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This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and narratives from worldwide.

"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals the actress, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

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

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to come to terms with her true nature as part human, part demon – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

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

"During childhood, what you see shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

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

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like 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 admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she says.

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

The film was released amid heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

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

Korean news sources have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a film like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are demanding a follow-up.

Cho reveals she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the production company, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

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

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