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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi 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 Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she explains.

These elements were aspects of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – 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 "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music 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 pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho 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, it's perceived like a gamble," she reveals.

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

The movie was launched amid increased immigration raids in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in many states.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources 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 removed.

As an adult, she understood that the racism she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the world and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she says.

Due to this, it feels very special, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to produce a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope people have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are calling for a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if there wasn't."

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