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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals the actress, who portrayed Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

These were all aspects of her formative years that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

She says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

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

The film was released amid increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a lack of education, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress says she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

She reveals she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I think everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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