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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 back then," reveals the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, is describing her childhood in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, 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 Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were aspects of her early life that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences who you become and it seems I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, 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 Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho says many individuals of Korean descent have expressed 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 global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress says 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 accepted the part, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was released against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in many states.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

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 removed.

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

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she says.

Because of this, it feels very special, she notes, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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