Katie Leung, an actress known best for playing Cho Chang in the “Harry Potter” films, has opened up about racism she experienced while filming the franchise.
The now-33-year-old actress is credited with appearing in five films in the franchise, as well as multiple video games. She first appeared in 2005’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and made her final appearance in 2011’s finale film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”
The actress recently appeared on an episode of the “Chinese Chippy Girl” podcast and claimed that publicists told her to deny racist attacks she was experiencing at the hands of fans should she ever be asked.
It wasn’t long after her casting in “Goblet” that she began to see racism aimed at her.
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Katie Leung said she endured ‘racist’ attacks that she was told to deny while filming the ‘Harry Potter’ movies. (Getty Images)
“I was Googling myself at one point, and I was on this website, which was kind of dedicated to the ‘Harry Potter’ fandom,” she recalled, per Variety. “I remember reading all the comments. And, yeah, it was a lot of racist s—.”
Leung is of Chinese descent and was born in Scotland. She was only 16 when she was cast in the films.
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Outside of being told to deny such attacks, the star said she received no media training. It’s unclear whether the publicists she referred to worked for Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, or for herself.
‘Harry Potter’ cast members, from left, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, Katie Leung and Evanna Lynch. (Getty Images)
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“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,’” said the actress. “And I just nodded my head. I was like, ‘OK, OK,’ even though I had seen it myself with my own eyes. I was like, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll just say everything’s great.'”
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She added: “I was really f—— grateful that I was in the position I was in. I keep saying, ‘Oh I wish I’d maybe said something.’ But you can’t do that.”
Reps for Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.