‘Arcane’ Star Reveals the “Overwhelming” Racism She Experienced From Toxic Harry Potter Fans

3 days ago 9

Erielle Sudario is a Collider News and Feature Author from Australia and has worked in the journalism industry since 2018. She has a passion for entertainment and pop culture news and has interviewed YouTubers, voice actors, film directors, and musicians throughout her career. When she's not writing, you can see Erielle building keyboards, reading a good book, playing video games, and creating content on social media.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire introduced moviegoers and reintroduced book readers to Cho Chang, who eventually became one of Harry Potter's love interests. Played by Katie Leung, she brought this young Ravenclaw to life and has appeared in five films. However, in a recent interview, the actress revealed that entering the Wizarding World wasn't as magical as one hoped.

When speaking to The Guardian about her Harry Potter experience, Leung reveals that being part of this film franchise was already overwhelming, and she has tried to think positively about the opportunity that she's been given. However, she was old enough to look herself up online, only to find negative comments that affected her mentally, leading her to believe the criticism she'd received and to blame herself for it.

"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. At the time, I was having a lot of fun. I thought: this is different from school, and I really did not enjoy school. So it was a way to escape. I’m still trying to figure it out, really, how it affected me. I don’t know if anything could have been done back then to make things better or easier. 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. 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."

Leung started her career at 19 in 2005, appearing in the Harry Potter films after attending an open audition and landing the part of Cho Chang. In a 2007 interview with the BBC, she revealed that being part of the film's cast changed her life. Additionally, her performance in Harry Potter went unnoticed by most level-headed fans. Still, her iconic kiss with Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix landed her a nomination for "Best Kiss" at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.

Katie Leung Is Trying To Prove That She's More Than a 'Harry Potter' Star

Since her stint in the Wizarding World, the negative comments have admittedly affected how she views herself as an actress. In her interview with the Guardian, she revealed that she's trying to be more than just a Harry Potter star, to the point that she doesn't even mention it. Yet, people still know her from her previous work.

"I tried really hard not to mention it, even when we were doing introductions at the beginning of the year, even though everybody knew. I didn't want people to think that was the reason I got in. Not that it was, but I was really hard on myself. I was trying to constantly prove I was more than just the actor from Harry Potter."

Fortunately for Leung, the actress has landed more roles since the franchise ended in 2011. She has starred in numerous TV series, including Chimerica, The Nest, and The Peripheral, and in 2021, she landed a role in the Netflix animated series Arcane, where she voiced Caitlyn in Seasons 1 and 2. She's also set to appear in Season 4 of Bridgerton as Lady Araminta Gun.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is available to stream on HBO Max.