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This feature delves into extraordinary interviews and narratives from around the globe.

"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 40, is describing her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

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

These elements were components of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"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 June, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and the actress admits she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but any time 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 the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she says.

The movie was released amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

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, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

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

"Perhaps this explains it became 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 entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a film like the animation.

Cho says she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I know they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust people have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers globally are demanding a follow-up.

She reveals she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the platform or the production company, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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