Exclusive Interview: Katie Leung On Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

By Ian Spelling on June 29, 2007

Katie Leung won the jackpot a few years ago. The actress, then 16, won the role of Cho Chang in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Cho, of course, caught the eye of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), but she was dating Cedric Diggory at the time. By the end of Goblet of Fire, Cedric had died, killed brutally by Lord Voldemort. Cho returns in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which opens nationwide on July 11. Though she’s still mourning the loss of Cedric, she begins a relationship with Harry that, for a while, is a relief from the stress of dealing with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and the tightening vice of Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who’s actually answering to the increasingly paranoid Ministry of Magic. Latino Review recently caught up with Leung – who was born in Scotland to parents from Hong Kong -- to talk about making Order of the Phoenix, her thoughts on the big kiss between Cho and Harry, and whether or not Cho might appear in the upcoming final Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
 
Latino Review: Let’s go back a little. How did you first land the role of Cho Chang?
 
Katie Leung: It was three years ago. It’s still very clear in my memory. It was definitely a daunting experience. It never dawned on me that I would get the part. I just went on a whim and like my family suggested, I just gave it a try. I went along. I took a photo on the first audition and then, the second round, I did a few drama workshops with a few other girls. And then I went to Leavesden and did a few scenes from the film in front of the camera. And then I got the part. But it seems so long ago.
 
Latino Review: This is your second time working with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. How was the experience?
 
Leung: I had so much fun working with them. I started when I was 16 and they’re all around the same age as me. So we just got on a-storm and it was great because they’re so down to Earth. Not one of them is stuck up or snobby. They’re just normal like the rest of us, very friendly. It was just so much fun, and even though I’ve finished filming it’s not like we’re never going to be in touch. We’re still good friends.
 
Latino Review: David Yates makes his Potter directing debut on this film. How did he go about directing you?
 
Leung: I loved David. He was so amazing. He’s very gentle and very soft-spoken. He spoke to us individually. He’d come up to us individually and we’d discuss our characters. He’s just such a great director. He really has a feeling for what he wants and right before I’d do my takes for my scenes he’d talk to me about it and ask for my opinion about what I thought or what I’d do if I was Cho. He really got me into the mood to do what we were about to do that day. I really, really liked working with him.
 
Latino Review: We’re not doing our job if we don’t ask you about kissing Daniel. So, how was kissing Daniel?
 
Leung: It’s really hard to believe, but it was like a year ago now and it’s still not on screen yet. But I had so much fun doing it. Obviously, I had a sleepless night before it, but on the day it was never as bad as I thought it would turn out to be, just because I was so nervous.
 
Latino Review: How strange do you think it will be in 15 or 20 years to watch that scene with your kids?
 
Leung: Oh, God. I think I’ll eventually get over it, but at the moment everybody is kind of talking about it and it’s hard to get away from it. I watched it not too long ago when I was doing looping for the film. They replayed it three times just so I could get my line right and, oh God, I hated it. I hated watching it. But I do think it’s a good scene. It’s supposed to be a very awkward moment. I think it’s a moment that everybody has gone through, and a very, very endearing moment in the film.
 
Latino Review: Other than the kiss, what scene in Order of the Phoenix did you most enjoy?
 
Leung: Other than the kissing scene I really enjoyed doing the DA (Dumbledore’s Army) scenes in the Room of Requirement. That’s where I spent most of my time filming, because that’s where we were training. I loved carrying a wand. I got to do and say a few spells, and I’m looking forward to seeing the training scenes when the film comes out, when the special effects are added on and you can see that you’re actually doing something. You’ll see sparks and things moving.
 
Latino Review: What are your expectations for the film?
 
Leung: I’m so excited about it. It’s probably a cliché for me to say that it’s better than all the other ones because every time one comes out it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, this is so much better than all the other ones!’ But this one is a lot darker. It’s aimed not just at kids, but at adults. There’s just a lot of darkness. Voldemort is back and you get to see him again in this one. And with the DA you’ve got all the students at Hogwarts training and just really determined to fight back. I’m just very excited. I haven’t seen it with all the special effects, and I think once that’s all done and completed it will look really amazing. Plus, my brother called me this morning, actually, and told me he’d seen the trailer, and he said it was awesome. So I can take his word for it because he’s my brother, and he’s brutally honest about most things.
 
Latino Review: Some people love Cho, some people hate Cho. Some people love you in the role and some don’t. How surprised were you by the online response?
 
Leung: It’s not so much an issue now, but at the beginning, when I got the part, people were saying, ‘Oh my God, you’re not right for the part’ or ‘No one likes you.’ It was probably just one silly remark on the Internet and it was blown out of proportion into this big unnecessary issue. But there are a lot of girls out there who really like Dan, a lot of fans of his.
 
Latino Review: And, lastly, do you think we’ll see Cho in The Deathly Hallows?
 
Leung: Do I think or would I like? I don’t know. I don’t think she’s as significant anymore as she was. She basically was there to convey that Harry is growing up into this adolescent teenager and he’s got hormones, but then he moves on to Ginny in The Half-Blood Prince, doesn’t he? And I think they’re a very good match. So I don’t think she’ll pop up in The Deathly Hallows.

Source:Latino Review

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