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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, forty, recalls her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the film, 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 saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

These elements were components of her formative years that paralleled the character's path.

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

"During childhood, your surroundings influences who you become and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered 33 million views 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 set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

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

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence 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, currently," she comments.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

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

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the racism she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

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

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and something to unite us all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress says she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Sure, I believe they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust people have some respect and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if it didn't happen."

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