Logan Lerman Talks Percy Jackson

by Helen Earnshaw | 5 July 2010

Despite being just eighteen years old Logan Lerman is an acting talent that many people have been talking about in 2010 with his movie Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief.

I caught up with the actor to discuss the role of Percy Jackson, his shooting experience and what lies ahead for the young star.

- Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief is about to be released on DVD here in the UK so for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet can you tell me a little bit about it?

It takes place in the modern day and Greek mythology is real (laughs). Zeus’ lightening bolt is most powerful weapon and it has been stolen, everyone thinks that the son of Poseidon has done it but he has no idea that he is the son of Poseidon; he has been hidden from the reality of who he is.

But he gets this reality shock that he is the son of Poseidon and all of the Gods are out to kill him to reclaim the bolt. So he goes on this journey with a couple of his buds and they are trying to discover who really stole it and save the world and that kind of thing.

- So what was it about the script and the character of Percy Jackson that attracted you to the movie?

Originally it was just the idea of working with Chris Columbus; I’m a pretty big fan of his, seeing his name on the title page of the script was very attractive to me.

He is a filmmaker who I really appreciate and I just really wanted to work on one of his movies and contribute to something that I though I would be pretty proud of, and I am.

- How familiar were you will the books before you landed the part?

You know I knew nothing about the book series when I was handed the script a while back so I immediately called my little cousin and asked him if he knew anything about the series and he was like ‘Yeah, it’s the most popular thing everybody loves it.’ I was like ‘ok, ok’.

Read the script and fell in love with it then went on to read the book and fell in love with that so it was a bit of a backwards process for me.

- The movie involves a lot of sword fighting and stunts so what sort of preparation or training did you do before filming?

Yeah there was a lot of stunt training from getting shape in the first place, I’m a bit of a lazy person who would rather stay at home and watch movies.

Besides that I learnt a whole list of thinks from boxing to sword play to wire work and scuba diving. We were just constantly training any free time that we had.

- You have already mentioned Chris Columbus so what was it like being on set with him and working him?

He is great. The best way I can describe it is he really has the feelings of the movies that I’m so used to of his, those very heart warming films he just has that very friendly and hear warming vibe to him.

He makes the set so comfortable and very happy, he makes everyone wanna come; wake up at four in the morning and come and work. You go to bed at night totally motivated and really energised by his spirit; he really is the best guy to work with.

- The movie contains some great CGI so how did you find working on a blockbuster movie with green screen and wirework, is it as exciting as it looks?

Oh yeah it really is, obviously it’s all added in later and we are just working in front of giant green screens and blue screens. They do show you pre-visual animations and conceptual art of what they are planning on making so it gives you an idea of what you can pop in your head and imagine.

But I kind of just set a tone for the movie and stick with it bit at the same time it’s a workshop for you imagination and you have to try and lose yourself on set.

- While this is a big CGI movie there is a very strong idea of family and protecting your family that really drives the film.

There are a bunch of sub-plots in the movie, that is a particularly strong one, everyone can take a way something different from the movie I think it just depends on where you are at in your life and what is relatable to you. But it was something that kind of struck a chord with a lot of people.

- You star alongside Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson so how did you find working with them?

Oh they were great; they were great I just had a blast working with them. You spend all day together for pretty much a year, a little big longer maybe, and if you didn’t like the people that you were working with it would be a pretty terrible experience.

We just got along right away and I think that we were because of the natural chemistry between the three of us.

- What was the casting process like?

The casting process was surprisingly as Chris was familiar with a movie I did and I guess he had this idea that he wanted us to wok together so we met, as I said I was a huge fan, it was love at first sight as we got on really well so it was a really quick casting experience.

- For most of the movie Percy, Grover and Annabeth are running around with a head of Uma Thurman so that must have been pretty surreal?

Oh it was fun! It was fun to play around to. We had Uma Thurman’s head with us all the time they had made a cast and mould of her face, it looked real it really did.

- This movie has really brought you to everyone’s attention so how are you dealing with all that?

You know what I don’t really receive as much attention a one would think I guess. When I’m working it’s definitely a little bit much but it’s all for the show I guess and it’s all co-ordinated.

- You have also been labelled as a talent to keep an eye on does that put pressure on you or are you just flattered by the whole thing?

I’m just flattered by it it’s just so nice to hear it’s definitely flattering. It means a lot because it means that a lot of hard work has paid off but it’s only the beginning of where I want to be.

- You grew up in LA so have you always had the acting bug?

Yeah of course I have always been interested in movies and have always loved movies so I started because of my passion for movies in general. Growing up in Los Angeles it’s a pretty accessible place to give it a shot (laughs).

- How would you like to see your career develop over the next couple of years is there any particular path you would like to take or genres of movies that you would like to work on?

No, no nothing in particular it’s people that I want to work with and directors that I want to work with and definitely characters as well .Whether it’s a character that I could bring something to or a director I really appreciate and want to work with I just want to the movies that I want to do.

I would like to work with the likes of David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze I could name a whole bunch or people, off the top of my head thirty five to forty.

- Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief has been a huge success both here in the UK as well as in America so is a sequel a possibility?

I have heard nothing. I haven’t got any phone calls but I am signed on to do three so if I get the call I would love to repeat the good times.

-Finally what’s next for you, the Three Musketeers is on the horizon isn’t it?

Yeah I’m doing the Three Musketeers, I’m training for that right now, we will be filming pretty soon so I’m really excited about that because I have grown up watching those movies and I really love those movies.

We are adding a whole new element to in terms of the technology; we can really take you there in a way that hasn’t been done before.

Then I’m doing a movie called The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, it’s one of my favourite novels going up too, so it’s fun to be able to make these into films and the writer of the novel has penned the script and is also directing.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is out on DVD now.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw