Behind every great demigod is their mortal parent. Percy Jackson got lucky with his mother, Sally Jackson. Generous and kind, Sally Jackson went through a lot and came through the other side stronger than before. She married the horrid Gabe Ugilano for Percy’s benefit to protect him from monsters, as the man had a foul body odour.
Sally raised Percy alone, aware that his father was Poseidon, the god of seas. She and Percy had a running joke after a disagreement with Gabe, who said there was no such thing as blue food. Since then, mother and son have enjoyed the treat of blue food in proving the smelly oaf wrong.
Sally Jackson And Her Tragic Backstory And Meeting Poseidon
Long before Percy’s birth, Sally’s life was one tragedy after another. Her parents died when she was young, and she had to move in with an uncle who didn’t care for her. She also wanted to attend college and become a novelist but couldn’t because she had no money. Sally worked numerous jobs to support herself. Her uncle died of cancer in her senior year of high school.
Sally never let her misfortunes get to her. One summer, she met Poseidon. They fell in love, and Percy was conceived and born during the same summer (more on that in a different post).
Seeing Through The Mist
Possessing the ability to see through the mist, Sally politely declined Poseidon’s offer to build her a castle under the sea after she told him of her financial issues.
Sally met Gabe and married him at some point, knowing full well that his stench would cloak Percy. She was miserable in the marriage but did what she could to ensure Percy was safe. However, he could see through her poker face. He despised Gabe so much that Percy would call him Smelly Gabe behind his back.
Keeping Percy’s Paternity A Secret
Regarding Poseidon, Sally didn’t want to tell Percy who his father was until he was ready. But that time came sooner than she realised. When he was 12, monsters found him at Yancy Academy. However, before she could tell him, she was kidnapped by the minotaur.
Percy only discovered who his father was when Poseidon claimed him before his quest to retrieve Zeus’ master bolt.
Sally Jackson: The Molly Weasley Of The Percy Jackson Universe
Sally was always kind to Percy’s friends, especially his eventual girlfriend, Annabeth Chase. When Percy goes missing for months, the pair lean on each other. Sally still held a deep affection for Poseidon and was grateful to him for making Percy’s fifteenth birthday.
Finally, Sally eventually found love in Paul Blofis, an English teacher who came to develop a close bond with Percy. When Paul felt the time was right to propose, he pulled Percy aside to ask his permission, a gesture Percy was incredibly humbled by. All he wanted to do was see his mother happy.
Sally and Paul’s marriage produced a daughter, Estelle, named after Sally’s mother, who possesses the same green eyes as her brother.
The Actresses Who Have Played Sally Jackson
There have been two actresses who have played Sally Jackson on screen. The first was Catherine Keener in The Lightning Thief movie. The second is Virginia Kull, who plays the role in Percy Jackson and the Olympians television series on Disney+.
