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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals the actress, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 40, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the film, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like I'm not, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

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

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

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "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 she was young.

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

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. 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, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

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 say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she says.

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

The film was released against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, she understood that the racism she had encountered when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the society and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

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

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and something to unite us all together."

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

The actress says she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, 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 fans everywhere would riot if it didn't happen."

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