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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, 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 film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to come to terms with her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

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

These elements were aspects of her early life that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, what you see influences who you become and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when she was young.

Cho says many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact 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 movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

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

As an adult, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

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

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters 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 some hope 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 coming years it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I know our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters 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 creations, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the platform or the production company, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I think everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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