Following the January 29 premiere of Bridgerton Season 4 on Netflix, many Potterheads have been excited about seeing a Harry Potter character play an important role in the period drama.
Katie Leung, who played the role of Cho Chang in Harry Potter, featured as Lady Araminta Gun, the wicked stepmother of Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek in Bridgerton Season 4.
Leung was only 18 when she was cast in Harry Potter as Cho, Harry’s first love interest. Following her role in the beloved franchise by J.K. Rowling, Leung, now 38, went on to study drama at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and appeared in both theatre and television.
The Scottish actress made her theatrical debut in Wild Swans and later featured in The World of Extreme Happiness at the National Theatre.
On television, Leung played the lead role in the Channel 4 show Run and the BBC miniseries One Child. She also appeared in The Foreigner alongside Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan.
Her more recent roles include Lau Chen in the ITV show White Dragon, DC Blair Ferguson in the crime series Annika and Yasicca in the Prime Video fantasy series The Wheel of Time.
Having struggled with racist remarks and criticism for her Harry Potter role as a young adult and also later on in life, Leung has always been open about her experiences in the industry.
Bridgerton, known for its liberal outlook on history and diverse cast, was a “blessing” for Leung.
Speaking to Radio Times, the actress said, “[Bridgerton] has always been a diverse show and it's successful because it's so well written and… it's so that people can resonate with the relationship dynamics. The more we see of that, the more we are going to be working towards something where we're all going to be happier and more equal.”
Based on An Offer From a Gentleman, the third book in writer Julia Quinn’s eponymous novel series, Bridgerton Season 4 opens with a masquerade that introduces this season’s lead couple — Luke Thompson’s Benedict Bridgerton and Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek.
Season 4, as revealed by the makers before, is a retelling of the classic Cinderella tale. Benedict, after all his debauchery, falls head over heels for a woman who has been deprived of her birth rights by a cruel stepmother (Katie Leung) following her father’s death. To fit the bill, there are also two stepsisters (Michelle Mao and Isabella Wei), though distinctly different from each other.