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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, 40, recalls her childhood in the southern state, 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, the protagonist has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"During childhood, what you see shapes who you become and I feel like I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

She says many Korean-Americans have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and Cho says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like it's a risk," she says.

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

The film was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

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

Reports have suggested that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho understood that the racism she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like there's a sense of despair," 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".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us 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 produce a movie like the animation.

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

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have digital performers and singers. I know they're already here. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

She reveals she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

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

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