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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals the actress, who portrayed Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, is describing her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were components of her early life that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my life, I despised many parts of me and I wanted to be a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences your development and I feel like I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

"In my view Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I believe the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

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

The film was released 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 Asian-American living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, 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 there was a need for some hope and something to unite us as one."

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

Cho acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I trust people have some respect and desire for something real."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are demanding a follow-up.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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