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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 40, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I despised many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes who you become and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

She notes many individuals of Korean descent 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 has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a lack of education, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a film like the animation.

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

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters 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 art, and viewers around the world are calling for a sequel.

She reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the production company, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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