Bridgerton star reflects on what it means to be part of the show's East Asian representation: "It’s pretty monumental"

Known for her roles in the Harry Potter films, Annika and Nightsleeper, actress Katie Leung is making her Bridgerton debut in the anticipated fourth season of the hit Netflix series.

Starring as Lady Araminta Gun, Leung's character is a complex one, and John's cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) first meets her treating her stepdaughter Sophie (Yerin Ha) terribly.

As we dig into their own back stories, we come to find out how the two women crossed paths and how Araminta went on to employ Sophie as her live-in maid.

While their character dynamics aren't exactly close, the introduction of Leung's Araminta, Ha's Sophie and Araminta's daughters Rosamund (Michelle Mao) and Posy (Isabella Wei) all signal a shift for Bridgerton, as they all step into the spotlight as the show's first East Asian lead family.

Ha is heading up the cast as Bridgerton's first ever East Asian romantic lead, a feat worth celebrating in any TV landscape but for such a major series, it just continues to show that people from all backgrounds can be in leading roles in period dramas.

But what does it mean to Leung to also be part of such storytelling?

Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com for Pass the Mic, Leung admitted: "It feels pretty monumental. I think especially because we’re looking at a family dynamic, it’s not just any role within Bridgerton, it’s the dynamic of the family that’s explored and that is why it’s important because people can watch it and resonate because it’s universal, relationships are what matters."

She went on: "It’s quite a blessing to be a part of it and I hope that it’s just – I feel like we’re still not quite there yet, where we need to be. And that’s why Bridgerton is so successful because it has always been a diverse show and it’s successful because it’s so well written and it’s all about … 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.”

Leung has been spoken out previously about the racism she experienced after being cast as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films back in 2005.

Speaking to The Guardian, the actress said: “I don’t know if anything could have been done back then to make things better or easier,” she says. “At that age, you’re curious. I remember being very curious about what people were saying about me, and I was Googling myself. Nobody could have stopped me, because I was old enough to make up my own mind.”

Leung has gone on to voice act in Arcane, as well as star in shows like The Peripheral, The Chemistry of Death and The Wheel of Time, but Bridgerton is a big step into the Regency era for the actress.

Season 4 part 1 of Bridgerton sees Araminta trying to platform her daughters on the marriage mart, with a clear disdain for Sophie but with that cliffhanger at the end of the first batch of episodes, we'll just have to wait and see what's in store for Araminta. We can't wait!

Bridgerton season 4 part 1 premieres on January 29th and Part 2 on February 26th, both on Netflix. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch on Netflix now. You can buy the Bridgerton book series on Amazon.

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