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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 Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, is describing her childhood in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the film, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were components of her early life that mirrored the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I despised many parts of me and I wanted to be a different person.

"As kids, what you see 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 the summer, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "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.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film 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 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 Asian-led project, it's perceived like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with everyone working on the film in person, she says.

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions 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 heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, she understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in the modern era, when I feel like the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she says.

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

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are calling for a follow-up.

Cho reveals she wishes she could answer the question of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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