Animated Film KPop Demon Hunters Actress Reveals The Ways Her Life Journey Mirrored Main Character's Experience

This feature explores extraordinary interviews and stories from worldwide.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, 40, is describing her childhood in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

These were all aspects of her formative years that mirrored the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes your development and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She notes many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first time of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

"I feel like 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 tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

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

"It seems it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she says.

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

The movie was released amid increased immigration raids in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

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

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

As an grown-up, she understood that the racism she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when I feel like the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she says.

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

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

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have some respect and desire for authentic creations."

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

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

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think fans everywhere would riot if it didn't happen."

• Starting conversations, building connections and combating false narratives through features, in-depth reports, conversations and remarkable accounts