Arden Cho on how she met Rumi
Arden Cho, the voice behind Rumi, the fearless protagonist at the center of Netflix’s global phenomenon "KPop Demon Hunters," is enjoying a career high.
The animated feature has emerged as a full-fledged cultural juggernaut: its soundtrack single "Golden" became the first K-pop song to win a Grammy on Sunday, while the film itself cemented its place as Netflix’s most-watched movie ever, surpassing 500 million views by late 2025.
The success, however, follows a far from linear journey.
Born and raised in the United States, Cho built her career through years of supporting roles across American television before steadily climbing the industry ranks. That ascent resulted in her first solo leading role in Netflix’s legal drama "Partner Track," where she starred as a Korean American attorney navigating the world of New York corporate law. But when plans for a second season fell through, the disappointment proved deep, prompting Cho to step away from acting altogether.
That pause would ultimately become pivotal. The hiatus set the stage for an unexpected comeback that arrived in animated form.
During her time away from the industry, Cho was approached with "KPop Demon Hunters" — an animated feature that would go on to redefine the next chapter of her career.
"At some point, I think I had lost sight of the mission that made me start this work in the first place. But working on this film, I felt a renewed sense of hope and found myself wanting to take on new challenges once again," said Cho, during an interview held Friday in Seoul.
She noted that her path to the project was anything but straightforward. At the time, she was firmly in what she describes as her retirement and had largely disengaged from acting opportunities.
"Even after announcing my retirement, my US agent continued to send me auditions, but I politely declined most of them, saying I was okay," said Cho.
That stance shifted when "KPop Demon Hunters" landed on her radar.
"Then I was approached with ‘KPop Demon Hunters.’ I’ve always loved sci-fi and action and when I heard that the project was being directed by Maggie Kang, a Korean woman, it immediately caught my attention," she said.
From their earliest conversations, Cho said she was struck by Kang’s approach.
"Maggie Kang had a very clear vision of what she wanted and a strong understanding of the core of the character," said Cho, adding that a central priority was crafting a protagonist who felt sincere and grounded.
Together, Kang and Cho worked to shape Rumi as a character defined by both confidence and emotional depth.
"She’s an incredibly cool character, but also a leader with real weight and responsibility," she said.
The process was further refined by the demands of voice acting, a discipline that required precision and restraint.
"With voice acting, you have nothing but your voice to work with, so (we aimed to) make her feel charismatic and cool, but also polished and, at the same time, endearing," added Cho.
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