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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says Arden Cho, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, is describing her early years 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 narrates the tale 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 Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she explains.

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

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I despised a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go 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".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film in person, she says.

The movie was released amid increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

Reports have estimated that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the racism she had experienced 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 it seems the world and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Because of 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 became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us all together."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust people have some respect and want and love for something real."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a sequel.

Cho reveals she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

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