harry potter

‘Harry Potter' Actor Katie Leung Says She Was Told to Deny She Was Target of Racist Attacks

Leung, who was 16 when she was cast as Cho Chang in the film franchise, said she found racist comments about her on websites dedicated to "Harry Potter" fans

In this Nov. 11, 2010, file photo, British actress Katie Leung arrives at a cinema in London's Leicester Square for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1."
AP Photo/Joel Ryan

"Harry Potter" actor Katie Leung opened up about being the subject of racist attacks as a teenager from the franchise’s fans and being advised to deny them in interviews, NBC News reports.

Leung explained during an interview on the podcast "Chinese Chippy Girl" that "Harry Potter" fans attacked her online following the announcement that she would play Cho Chang in the film franchise. The character was first brought into the films for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in 2005, and Leung is credited in all the subsequent films.

Leung is a Scottish-born actor of Chinese descent and was only 16 when she was cast in the films. Now 33, Leung recalled that she didn’t receive media training before interviews and tried to speak to a publicist about the issue.

"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, say it's not true, say it's not happening,'" Leung said.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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