Actor Katie Leung, who portrayed the beloved Cho Chang in the Harry Potter film franchise, has delved into her experience of racist abuse whilst filming the series.
Leung recently sat down with Chinese Chippy Girl podcast, for an interview that saw her reflect on the aftermath of being cast in 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire. Leung recalled that after news of her casting was made public, she was exposed to racist messages from fans of the series online.
“I was Googling myself at one point, and I was on this website, which was kind of dedicated to the Harry Potter fandom. I remember reading all the comments. And, yeah, it was a lot of racist shit,” she says.
Leung, who received no media training prior to being cast in the role, revealed that a publicist advised her to deny that she was subjected to racist attacks should it ever come up in interviews.
“I remember them saying to me, ‘Oh, look Katie, we haven’t seen these, these websites that people are talking about. And you know, if you get asked that, just say it’s not true. Say it’s not happening,’” she said.
“And I just nodded my head. I was like, ‘Okay, okay,’ even though I had seen it myself with my own eyes. I was like, ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll just say everything’s great.’”
Leung did not confirm whether the publicist worked for the studio or for her directly. “I was really fucking grateful that I was in the position I was in,” she added. “I keep saying, ‘Oh I wish I’d maybe said something.’ But you can’t do that.”
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
