting to know Walker, Aryan Leah and Dior has been one of the absolute best parts of working on the show. I feel like I really hit the jackpot with this cast. Aside from being wildly talented and incredibly professional, they are a total blast to hang out with. We are all different ages, but somehow we all still connect and get along. Alsom, I really respect their amazing work ethic and great energy on set. I hope we can all continue on this journey together for many more years to come. Fingers crossed!
(Photo credit: Disney/David Bukach)
SH: Are there any memorable moments from the set you can share yet?
CB: The entire experience was memorable—it's hard to choose just one specific moment. But arriving on set and seeing Camp Half-Blood for the first time was pretty surreal. It was even better than I had imagined. And though some of it was VFX, most of what you see in the show is real. They really built most of those cabins in the beautiful woods outside of Vancouver. It was truly a dream come true every day I got to work there.
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SH: What part of the series are you most excited for fans to see when they watch?
CB: I'm really excited for people to see the final episode, Episode 8. Some pretty crazy stuff goes down. If you're a fan of the books, then you know what's coming, but if not, even better, you'll be completely shocked.
SH: Where else can we see your work right now?
CB: I'm super excited to be a part of In The Know, a stop-motion animated series by Mike Judge and Zach Woods, coming out Jan. 25 on Peacock. It's completely different from anything I have done before and I had an absolute blast working on it.
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
CB: I hope people love the show as much as we loved making it. It was made with a lot of love and integrity by not only some of the most talented, creative and committed people in the business, but also some of the most kind.
If you're as obsessed with the Percy Jackson series as we are, click HERE to check out our favorite lines from the books to use as your next Instagram caption.