Walker Scobell shot up six inches while filming the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The dramatic growth spurt, from 5’1″ to 5’7″ over nine months of production, forced costume adjustments and camera angle changes throughout the shoot.
Now 17, the Disney+ star stands at 5’9″ according to IMDb, and he’s still growing. For a show that plans to follow Percy Jackson through multiple seasons, Scobell’s height could become both an asset and a challenge.
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How Tall Is Walker Scobell Right Now?
IMDb lists Walker Scobell at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters) as of 2026. He turned 17 on January 5, putting him in the middle range for American teenage males.
The measurement comes from official industry sources, though Scobell himself rarely discusses specific numbers. What’s more notable than the current figure is how quickly he reached it.
Teen Vogue documented his height at 5’7″ in December 2023, meaning he’s added approximately two more inches over the past two years. At the start of Percy Jackson Season 1 filming in 2022, production records showed him at just 5’1″.
The Growth Spurt That Changed Production
The nine-month shoot for Season 1 created visible continuity issues. Early episodes show a noticeably shorter Scobell compared to later ones, though most viewers didn’t notice until cast interviews revealed the extent of the change.
Director James Bobin addressed the challenge in behind-the-scenes footage, explaining how the crew adapted. “We were constantly adjusting,” he noted, though he didn’t specify whether digital effects helped smooth the transitions.
The timing worked narratively. Percy ages from 12 to 13 in The Lightning Thief, the first book. Scobell’s natural growth matched what the character would experience, even if it happened faster than expected.
Walker Scobell’s height progression:
- 2022 (age 13): 5’1″ at Season 1 start
- 2023 (age 14): 5’7″ at Season 1 wrap
- 2026 (age 17): 5’9″ current
What the Books Say About Percy’s Height
Rick Riordan never gives Percy Jackson a specific height in the original novels. The character mentions being shorter than Annabeth Chase early in the series, though that gap closes by later books.
Scobell stands roughly the same height as Leah Sava Jeffries, who plays Annabeth, reversing the book’s early dynamic. Some fan sites claim an official Percy Jackson website once listed the character at 5’10” by age 13, but Riordan’s current site includes no such specifications.
What matters more is that Percy reads as ordinary. He’s not the tallest kid at Camp Half-Blood or the shortest. Scobell’s build fits that description, keeping Percy grounded even when wielding godly powers.
The Physical Toll at 5’9″
Height affects more than appearance on an action series. In a January 2026 interview, Scobell described the physical strain of Season 2, which adapted The Sea of Monsters.
“It’s lunchtime and my back hurts, and I’m like, wow, I’m getting older,” he told TheWrap. “I can feel it.” He was 16 during that production, filming stunts that left him with hip soreness and twisted ankles he still remembers months later.
Season 2 demanded more physicality than the first. Scobell trains with stunt coordinators a month before each season begins, learning sword choreography and fight sequences. His background in skateboarding and parkour helps, but there’s no substitute for the repetitive takes that action scenes require.
He performs many stunts himself, though a double handles the most dangerous work. “He moves exactly like me,” Scobell said of his stunt performer. “It tricks my brain into thinking I already know what I’m doing.”
The Teen Actor Behind Percy Jackson
Scobell grew up in a military family that moved between Virginia, Colorado and Pennsylvania. His father, Pete Scobell, spent 17 years as a Navy SEAL before becoming a professional skier and musician.
His Hollywood break came at 11 when he auditioned for The Adam Project. Out of hundreds of child actors, Scobell won the role opposite Ryan Reynolds by nailing an impression of the star. He credits watching Deadpool repeatedly as preparation, though the audition was for a science fiction film.
The Adam Project premiered on Netflix in March 2022. By then, Scobell had already auditioned for Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan, who created the character, said Scobell “blew us away” in his audition tapes and noted the young actor owned Percy Jackson merchandise before landing the part.
Season 1 debuted in December 2023. Season 2 aired from December 2025 through January 2026. Production on Season 3, based on The Titan’s Curse, is currently past the halfway point according to Scobell’s recent comments.
What His Height Means for the Show’s Future
Disney+ has committed to at least three seasons, each adapting one book from Riordan’s original five-novel series. If the show continues beyond that, Scobell will need to portray Percy through age 16 and potentially into the Heroes of Olympus sequel series.
Male height typically stabilizes in the late teens, though some men add inches into their early twenties. Scobell could reach 6 feet or stay near his current height. Either scenario works for Percy Jackson, who’s described as average throughout the books.
The bigger question is whether Scobell’s aging will pace with the show’s production schedule. Season 3 films through 2026 for a likely 2027 release. At that rate, he’ll be 18 or 19 playing a 14-year-old character.
Other shows with young casts have faced similar challenges. Stranger Things dealt with actors aging faster than their characters. Harry Potter films compressed timelines to keep pace with their stars.
Percy Jackson producers have time on their side. The books follow Percy’s teenage years, giving Scobell room to grow both literally and as an actor. How tall he ends up matters less than whether he can still convincingly play a demigod dealing with high school and ancient gods.
For now, at 5’9″ and 17 years old, Walker Scobell fits the role he’s played since 2022. The real story isn’t where his height lands, but watching a young actor grow up on screen while bringing one of young adult literature’s most beloved characters to life.
