KPop Demon Hunters Actress Reveals The Ways Her Personal Path Reflected Main Character's Story

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"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 40, is describing her childhood in Texas, 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 rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were aspects of her early life that mirrored the character's path.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my existence, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and I feel like I lacked exposure to 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 secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, 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 kind that she lacked when she was young.

She notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like a gamble," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film in person, she says.

The film was released amid increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Reports have suggested that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, she understood that the racism she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and people should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

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

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like 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, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like the animation.

Cho says she is aware that technology is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have some respect and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are demanding a follow-up.

She 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 platform or the production company, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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