“The important thing is not to panic..”. In Percy Jackson and the Olympians television series out on Disney+, the talent and chemistry of the cast is setting the world on fire. We have an exclusive interview with Aryan Simhadri, who plays the satyr, Grover Underwood on the show.
Photo by Heather Sten
In the series, demigod Percy Jackson leads a quest across America with his two best friends— Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase— to save his mother from Hades in the underworld and prevent a war with the Olympian gods. As a satyr, Aryan’s character is tasked with protecting others. Grover is the heart of the BFF trio and Aryan does a good job at being comical, likable, and earnest at every turn.
The breakout star admitted to us that after long days of being on set, he would go home wearing his satyr ears because it took too long to put on a new pair the next day. Talk about staying in character!
Aryan has over a decade of acting experience on camera and off-Broadway, having starred in the Disney Channel original movie Spin and the Disney+ reboot of Cheaper by the Dozen. But being a lead in Percy is next level.
“The entire process up till then was so surreal that it didn’t really register that I was actually playing Grover, none of it made any sense till I put on the (Camp Half-Blood) shirt.”
Photo by Heather Sten
Aryan experienced a lot of firsts while on set of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, including
stunt work, motion captures, and getting into character as a satyr with pointy ears and a tail and a coach who taught him how to walk like a goat. He said that he spent 10 months walking on his toes as a goat and had to get used to walking on his feet again!
“Almost everyday I was doing something insanely cool and new that I had never done before.”
Thank you, Aryan for FaceTiming with Young Entertainment! See what comes next for the actor and make sure to follow him on Instagram at @aryansimhadri. Catch the full interview and while you’re at it, like, comment, and subscribe for all the latest news in YE!
Consider this:
– Don’t be afraid to try new things or take on roles outside of your comfort zone.
