Katie Leung, best known for playing Cho Chang in the Harry Potter film series, has spoken candidly about her early experience in the franchise, admitting she would not want to return to that phase of her life.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor said she looks at that period very differently now. “I was so young at the time, and I was so easily influenced by what people would say about me because I didn’t know who I was,” she said. “So I’ve come into Bridgerton having a really healthy focus on the work. I’m so glad I’m here. I would not want to go back to that time. Not because I had a bad time or anything, but it’s just really nice when you know who you are, and I’m still figuring that out, but I’m a bit closer.”
Leung, who recently appeared as Lady Araminta Gun in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton, contrasted her current work with the uncertainty she felt while making the wizarding films. Speaking to Variety earlier this year, she reflected on how overwhelming the experience was for a newcomer.
“My first job, Harry Potter, I had never acted before in my life, and suddenly I was in front of 20 cameras and 100 people, completely lost, still figuring out who I was. I can’t say I had the time of my life,” she said.
Leung added that working on projects later in her career, such as the animated series Arcane and Bridgerton, felt different because she approached them with greater confidence. “I felt like I deserved to be on those shows. I never questioned it. And once you stop questioning it, you can actually focus on bringing your best work.”
The actor first appeared as Cho Chang in 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth instalment of the blockbuster franchise. Initially introduced as Harry Potter’s love interest, the character went on to feature in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
With HBO developing a new television adaptation of the wizarding world, Leung also offered advice to whoever might take on the role of Cho Chang in the future. “For anybody really, [whatever] stage in their life, [my advice is] just to be themselves, because that’s what makes them unique,” she said. “And to not let the kind of noise of other people get to you, because what you have already is a gift, and you should really just try and hold onto that.”