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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's highly successful movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she explains.

These were all aspects of her formative years that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first time of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The film was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, she understood that the racism she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed positivity and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope the public have appreciation and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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