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

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," says the actress, who portrayed Rumi in Netflix's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, recalls her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes your development and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first time of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the US 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. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho understood that the prejudice she had encountered when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

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

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

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a film like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I believe there will be digital performers and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I trust people have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are demanding a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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