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

This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and stories from around the globe.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals the actress, who portrayed Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like I'm not, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her formative years that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become 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 launched on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

She says 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 culture.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with everyone working on the film in person, she says.

The film was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations 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 estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, 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.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element all together."

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

Cho acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope people have some respect and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are calling for a follow-up.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the streaming service or the production company, which made the film, to give it the green light.

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

• Initiating discussions, building connections and combating false narratives through features, investigations, conversations and extraordinary stories