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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," says the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in Texas, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as part human, part demon – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated many parts of me and I wanted to be someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings influences your development and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first time of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence 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," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress says she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it's unfortunate to say this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was released amid increased immigration raids in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in many states.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Reports have estimated that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

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

"Sure, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have appreciation and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are demanding a follow-up.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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