From Harry Potter to Bridgerton: Katie Leung Embraces a Formidable New Role

Katie Leung is returning to a major franchise, but this time as a powerful matriarch. The actor stars as Lady Araminta Gun in the new series of Netflix's hit show, *Bridgerton*. Leung's first acting job was as Cho Chang in the *Harry Potter* film series as a teenager. While she found the experience fun, it also led to severe online abuse. Now, she is playing a very different part. Lady Araminta is a widowed aristocrat trying to marry her two daughters well. She also keeps her stepdaughter, Sophie, as a servant in a Cinderella-style story. Leung was not disappointed to be cast as a mother instead of a young lead. "I felt really seen to finally get to play the role of a mother," she said. She is a mother in real life. The show's creators told Leung the role would not be a simple evil stepmother. They wanted to show Araminta's humanity, her background, and her struggles. This explains why she makes tough decisions and is such a formidable character. "I look young for my age," Leung noted, "as most people in the west think Asians do." For her, this complex role is a welcome change.