Katie Leung Discusses “One Child” and Being a Part of “Potter”

Actress Katie Leung (Cho Chang) recently attended the Celebration of Harry Potter in Orlando, alongside some of her fellow cast members, where she talked about life on set and more. Now, in a new interview with the Herald Scotland, Katie has talked about the beginnings of her career in Harry Potter and her mini-drama One Child, which is due to air on BBC2 in the UK this week.

In the interview, Katie reflects on the beginning of her acting career in Harry Potter. 

I was so innocent and naive. I think that allowed me to enjoy the moment of being a teenager, part of this massive franchise and not really having a worry in the world. If I was given the chance to go back and relive it, I would probably try to absorb everything around me a bit more.

Katie further talks about how the loyalty that Harry Potter fans have shown her has meant to her over the years.

It has been incredible because the fans I got to know and love from the beginning have been with me throughout my career.  They come to see my plays and contact me through social media. When they go to one of my shows that isn’t Potter I get really excited. They have been so supportive, and I’m grateful for that.

Moving on from the past, Katie considers the subject matter of One Child, China’s one-child policy.

I remember hearing about it when I was a lot younger and thinking, ‘Holy crap, that’s unfair,’ but it wasn’t until I started doing research for the show that I found out how horrific it was. It is amazing it has been lifted now.

Katie also talks about being able to film part of the series in Hong Kong, a place she has strong ties with.

I know Hong Kong well, especially where we filmed in Tai Po. It felt nostalgic to be there. I have been going back and forth since birth. My gran has a flat there too. It is almost like home.

During my teenage years I did enjoy partying a lot. Hong Kong was a great place to party. I enjoyed the weather, and it was bustling, with so much culture. I went four times in a year, which is pretty insane given it is a 16-hour flight from Scotland.

Katie further speaks about the intensity of the role and what she enjoyed about this role.

I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in projects where I’m able to raise awareness. It feels like I’ve played a lot of characters whose stories perhaps haven’t been told in the media, people who are a bit more invisible in society, almost like ghosts.

Finally, Katie comments on the casting of Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, an actress she met a few times since they both appeared on stage at the Royal Court Theatre.

I heard so many amazing things about Noma and how incredible it was she stepped in at the last minute. I met her in the corridors a few times. I was ecstatic when I heard she was going to be playing Hermione.

You can read the full interview here, where Katie also talks about taking on Shakespeare, photography, and more.

You can find out more about Katie’s role in One Child here.

One Child previously aired in the US on Sundance TV in December 2014. The mini-series will be aired in the UK on BBC2 in three one-hour episodes starting this Wednesday, February 17, at 9:00 p.m. GMT.

Will you be tuning into One Child this week? Did you see it when it aired in the US? Let us know in the comments!