Actress Katie Leung has opened up about the racism she experienced after making her big break in Harry Potter.
Leung portrayed Harry's love interest Cho Chang in five of the popular wizardry movies, officially making her Harry Potter debut back in 2005.
The Scottish actress has since starred in movies and TV shows such as Strangers, The Foreigner, Annika, and The Peripheral, and will soon feature in the new season of Bridgerton on Netflix as well.
Now 38, Leung was just a teenager when she first appeared in Harry Potter — something she's now admitted was pretty difficult for her at the time.
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In an interview with The Guardian, Leung was asked how she dealt with the fame that came with her Harry Potter casting.
"I don't think I did," she admitted. "It was overwhelming from the get-go. Being in the spotlight from that age, when you’re already insecure, was difficult, to say the least."
Leung went on: "At that age, you’re curious. I remember being very curious about what people were saying about me, and I was Googling myself. Nobody could have stopped me, because I was old enough to make up my own mind."
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It was online that she found abysmal racist comments, something she thinks made her 'less outgoing'.
Reflecting on the comments about her, Leung shared: "I think it just sat with me, and it affected me in ways like, 'Oh yeah, I made that decision because people were saying this about me.'
"It probably made me less outgoing. I was very self-aware of what was coming out of my mouth."
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Following the success of Harry Potter, Leung feared that she'd never 'beat' having such a famous role and took a break from acting as a result, starting a photography degree.
Discussing when the franchise finished, the 38-year-old said: "I remember coming out of it and thinking, 'Nothing’s going to beat it', because it was so successful.
"I remember being lost, going, 'What’s next? People will have these high expectations of me topping it, and it’s never going to happen'. I think I was so afraid of meeting these expectations that I gave up, or didn’t give myself the chance, after it, to try and continue acting."
However, near the end of her photography studies, she landed a role in a play and her love for acting was reignited.
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According to IMDb, Leung now has over 30 acting credits to her name.
If you have been the victim of discrimination, you can report it via the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division here. In an emergency, always call 911.
Topics: Harry Potter, Racism, Celebrity, Mental Health, Film and TV
Niamh Shackleton