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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, is describing her early years in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

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 identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

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

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

"During childhood, your surroundings influences who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

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

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and the actress says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but any time 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 adds.

The film was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in the modern era, when I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a film like the animation.

Cho says she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and vocalists. I know they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have appreciation and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are demanding a sequel.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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