The new pretty-boy hero in town

MANILA, Philippines - Logan Lerman plays the titular role in the mythological adventure in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief where he plays an unlikely hero whose dyslexia wired him to overcome the quest to prove his innocence. 

Though being lead actor in a big film is new to him, Lerman is as deft when it comes to thespic chops. Lerman had an auspicious start to his career in The Patriot with Mel Gibson. Since then he has appeared in What Women Want, Riding In Cars With Boys, The Butterfly Effect, Hoot and The Number 23. He also received great reviews for his role in 3:10 to YUMA.

With his charm and talent, Lerman is the face to watch out for in Hollywood’s upcoming actors. Below, he talks about his experience in the movie:

How much did you know about Greek mythology prior to starting work on the film?

“My knowledge before signing onto the project was limited to what I had studied in school. But once I found out that I was doing the movie, I started reading all the Greek myths and learning about all the gods and who they are, and their relationships with one another. Percy’s supposed to have this inherited knowledge, somehow he knows everything about their history and I wanted to make sure that came across on screen.”

How did you get the part?

“It was the easiest thing for me and I don’t know why. I literally just walked into the room one day and met Chris, and I guess I heard that he said he could not do it with anyone else, he wanted me. I just had to do a test, I was so lucky.” 

What kind of boy is Percy? 

“In the beginning you find out he’s just like any kid with a learning disability, he has dyslexia. He’s had to overcome those difficulties his whole life and you find out that this disability actually works to his advantage as a demi-god. The film really has a universal theme, because everybody goes through this kind of journey of trying to find out who they are. That’s really the underlying theme of the whole film along with a lot of action, adventure, and Greek mythology.”

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is now showing in theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox. It is distributed by Warner Bros.