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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's highly successful 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 movie, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity 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.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

These elements were aspects of her early life that mirrored the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes who you become and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, 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 in her youth.

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

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

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

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

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was launched 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 residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in the modern era, when I feel like the society and individuals should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like the animation.

Cho says she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have digital performers and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters 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 art, and audiences around the world are demanding a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the question of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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