DETROIT — The preteen years may be tough but 12-year-old Leah Jeffries is navigating an even harsher world these days and doing it with confidence: Hollywood.
The Novi native’s career is on a roll with a steady list of credits, from TV shows to now movies. Jeffries, who landed her first role on Fox’s “Empire” when she was 5 and has been building her resume ever since, was in Detroit over the weekend for a special screening of her latest project, “Beast,” which hits theaters Friday.
Although she is still in the early stages of her acting career, Leah's family always knew she would be a star, said her cousin, Carin Poole, 49, of Southfield.
"We've gone through all of the journey with Leah, from the commercials to "Empire" to now the big screen. We're just so proud of her talent. ... She's just a poised and well- prepared young lady."
Working alongside big names in the movie industry, such as Idris Elba, Jeffries plays the role of Norah Samuels in the thriller film. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur, the film follows Elba's character and his two daughters as they fight for survival once they find themselves being hunted by a lion in the African safari.
"I loved filming with the cast, especially, and just filming in South Africa and seeing all the beautiful views and just having the time of my life filming with the people I love," Jeffries said.
Another cousin of Leah's, Angela Ross, 51, Novi, also shared her pride in Leah's success.
"I'm just really excited and really glad to see her career has propelled and taken her into the stratosphere," Ross said.
Jeffries explained that her role in "Beast" has already led to two more roles.
"After filming "Beast," I got "Something From Tiffany's," which is Reese Witherspoon, she is the producer of that movie," Jeffries said. "After "Something From Tiffany's," I got Percy Jackson. I play Annabeth Chase on there."
Adapted from the novel by Melissa Hill, "Something From Tiffany's" will be available on Prime Video in December. The story follows a woman's life when she mistakenly receives an engagement ring that was meant for someone else.
Earlier this year, Jeffries' casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" led to harsh racist backlash on social media. As the character in the Percy Jackson books was described as white, Jeffries faced criticism with the announcement of her casting.
On May 10, “Percy Jackson” author Rick Riordan published his support for Leah on his blog, writing that she "brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeth’s strength. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be."
He continued to describe the extensive casting process following Disney's company policy on nondiscrimination to select a diverse and talented cast.
"If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me," Riordan wrote. "You have no one else to blame. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now."
The confident and independent actress responded to the backlash in an Instagram Live video, where she asked those criticizing her to stop.
"I know you think that’s going to hurt me though, it’s not," Jeffries said. "You’re just wasting time. I’m still confident. Everyone else is confident. Everyone else is happy for me. So don’t try to bring me down. It’s not going to work.”
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