Names in the entertainment industry usually belong to the people under the bright lights. We know the actors. We know the visionary directors. But sometimes, a name like Kar Wai Li Leung floats around the internet, and honestly, it creates a bit of a digital mess.
Is it a misspelling of the legendary director Wong Kar-wai? Is it a mashup of the famous actor Tony Leung? Actually, it’s neither.
Who is Kar Wai Li Leung?
If you’ve spent any time digging into the personal history of the Harry Potter cast, you’ve likely stumbled upon this name. Kar Wai Li Leung is the mother of Katie Leung, the actress who famously played Cho Chang. While her daughter was busy dodging spells at Hogwarts and dealing with the massive pressure of being Harry's first on-screen kiss, Kar Wai Li Leung was living a life far removed from the red carpets of London and Hollywood.
She’s a woman of Chinese descent who immigrated to Scotland. Specifically, she and her former husband, Peter Leung, settled in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. Life wasn't always a movie script. The couple eventually divorced, which is a detail Katie has spoken about in past interviews, mentioning how her parents’ separation shaped her early years.
The Confusion with Wong Kar-wai and Tony Leung
Look, I get it. The name Kar Wai Li Leung sounds like a "Who's Who" of Hong Kong cinema.
You’ve got "Kar Wai," which immediately makes film buffs think of Wong Kar-wai, the man behind In the Mood for Love. Then you’ve got "Leung," which is basically synonymous with Tony Leung Chiu-wai, one of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen.
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But here’s the reality: Kar Wai Li Leung has no professional connection to the Hong Kong film industry. She isn't a director. She isn't a screenwriter. She isn't secretly producing the next arthouse masterpiece in a basement in Glasgow.
She worked in a law firm.
Think about that for a second. While the world was obsessing over whether her daughter was the right fit for the Wizarding World, she was navigating the structured, often grueling world of legal paperwork and office hours. It’s a grounded contrast to the "magical" life her daughter was thrust into at such a young age.
The Family Business and the Big Audition
The story of how the Leung family ended up in the global spotlight is actually pretty legendary. Katie’s father, Peter, was a successful businessman who ran a restaurant and a wholesale Chinese food business. One day, he saw an advertisement for a casting call.
He basically told Katie, "Hey, you should try out for this."
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Katie waited in line for four hours. She almost left. She thought the whole thing was a waste of time and would rather have been shopping. But Kar Wai Li Leung’s daughter stayed, did a five-minute audition, and the rest is history.
It’s interesting to think about the family dynamic during that time. Both Peter and Kar Wai Li Leung actually showed up to support Katie during the initial audition process. In a 2011 interview, Katie mentioned this was a rare, nice moment because her parents hadn't seen each other in a long time following their divorce. It shows that despite the personal rift, they were a united front when it came to their daughter’s massive opportunity.
Why Does This Name Keep Popping Up?
The internet is a weird place. Algorithms see the words "Kar Wai" and "Leung" and start connecting dots that don't exist. This is why you’ll see search results for Kar Wai Li Leung mixed in with deep dives into Chungking Express or news about Tony Leung’s latest project.
It’s a classic case of digital name-smashing.
People searching for the "Wong Kar-wai and Tony Leung collaboration" might accidentally mistype or click on a link that leads them to a biography of Katie Leung’s mom. It’s sort of a "ghost in the machine" situation.
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Moving Beyond the Harry Potter Shadow
By 2026, the Harry Potter craze has evolved into a different kind of nostalgia. Katie Leung has moved on to incredible work in shows like Arcane and The Peripheral. But the curiosity about her roots remains.
Understanding who Kar Wai Li Leung is—and isn't—helps clear up the clutter. She represents the immigrant experience in Scotland: working hard, raising a family in a place like Motherwell, and suddenly finding your child is the face of a billion-dollar franchise.
She didn't choose the spotlight. She just happened to be the mother of someone who did.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you’re trying to navigate the confusing web of names in this corner of the internet, keep these things in mind:
- Verify the context: If you see "Kar Wai" and "Leung" in a sentence, check if the article is talking about Scottish-Chinese family history or Hong Kong cinema.
- Don't conflate the stars: Tony Leung and Wong Kar-wai are collaborators, but they aren't related to the Leung family of Scotland.
- Respect the privacy: Unlike her daughter, Kar Wai Li Leung has kept a very low profile. There are no public social media accounts or tell-all memoirs.
- Look at the credits: If you’re a fan of the work, focus on Katie Leung’s recent performances in Annika or The Foreigner to see how she’s carved out a path far beyond her "Cho Chang" beginnings.
The next time you see the name Kar Wai Li Leung while spiraling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, you'll know exactly who she is: a hardworking professional from Motherwell who just happens to have a very famous daughter.
To get the most accurate information on this family, cross-reference Scottish public records with early 2000s interviews from the Harry Potter press junkets, as these contain the most direct quotes regarding the family's background before the digital noise took over.