Andra Day has been cast in Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, where she will portray the Greek goddess Athena.

Athena, a central figure in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, is the mother of Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), one of Percy’s (Walker Scobell) closest allies and a fellow demigod. As the goddess of wisdom, Athena plays a vital role in the narrative.

Day’s acting career took off with her powerful performance as Billie Holiday in Lee Daniels’ 2021 biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a role that earned her a Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress, a Grammy for Best Soundtrack, and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Her upcoming film projects include leading roles in Exhibiting Forgiveness and The Deliverance (the latter also directed by Daniels). Prior to her acting career, Day was best known as an R&B singer. Her music includes the 2015 album Cheers to the Fall and the upcoming Cassandra (Cherith), set for release in 2024.

Season 1 of Percy Jackson introduced audiences to Percy, a 12-year-old demigod who is still learning to control his newly discovered powers. Alongside his friends Annabeth and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Percy embarks on a journey across America to prevent a war between the gods.

In Season 2, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood after a year, only to find everything changed. As his relationship with Annabeth evolves, Percy discovers he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has disappeared, and the camp is under attack by Kronos’ forces. Percy’s mission to restore balance will lead him into the perilous Sea of Monsters, where a hidden destiny awaits the son of Poseidon.

Day’s casting was revealed during a virtual panel at Disney’s D23 Expo in Brazil, before being shared on social media. You can watch Day’s message to Percy Jackson fans in the video below.