The Interview - KPop Demon Hunters’ Arden Cho: I was born in America, but wasn’t seen as American
Download KPop Demon Hunters’ Arden Cho: I was born in America, but wasn’t seen as American
‘Being born in America, feeling American, but having people treat me like I'm not.’
Chi Chi Izundu speaks to Korean American actor Arden Cho, star of the hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, about her life and career.
Cho is the voice of Rumi, a leading character who must come to terms with her own identity as part-human, part-demon.
It’s a duality that resonated powerfully with her, as the daughter of Korean immigrants who struggled for acceptance, and faced racism while growing up in America.
Now, Korean culture is increasingly popular worldwide, and she has become a leading role model for Asian American children, the kind she says she lacked when she was young.
And despite KPop Demon Hunters being crowned as Netflix’s most-watched film ever, Cho warns that Asian-led film projects are still seen as a risk.
The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presenter: Chi Chi Izundu
Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Clare Williamson and Rebecca Thorn
Editor: Nick Holland
Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.
(Image: Arden Cho. Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Published on Monday, 22nd December 2025.
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