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"{I hated 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 the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the eldest daughter 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 rescue humanity 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.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

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

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

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

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

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

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and Cho 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 it's a risk," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The movie was released amid increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an Asian-American living in the US "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 lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

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

Because of this, it feels very special, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

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

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like the animation.

The actress says she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust people have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are calling for a follow-up.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the production company, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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