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This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and stories from worldwide.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"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 Asian-American, as a female," she says.

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

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my life, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the kind that she lacked when she was young.

She says many Korean-Americans have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and culture.

"In my view Korean pop music 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 tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and Cho admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

The film was released amid heightened enforcement actions 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," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, she came to realise that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

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

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

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

Cho says she is aware 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.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and vocalists. 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."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are demanding a follow-up.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the production company, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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