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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 at the time," says the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 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 female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings influences your development and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

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

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the world and people should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho says she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I know they're already here. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have some respect and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are calling for a sequel.

She tells us she wishes she could answer 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'm aware rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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