Meet Katie Leung
(May 9, 2004)
Source: Weekly Reader

Katie Leung had never even acted in a school play before she was cast as Cho Chang, a Hogwarts student and Harry Potter's "crush" in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Leung, who turns 18 in August, was born in Scotland to Chinese parents. She sat down for an interview with Weekly Reader between shooting scenes.

Tell us about the unusual casting process.
My dad was watching [television] one day and he saw an ad for my character. It was weird because it fitted me perfectly. It said you have to be 16, you have to have long dark hair, and you have to be [Asian]. He suggested I go down and try out for the part, and I was like, "Oh, I'm not sure" because I'd never done any acting before. He was like, "It's in London." So I'm thinking, "London means shopping. OK, let's go down!" And then we got there and we see the length of the [line], and I was like, "No way. I'm going to go shopping." But my dad insisted that I stay, so I ended up standing there for four hours before I finally got in. They took a picture of me and said that they'd call me back. So I was only there for five minutes. They called me two weeks later and said I should come in for a drama workshop. So I did improvisation for a drama teacher. A few weeks after that, I got called back for a screen test. I was in the last five or six. We went from there, and then I got the part.

Were you nervous?
Yes, I was so nervous. I got to meet the director when I was doing the drama workshop, and it was just like "Wow. I can't believe I'm here." I didn't really take anything in until after I got the part. I was like "I can't believe it."

Have you seen the Harry Potter movies?
I've seen all of them, and they're all great. I had read the first two books and my character wasn't in them, so I didn't really know what kind of character Cho Chang was until I got the part. Then I started reading the fourth and fifth books. Then I got to know what she was like.

Did you first meet Dan [Radcliffe], Emma [Watson], and Rupert [Grint] on set or beforehand?
The first time I met them I was actually doing a drama workshop with them. That was really intimidating and everything because the first time I met them I had to improvise and do some drama and act. It was like, "Oh my god, I'm around all these great actors." But it was really cool afterwards and we spoke and got to know each other.

What is Daniel like in real life?
He's so well-mannered. Everything he says is like "How are you?" When we're on set, you know, he cares about you. "Are you all right?" and "Can I get you water?" and stuff like that.

Was that your favorite scene?
I've got lots of favorite scenes.... But my most favorite would be probably the [Yule] Ball scene because we all got to dress up. It was great. We got to put on makeup and everything.

Was it a lot like a real school dance?
Yes, it was, but even better because it's Harry Potter obviously.

How did your friends react when they found out you were going to be in this movie?
They couldn't believe it. Well, obviously, when I got the part, I wasn't really allowed to say anything until it was official. That was really hard actually for three months, and when I actually told them, they just couldn't believe it. They were really supportive and really proud of me.

Cho Chang is pretty athletic, right, because she plays Quidditch?
Yes, [but] that's definitely not me.

What are your other interests?
I love music. I like jazz. I play the piano. I started when I was young but had to give it up. I want to start back. I also like to play guitar.

Is there any creature from the movie that you really liked?
I really liked the owls. I got to work with some owls in the film. I think they're really intelligent animals, and they're really cute as well. It definitely would be cool to have an owl as a pet.

What do you think about Cho and Harry's chances in the long run?
If I was writing the next book, I'd definitely make her a nicer person than she was in the fifth book. She gets kind of annoying, and she cries all the time. I definitely would make her more likable.

Do you have a boyfriend?
In real life? No.

What advice would you give to a girl about having a crush on someone?
I guess to pretend you don't like the guy, and then eventually he'll come running to you. That's always good.

If you could have one magical power, which one would you want to have?
I think to read boys' minds.

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