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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says Arden Cho, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, recalls her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea 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, Rumi has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

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

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

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes your development and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that was missing 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 really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty 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, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

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

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

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

Reports have suggested that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho says she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are calling for a follow-up.

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

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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