It’s been a long wait for Bridgerton series four after last season saw romance bloom between Colin and Penelope. If you’re among the Ton tuning in for the latest Netflix instalment, you’re in for a treat with its new cast, led by Australian actress Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek, who becomes Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) new love interest.

Another exciting member joining the Bridgerton family is Katie Leung, a Scottish actress who plays Sophie’s wicked stepmother, Lady Araminta Gun.

While many viewers will be getting to know Katie’s new character in the context of the hit period romance drama, you might be surprised to learn that the actress has already featured in another huge franchise.

Intrigued? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the Bridgerton star…

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Who is Katie Leung?

Originally hailing from Dundee, Katie has appeared in many impressive projects over the years, from Poirot to The Wheel of Time and Annika. However, she is perhaps best known for her role as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter series, where she played Harry’s first love interest.

The role of Cho was Katie’s first-ever acting job in 2005, after her father spotted an open casting call for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

She reportedly queued for four hours to audition and went up against 3,000 others for the part. Bringing the famous character to life, Katie went on to reprise her role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Half-Blood Prince and both parts of the Deathly Hallows.

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Speaking to The Guardian, Katie reflected on her early success. “It was overwhelming from the get-go. Being in the spotlight from that age, when you’re already insecure, was difficult, to say the least,” she said.

Katie was just 18 at the time of the first film and, as many teens would, ended up Googling herself. Reflecting on the hurtful racism and personal criticism she found, Katie admitted she did not really cope.

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“I think it just sat with me, and it affected me in ways like, ‘Oh yeah, I made that decision because people were saying this about me.’ It probably made me less outgoing,” she admitted. “I was very self-aware of what was coming out of my mouth.”

With such early success, Katie admitted she was “constantly” trying to prove she was more than Cho, while also acknowledging the films make up a huge part of who she is.

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Katie as DC Blair Ferguson in Annika

What else has Katie Leung been in?

After Harry Potter ended in 2012, Katie was unsure whether she wanted to continue acting, but went on to study drama at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and appeared in both theatre and television.

She made her stage debut in Wild Swans, before starring in The World of Extreme Happiness at the National Theatre.

On screen, Katie led Channel 4’s drama Run and the BBC miniseries One Child, and appeared in The Foreigner alongside Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan.

In recent years, she has played Lau Chen in ITV’s White Dragon, DC Blair Ferguson in the crime series Annika and Yasicca in Prime Video’s fantasy series The Wheel of Time.

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What has Katie Leung said about Bridgerton?

Katie has been candid about her experiences with racism in the industry and has spoken about the lack of representation she saw onscreen while growing up.

When asked if she thought the landscape was changing, she told The Guardian: “We’re still a long way away from where we need to be. It’s better, but it’s not as good as it needs to be. I really admire the younger generation because they are more self-aware and they express themselves in a way that I, once upon a time, did not.”

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When it came to working on Bridgerton, which is known for its diverse cast, Katie told Radio Times it was a “blessing”.

“[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.”