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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, is describing her childhood in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having people treat me like I'm not, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see influences who you become and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had a significant influence 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," Cho says.

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

"I feel like it's unfortunate to mention this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, people feel like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

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

As an grown-up, she understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a lack of education, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in the modern era, when it seems the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she says.

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

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to produce a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have some respect and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are demanding a sequel.

Cho tells us 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 made the film, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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