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

"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 40, is describing her early years in the southern state, 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 female K-Pop trio who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at various stages in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured 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 her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

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

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and Cho admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

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

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

As an grown-up, she came to realise that the racism she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the society and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe there will be AI actors and vocalists. I know they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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