A year after the death of actor Lance Reddick, his influence is still being felt on the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Even though he passed away in March 2023, his presence and his kindness continue to guide people he worked with. This became clear when the show's team revealed that Reddick played a quiet but important role in helping them choose the actress who now plays Thalia Grace in the series.Dan Shotz, the showrunner for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, shared a message on Instagram about the casting of Thalia, a character in the show. Shotz received a call from Stephanie Reddick, the wife of actor Lance Reddick, in July 2024, informing him that they had narrowed down the casting options for Thalia. Although Shotz was taken by surprise by the phone call, it completely transformed the casting process for Thalia.The production team went through an extensive process in their efforts to cast Thalia, which included performing an exhaustive talent search, reviewing and interviewing a large number of applicants (hundreds of actresses), etc. However, the production team did not find any actresses who possessed the characteristics that they were looking for.The moment Stephanie reached out to Shotz to introduce Tamara Smart as a potential candidate, Shotz felt an immediate connection with Smart due to his prior collaboration with her during his time working on Resident Evil with Netflix, where she portrayed Reddick's daughter. This relationship formed during this initial interaction between the two, would continue on into the production of this current project and be a large factor in its eventual success.Stephanie also told Shotz that Smart meant a great deal to them as a family and that she brought them a sense of "magical" feelings. She never pressured Shotz for anything but only asked him to watch her audition tape once it arrived. Although Shotz did not feel that her recommendation would alter the course of the search, the arrival of Smart's audition tape completely turned the search for the right actress around.How Lance Reddick's family helped guide the casting of Percy Jackson and the Olympians?In his Instagram post, Shotz said he was preparing himself for the possibility that Smart might not fit the part in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and he would have to tell Stephanie that the search would continue. But after watching her audition, his concern disappeared. He said her tape made an immediate impact. Once he met her, the feeling grew even stronger.He added that when Smart read a scene with Walker Scobell, who plays Percy in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Scobell turned to him right away and asked, "We are casting her, right?" Shotz called Smart "magical," the same word Stephanie had used. He also called her a "force" with a very deep and thoughtful spirit.Shotz thanked Stephanie and Lance Reddick for guiding them toward the actress who, in his words, "felt right for Thalia in every way." His post showed how much the Reddick family meant to Tamara Smart and how their connection helped bring a new energy to the series. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSmart also spoke about this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. She said that Stephanie and Lance had introduced her to the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians when it came out. She watched it with Stephanie and loved it. She had read the books and knew Thalia was coming in the next season, but she never imagined she would be considered for the role because she thought she might be too old for it. When she learned she had an audition, she messaged Stephanie right away to tell her how much the moment meant to her.How did the role in Percy Jackson and the Olympians help Tamara Smart cope with her loss?As mentioned previously, Smart found the support and environment provided by both Reddick and together helped her with her grief. She stated that by watching the first season, Smart was able to associate happy memories of all the times they shared working together; therefore, it provided healing comfort in a certain manner. Filming Season 2, however, added many more emotions.She said she often felt overwhelmed during scenes because they reminded her of her bond with Reddick and the time they spent playing father and daughter on Resident Evil. At the same time, she felt grateful that she could honour him while joining a series he had helped shape.With Reddick no longer present, actor Courtney B. Vance took over the role of Zeus in Season 2. Smart said meeting him was a powerful experience because he, too, honoured Reddick's memory. She said Vance held a moment of silence for Reddick when he began filming, which meant a lot to her and the cast.The new season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.