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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, forty, is describing her early years in Texas, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the movie, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to come to terms with her true nature as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, 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 identity as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she explains.

These elements were components of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when she was young.

Cho says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," Cho says.

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

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

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

The movie was released against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

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

Reports 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 grown-up, she 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 meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I know they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust people have appreciation and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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