Leah Jeffries

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Award won Role or nomination

• LMLin-Manuel Miranda1 title
• LRLance Reddick1 title
• MMMegan Mullally1 title
• IEIdris Elba1 title
• BMBear McCreary1 title
• TOTimothy Omundson1 title
• SPSteven Price1 title
• JRJulian Richings1 title
• PRPhilippe Rousselot1 title
• SCSharlto Copley1 title

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  Photo:Gage SkidmoreCC BY-SA 3.0

• I think it’s her intelligence [that I’m most proud of], honestly, because a lot of characters, and I’m not saying that this is how it is now, obviously it’s a lot different in these generational years, but I feel like back then, people, just in general actually, not even in filming, I feel like they always made Black girls like the angry Black girl, the girl that was not smart enough or the really sassy one,

  Leah Jeffries, CC BY-SA 4.0

• I feel like for me to play Annabeth especially, since she has so much intelligence and she’s smart, she has a funniness to her, but it’s also a certain innocence as well, it’s not like, ‘Oh, Annabeth is known as that mean girl, and she’s Black, but she’s very furious, and she’s a bully.’ It’s like a presence that people find comfort in, and not something that they’re like, ‘Oh, Annabeth, she’s that girl because she’s always mean and she’s a bully.’ People that even aren’t Black can look up to her.

  Leah Jeffries, CC BY-SA 4.0

• I kind of like how I have braids because it’s giving both sides. I would love to have my own natural hair in here, too, but I like how I have braids because for girls who have straight hair, [they] can kind of relate, and then for girls who are Black, [they] can also relate because it’s braids, you know what I mean? So it’s like, I’m still showcasing both sides. Even though my skin color is not obviously white, it’s still showing that I can kind of play both sides. It’s like, oh, Annabeth struggles to put her hair up in a ponytail — both sides can do that because it’s straight hair, and it’s a lot, but it’s also, Black girls struggle to put their hair up in a ponytail because they have curly hair. It’s those little things that I feel like really help, and playing Annabeth, it’s like she’s an all-in-one, and I’m grateful that I get to play that because I kind of like to be that. I like to explore and do all things, so that’s the one thing that I really love playing about her.

  Leah Jeffries, CC BY-SA 4.0

• My first two self-tapes were braids, and my third audition and chemistry read, I had my natural hair out. I feel really great when I film with my natural hair. It just makes me feel like I can play more of any character, especially strong characters.

  Leah Jeffries, CC BY-SA 4.0

• First, I have to say that my mother [has the greatest influence on me], because I am definitely a mini version of her. We have the same name “Leah” and I love her so much. She is the person who stays up late at night and wakes up early in the morning and does my hair, and she helps me with picking out my clothes, and everything. I’m definitely her mini-me, and people even say we sound alike. And, of course, my grandmother, because she taught my mother everything that she knows. And, my aunties, because when we are together, they share inspiration with me, and even help with my makeup. So, I stay pretty grounded.

  Leah Jeffries, CC BY-SA 4.0

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