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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals 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 the southern state, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all aspects of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho 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 cultural roots.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," Cho says.

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

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

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

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

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, she understood 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.

"However today, in the modern era, when I feel like the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears 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".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us all together."

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

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust people have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and audiences globally are demanding a follow-up.

She reveals she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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