Kate McKinnon is set to bring charm and allure to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Saturday Night Live alum has been cast as the Greek goddess Aphrodite for season 3 of the Disney+ series, Entertainment Weekly confirms. She will appear in a recurring guest star role.
In Rick Riordan’s third Percy Jackson novel, The Titan’s Curse, Aphrodite appears to Percy, played on the show by Walker Scobell—to assist him on his quest, while also teasing him about his romantic dilemmas.
An official character description for the series notes that the goddess of love and beauty “can alter her appearance depending on the beholder,” mirroring her depiction in the books. “Aphrodite must be sure that Percy Jackson respects the power and importance of love before she agrees to offer aid on his quest.”
Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians stars Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover.
McKinnon rose to prominence during her SNL tenure from 2012 to 2022, earning 10 Emmy nominations and taking home two wins. Since leaving the NBC comedy series, she has returned to host once. Her acting credits also include Bombshell, the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, Barbie, and the TV series Joe vs. Carole.
She joins the season 3 cast following Dafne Keen, known for Deadpool & Wolverine and His Dark Materials—who was cast as the formidable goddess Artemis, twin sister of Apollo, and Saara Chaudry (The Mysterious Benedict Society), who will portray Zoë Nightshade, Artemis’s loyal lieutenant and the first-ever immortal Hunter.
The trio will be joined by previously announced newcomers Levi Chrisopulos and Olive Abercrombie, who will play demigod siblings Leo and Bianca di Angelo.
Season 3 is currently in production in Vancouver and is based on The Titan’s Curse. Season 2, adapted from Riordan’s Sea of Monsters, is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on December 10.