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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," reveals the actress, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

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

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

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when in her youth.

She notes 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.

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I believe this movie 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 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 took on the role, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

Reports 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 came to realise that the racism she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and something to unite us all together."

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

The actress says she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I know our voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have appreciation and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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