Katie Leung

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Katie Leung
梁佩詩
Leung at the 2020 German Comic Con Home Edition
Born (1987-08-08) 8 August 1987 (age 36)
Dundee, Scotland
Alma mater
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
Children1
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese梁佩詩
Simplified Chinese梁佩诗

Katie Leung (born 8 August 1987; pronounced [lœ:ŋ][1]) is a Scottish actress. She first gained fame for playing Cho Chang, the titular character's first love interest in the Harry Potter film series, and subsequently for her roles as Caitlyn Kiramman in the Netflix animated series Arcane and Ash in the Amazon Prime Video sci-fi series The Peripheral. Among British television audiences, Leung is known for her lead roles in the miniseries dramas One Child and Strangers and her supporting role in the police dramedy Annika.

Early life[edit]

Leung was born in Dundee to Peter Leung, a Hong Kong-born businessman and restaurateur who opened a company in Glasgow, and Kar Wai Li, a banker. Her parents divorced when she was three, and she continued living in Scotland with her father, stepmother, and siblings after her mother moved back to Hong Kong.[2][3] Her father's occupation led to Leung growing up in multiple cities, including Ayr, Hamilton, and Motherwell.[2] She attended secondary school at Hamilton College.[4][5]

Career[edit]

2004–2011: Harry Potter and other early roles[edit]

Leung's father saw an advertisement for a Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire casting call, and suggested she should try out. She waited four hours in line for a five-minute audition, despite feeling she had little likelihood of obtaining the role.[6] Two weeks later, she was called back for a workshop and was cast as Cho Chang, beating over 3,000 other girls for the part.[7] She has stated that her Scottish accent probably gave her an advantage in the casting,[8] as the casting director asked the girls who attended the audition, "Is there anyone here from Scotland?", to which only Leung raised her hand.[9]


In a 2011 interview, Leung recalled how her fondest memory of the Harry Potter experience was the first audition, because both her parents, who were separated at the time, went with her: "It was a really nice moment because my parents hadn't seen each other for a long, long time."[10] In an effort to heavily promote Goblet of Fire, Warner Bros. sent Leung to China in the film's second week of release, in an atypical move towards a market that was not used to frequent celebrity visits at the time.[11]

Leung reprised her role in the subsequent films in the series, most notably Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which her character had the distinction of being Harry Potter's first romance. As a result, Leung and co-star Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) shared an on-screen kiss that received much media coverage. While Leung was greeted warmly by most of the fandom, other fans created hate websites in response to her casting and posted many racist messages which were upsetting to her at the time.[12][13] In March 2021, Leung opened up further about the racist harassment she received from fans while filming Harry Potter; appearing on an episode of the Chinese Chippy Girl podcast, she revealed that she was told by her publicists to deny what was happening if any interviewer asked.[14]

Leung was named Scotland's most stylish female and the hottest Scotswoman in 2007 by The Scotsman.[15] In July 2007, she was cast by Gold Label Records, a subsidiary of EMI in Hong Kong, to be the female lead in the music video Love Coming Home (愛回家) by Leo Ku.[16]

In her first role outside of Harry Potter, Leung played Hsui Tai in the episode "Cat Among the Pigeons" of ITV1's Agatha Christie's Poirot, which premiered on 21 September 2008.[17]

2012–present: continued stage and screen roles[edit]

Following the end of Harry Potter, Leung was uncertain if she wanted to further pursue a career in acting but was inspired to continue after attending a drama course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.[18] In December 2011, she was awarded the role of Jung Chang as her stage debut role in Chang's autobiographical play Wild Swans.[19] In comparing film to live performances, Leung said, "The obvious challenge is of course getting it right the first time, which is weirdly exciting for me."[20] The play made its world premiere in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2012, before returning to Motherwell and concluding with an April–May run at the Young Vic in London.[21][22]

In June 2012, it was confirmed that Leung would star in the Channel 4 four-part drama series Run as leading character Ying, an undocumented Chinese immigrant living in Brixton.[23] In 2013, Leung starred alongside Vera Chok in The World of Extreme Happiness, a play about the world of migrant workers in China's rapidly emerging modern era. In the production, staged at The Shed at the National Theatre, she played the role of Sunny, a female migrant worker.[24]

In April 2014, it was announced that Leung was to play the lead role of Mei, a first-born Chinese girl adopted by an American mother and British father, in the TV miniseries One Child. In the story, her character is asked to return to her birthplace, Guangzhou, when her birth mother desperately seeks her assistance in saving her son. The series, a co-production of BBC Drama and Sundance TV, filmed in May 2014 in London and Hong Kong, aired on Sundance TV in December 2014, and was broadcast on BBC Two in February 2016.[25] Leung received praise from Catherine Gee of The Daily Telegraph, who called her performance "beautifully understated".[26]

In late 2016, Leung appeared in the Tony Kushner play The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (iHo) at the Hampstead Theatre in London.[27] In 2017, she co-starred with Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan in The Foreigner, playing Fan, Chan's character's daughter. This was followed by a supporting role as Lau Chen in the ITV drama Strangers, also known by the title White Dragon.[28]

Leung subsequently appeared in recurring roles as DC Blair Ferguson in the Alibi series Annika, the voice of Caitlyn in the Netflix series Arcane, and Ash in the Amazon Prime Video series The Peripheral.[29][30][31]

In January 2022, Leung's essay "Getting into Character" was published in the book East Side Voices: Essays Celebrating East & Southeast Asian Identity in Britain.[32] In her essay, Leung wrote about how her ethnicity impacted her experiences growing up and her acting career.[33]

In 2023, Leung starred in the first season of Paramount+'s series adaptation of Simon Beckett's novel The Chemistry of Death.[34] She has also been cast in the forthcoming BBC One miniseries Nightsleeper.[35]

Charity work[edit]

In 2007, Leung helped The Prince's Trust charity raise £100,000 by launching a children's art competition, donating one of her own paintings that was auctioned for £960.[36] In 2009, she donated a photo to Sightsavers International's I:Click 2009 competition, with benefits going to treat and prevent blindness for residents of impoverished countries.[37][38]

In 2018, Leung ran a 10K marathon for My Body Back, a charity that supports victims of sexual violence.[39]

Personal life[edit]

Leung at the German Comic Con Home Edition in 2020

Leung delayed plans to go to art college and university to film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. During this period, Leung had said she was undecided about pursuing an acting career after Harry Potter and wished to attend university to study art and design.[7]

Leung briefly studied painting at University of the Arts London before completing a photography degree at Edinburgh College of Art.[10][40] Following this, she attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, where she completed the BA in Acting course.[41]

On 19 August 2018, Leung participated in the wedding of her Harry Potter castmate, Afshan Azad.[42]

On 1 January 2023, for New Year's Day, Leung revealed on Instagram that her son had been born the previous Halloween.[43] Her pregnancy was worked into the second season of Annika, which she filmed prior to giving birth.[44]

Leung speaks fluent Cantonese and basic Mandarin.[45][46] She is a vegetarian.[47]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Cho Chang
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2017 T2 Trainspotting Nurse
The Foreigner Fan Quan
2018 Leading Lady Parts Assistant Short film
2021 Locked Down Natasha

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Agatha Christie's Poirot Hsui Tai Episode: "Cat Among the Pigeons"
2013 Run Ying Miniseries (4 episodes)
2014 Father Brown Jia-Li Gerard Episode: "The Prize of Colonel Gerard"
One Child Mei Ashley Miniseries (3 episodes)
2018 Strangers Lau Chen Miniseries (8 episodes)
2019 Chimerica Liuli Miniseries (4 episodes)
2019–2020 Moominvalley Too-Ticky (voice) Seasons 1–2
2020 The Nest Eleanor Miniseries (5 episodes)
Roadkill Margaret Moore Miniseries (3 episodes)
2021–present Annika Blair Ferguson Main role
Arcane Caitlyn Kiramman (voice) Main role
2022 The Peripheral Ash Main role
2023 The Chemistry of Death Maggie Cassidy Season 1 (3 episodes)
The Wheel of Time Yasicca Season 2 (3 episodes)
2024 Nightsleeper Rachel Lingfield Miniseries (6 episodes)

Theatre credits[edit]

Year Title Role Venue
2012 Wild Swans Jung Chang The Young Vic Theatre, London
2013 The World of Extreme Happiness Sunny National Theatre, London
2014 The Hypochondriac Béline Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow
2015 You For Me For You Junhee Royal Court Theatre, London: Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
2016 The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (iHo) Sooze Hampstead Theatre, London
2017 Snow in Midsummer Dou Yi Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
2019 White Pearl Sunny Royal Court Theatre, London: Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
2024 The Comeuppance Kristina Almeida Theatre, London

Awards[edit]

Year Presenter Category Result Refs
2006 Asian Excellence Awards Outstanding Newcomer Nominated [48]
Young Scot Award Achievement in Entertainment Nominated [49]
2007 Scottish Style Awards Most Stylish Female Won [50]
CosmoGirl Hot 100 List Won [51]
2008 MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss (with Daniel Radcliffe) Nominated [52]
2014 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Won [53]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Katie Leung: Breakthrough Brit in 2014". BAFTA. 28 October 2014. Event occurs at 00:01. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b Swarbrick, Susan (12 February 2016). "Katie Leung on life after Harry Potter and battling racist stereotypes". The Herald (Glasgow).
  3. ^ Sturgis, India (15 February 2016). "Harry Potter actress Katie Leung: I regularly experience racism". The Telegraph.
  4. ^ LAU KIT WAI. Katie casts a spell. South China Morning Post. YOUNGPOST; Pg. 1. 11 December 2005.
  5. ^ Dougan, Andy (4 November 2005). "'Motherwell girl Katie steals Harry Potter 's heart; MOVIE SPECIAL Katie Leung on her dream role . . . and the big secret she had to keep for two months". Evening Times (Glasgow). NEWS. p. 14.
  6. ^ Synnot, Siobhan (21 June 2007). "KISS ME KATIE". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Katie Leung 5/2007 Interview BBC.com". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  8. ^ "Exclusive: My Broad Accent Scot Me A Job As Harry Girl". The Daily Record. 14 November 2005. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  9. ^ "What Katie did next". The Scotsman. 26 June 2007. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  10. ^ a b Herald Scotland. "Lights, camera ... magic". Herald and Times Group. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  11. ^ Pride, William M.; Hughes, Robert J.; Kapoor, Jack R. (2008). Business. Houghton Mifflin. p. 540. ISBN 978-0-618-75314-7.
  12. ^ "KATIE: I CRIED FOR HARRY'S ILL FANS". Scotland: Daily Record. 16 November 2005. Archived from the original on 16 November 2005. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  13. ^ United Press International (11 April 2005). "Racists slam 'Harry Potter' actress". UPI. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  14. ^ Moreau, Jordan (11 March 2021). "'Harry Potter' Actor Katie Leung Says She Was Told to Deny Receiving Racist Attacks From Fans". Variety. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  15. ^ Watson, Jeremy (18 November 2007). "Harry Potter actress flies from Hogwarts to top of eligibles list". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  16. ^ 基仔張秋親熱大汗疊細汗 (in Chinese). Sina.com. 31 July 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2007.[dead link]
  17. ^ Hendry, Steve (2 December 2007). "What Katie Leung Did Again". Sunday Mail. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  18. ^ "LEUNG NEARLY QUIT ACTING AFTER POTTER". Scotland: The Express. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  19. ^ "Harry Potter actress Katie Leung lands debut stage role". BBC News. 7 December 2011.
  20. ^ Adler, Amy (8 February 2012). "Katie Leung Goes Wild". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  21. ^ Chen, Wei-Huan. "'Wild Swans' tries to fit China on stage". Dedham, Massachusetts: Dedham Transcript. Retrieved 12 February 2012.[dead link]
  22. ^ "Wild Swans". www.youngvic.org. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Channel 4 Run Cast Announcement". Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  24. ^ "The World of Extreme Happiness: A Story of China's Urban Migrants". The Culture Trip – China. 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  25. ^ Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (30 November 2014). "Opaque Justice in China: Katie Leung Stars in 'One Child' by Guy Hibbert". The New York Times.
  26. ^ Gee, Catherine (17 February 2016). "Gripping drama One Child exposes how fragile China is – review". The Daily Telegraph.
  27. ^ "Tamsin Greig stars in The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures". London Theatre 1. 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  28. ^ Hale, Mike (6 February 2019). "Review: Hong Kong Tourist-Noir in Amazon's 'White Dragon'". The New York Times.
  29. ^ Turner, Kayt (16 March 2021). "In Pictures: New series of popular drama, Annika, filming in Glasgow". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  30. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (21 September 2021). "'Arcane': Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell & Kevin Alejandro Among Voice Cast For Netflix 'League Of Legends' Animated Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  31. ^ Petski, Denise (2 June 2021). "'The Peripheral': Louis Herthum, Chris Coy, Melinda Page Hamilton Among 5 Cast In Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy's Amazon Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  32. ^ Lee, Helena (24 January 2022). "Gemma Chan, Naomi Shimada, Katie Leung and more tell personal stories in new book East Side Voices". Harper's Bazaar UK. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  33. ^ Whiteside, Shirley (24 January 2022). "East Side Voices: Essays Celebrating East & Southeast Asian Identity in Britain edited by Helena Lee – Book Review". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  34. ^ Goldbart, Max (20 June 2022). "Paramount+ Unveils Seven-Strong International Slate Including French Fantasy Horror, 'CIRCEO' Massacre Doc & Germany's 'The Sheikh'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  35. ^ "Alexandra Roach and Joe Cole board BBC drama Nightsleeper". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  36. ^ Edinburgh Evening News (4 December 2007). "Potter star Katie helps raise £100,000". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  37. ^ "i:click". Sightsavers International. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  38. ^ Carswell, Andy (3 December 2009). "Amersham teen's photo to appear alongside work of Harry Potter actress". Bucks Free Press & Times Group. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  39. ^ "Katie & Fi for MBBP".
  40. ^ Cheesman, Chris (26 November 2009). "HARRY POTTER STAR REVEALS PHOTOGRAPHY 'PASSION'". Amateur Photographer. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  41. ^ Jury, Louise (20 April 2012). "Harry Potter star Katie Leung makes stage debut... before a spell at drama school". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  42. ^ Merrett, Robyn. "'Harry Potter' Stars Reunite for Hogwarts' 'Very Own Royal Wedding'". People. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  43. ^ "Katie Leung on Instagram: "Halloween baby Wolf wishes you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!"". Instagram. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  44. ^ "Annika's Katie Leung on how real-life pregnancy was written into season 2". RadioTimes.com. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  45. ^ Shore, Robert (11 April 2012). "Katie Leung: I almost quit acting after Harry Potter". UK: Metro. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  46. ^ "Katie Leung talks Harry Potter, costars, new miniseries "Run" broadcast this March". SnitchSeeker.com. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  47. ^ "Harry Potter star on why she loves coming home to Scotland for Greggs' vegan sausage roll", Daily Record, 17 April 2019.
  48. ^ "Katie Leung Nominated for Asian Excellence Award". The Leaky Cauldron. 11 January 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  49. ^ "Katie Leung Suggested for Young Scot Award". SnitchSeeker.com. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  50. ^ "Awards ceremony celebrates Glasgow's style". Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. Archived from the original on 20 December 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  51. ^ "Katie Leung in Cosmo Girl magazine". SnitchSeeker.com. 22 May 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  52. ^ "2008 MTV Movie Awards Nominees: Best Kiss". MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  53. ^ [1] Katie Leung, BAFTA Breakthrough Brits 2014 Archived 1 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]

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