Jasmine Vega continues to ponder the swift progression of events from her home audition to her eventual casting in the Percy Jackson series.
During her interview on The Wayne Ayers Podcast, Vega described being cast as Hylla as a seemingly effortless experience, which her entire family celebrated.
“It was just one self-tape, and then I found out I booked the role,” she said, adding that her agent first texted to confirm she was available for the dates. “And then he texted me saying I got it. Called me. I called my mom. She was freaking out.”
Vega said that while her initial reaction was excitement, she soon became aware of the responsibility of being cast as Hylla, a character from the series The Heroes of Olympus, which had a loyal fan base.
“The fans are so passionate,” she said. “At first I was very, very excited, but then after a minute you kind of realize the pressure that you feel going into any character, and I just wanted to do right by the show.”
Vega said she researched Hylla’s larger arc, then focused on where the character begins onscreen. She described playing a gentler foundation for Hylla, particularly in scenes set at Circe’s spa.
“I saw that, OK, she has to have this kinder side as a foundation to who she becomes,” Vega said, adding that it helped make the trajectory more interesting and faithful to the books.
The set itself, she said, exceeded her expectations.
“I thought that it might be a green screen,” Vega said. “And I get on set, and it was like a ginormous spa, and it was beautiful. I was in awe for a second just looking at everything. It was fully built.”
Asked about on-set moments, Vega recounted a between-takes detour with co-star Leah Jeffries that turned into a sprint.
“She was like, I have to go show you something,” Vega said, explaining they left their area to see where training happens and to meet Dior. She said an assistant director chased them as they moved through stages and lots, then they ran back to make their scene.
Vega also praised fellow cast member Walker Scobell, calling him mature and focused on his craft. She told him he reminded her of Timothée Chalamet.
With fans reacting strongly to Hylla’s introduction, Vega said she tried to meet the moment with gratitude.
“I was so nervous when the episode was going to come out,” she said, adding that the online response felt kind and sweet. Vega said she engages where she can, liking comments and acknowledging mentions as a way to give love back.
When asked if she would appear in Season 3, Vega declined to answer directly, saying she could not speak on it.
Beyond Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, where she played Lizzie, and Billy the Kid, Vega said she is eager to stretch into darker material, naming psychological thrillers as a dream lane. She cited True Detective Season 1 as an example of the kind of work she admires and mentioned Matthew McConaughey and Jodie Foster as performers she looks up to in that space.
She also said she has started writing, calling it therapeutic and describing a focus on building worlds while leaving room for actors to play. Vega said she recently helped write and produce a short film and hopes it leads to a feature. She is also developing a psychological thriller script and another project inspired by her mother’s life, which she said her mother is humble about.
On what everyday viewers misunderstand about acting, Vega said the work can be all-consuming.
“When I book a role, I am fully in it,” she said, adding that long shooting days, line memorization, rest, and training often leave little room for a social life.
As for the future, Vega said she hopes to keep telling meaningful stories and to bring her own scripts to life.
“I love them so much,” she said of the fans. “I’m very thankful, truthfully, just to be a part of the universe and the show.”
