Now that the Honmoon is secured, Arden Cho is contemplating what the KPop Demon Hunters sequel might entail. “I have to leave it up to the masterminds,” she tells The Cut, coyly. “I’m sure they’re cooking.” In case you’re new here: The animated film follows Huntr/x, a three-piece K-pop girl group who moonlight as demon hunters. When the covertly demonic boy group Saja Boys debut with their own catchy bops, it’s up to the girls to repel their evil with the power of vocal performance and friendship. In KPop Demon Hunters, girl groups really can save the world.
The voice actress for Rumi, Huntr/x’s lead singer, was initially caught off-guard by the global success of Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans’s animated musical fantasy phenomenon, but today it’s all sinking in as she prepares to walk the red carpet at the Oscars. “Golden” was the song of summer 2025, an inescapable and irresistible pop ballad that dominated the charts. Your niece, grandmother, and bodega guy were likely all locked in — KPop Demon Hunters has been remarkably popular across demographics, which was a surprise for Cho, who voiced the role with her favorite childhood Disney princesses in mind. “That’s the thing that’s so fun, there’s been no age or gender norm,” she says. “Sometimes with princess movies, it’s so often a young girl audience — for KPop Demon Hunters, it’s anyone who has a soul.” It’s a different project compared to Cho’s previous roles, which fans have been revisiting in the wake of her breakout success. Teen Wolf, which featured one of her earliest characters with superpowers, was just added to Netflix, and fans have expressed wanting more episodes from the platform’s too-quickly canceled legal drama Partner Track, on which Cho also starred. “As artists, sometimes we put our work and our vulnerability and our heart out there, and then you just don’t know if people like it, you know?”
What has been the most unexpected thing about the success of KPop Demon Hunters for you?
Overall, just how big of a phenomenon it’s become. I feel like I get to celebrate with everyone! The success of KPop Demon Hunters is a result of so many different talented people touching this project, coming with the weight of all of their lives and pain to create something so beautiful.
Before your breakout, you had been working steadily in TV, from Teen Wolf to Partner Track and Avatar: The Last Airbender. What do you think you learned about yourself from those kinds of roles?
Every character has a piece of you. For Kira on Teen Wolf, I grew up with her. She was my first series-regular job. I was the invisible kid in high school, so I got to be popular. I learned a lot of confidence through Kira. I was influenced a lot by Ingrid on Partner Track through her style. I was never much into skirt suits or stilettos until then. There was a small moment in my college years I considered going to law school, and thank goodness I didn’t.
For Avatar’s June, I felt this pressure to do her justice. On set, I started having really serious imposter syndrome. But once we got into wardrobe, it was really like armor. I was like, Damn, I’m fucking cool. Give me my little flask. You need an Avatar? I’ll go find him. I’m most like Kira, probably aspire to be like Ingrid a bit, and the furthest from June. But these days I kind of wish I had a bit of that fuck-off June attitude of like, I’m just gonna fight for me and live for me. Life would be a lot easier.
Meanwhile, you had no hair and makeup for Rumi!
I was in an oversize hoodie, hair messy, no makeup on. I had to close my eyes so often just to pretend I’m a world-dominating K-pop star. Wardrobe and hair and makeup is a big security blanket, and it helps me feel like the character. For Rumi, at least the first few sessions, I struggled a lot to feel cool enough. I put Rumi on such a pedestal. I really wanted her to be, of course, loved by all and to be the greatest.
Which K-pop songs are on heavy rotation for you right now?
It’s been Fashion Week, and we’re on the go, so it’s been CORTIS. I love “Go,” “Fashion,” it’s just so vibe-y and fun and hypes you up. I love ILLIT as well. I love Le Sserafim’s “Spaghetti,” I-dle’s “Queencard.” Those are probably my go-tos right now.
Now for our “Rules to Live By” questions: What’s your No. 1 rule for a successful dinner party?
You should never eat with someone you don’t like. If you eat with someone who puts you in a bad mood, you always 100 percent get indigestion and it forms bad memories, I swear. It ruins a dish for me if I share it with someone I don’t like! At least in Korean culture, sharing food and making food for someone is really love. Especially with parents and siblings, you don’t really say “I love you.” But let’s say I get in a little fight with my mom or something — she would never say “I’m sorry,” but she’d be like, “Come eat. I made you this.” And you knew what that meant.
What’s your No. 1 red-carpet fashion rule?
Recently I’ve been doing something where I want every red-carpet moment or look to feel very much like me but also still something new. Then the fit has been so, so important to me. Even if it’s something where I can’t breathe, I still have to be able to sit. Can I eat? Can I use the restroom? Like, can I move? I’ve now experienced the wide range of different types of red-carpet moments, so the fit is really important but also feeling like me.
How are you feeling ahead of the Oscars?
So stressed. [Laughs.] But so excited. I want everything to be perfect! Excited because, oh my goodness, it’s the Oscars and I can’t believe we get to be a part of it and that our movie is nominated. All of it just seems like such a dream. Everyone has been asking me what I’m wearing and about the dress so all of that feels like a ton of pressure, but … it’s going to be great! Everything’s going to be wonderful!
What’s your No. 1 rule for sending a gift?
I don’t really do holiday gifts. You know, some people are really good about every Christmas you’ll get a gift. I’m one of those people that if I’m out and I see something I’m like, This reminds me of you, you will get it. Doesn’t matter what it is. My friends will be like, Girl, my birthday is in eight months. So it has to be something pretty meaningful, or something that I know that they wanted. My friends would probably say I like getting the thing that I know someone wants but they don’t want to waste or spend the money on.
What’s the last app you downloaded on your phone?
I downloaded a food-delivery app in Korea because it was raining and I love eating in the hotel alone.
Do you follow any rules for using social media?
I’m not on it 24/7. I don’t show all of the intimate moments. I also try to be as honest and real as possible. I’ve been trying to be more conscious about not posting anything that’s overly photoshopped or overly changed. We’re so influenced by what we see, and beauty standards are just so tough and impossible at times. There was a part of me in early social-media days where I felt this pressure that it had to be perfect, but now I’m just kind of like, Nah, whatever.
Oh and I have to do it. I have friends with social-media managers, and I’m like, Nope, I want it to be me. I want to write the captions. Nothing against the people who don’t, if it’s better for your mental health to be disconnected, then be disconnected. I want it to be me.
What’s your No. 1 rule for meeting other famous people at awards shows?
Recently at the Critics Choice Awards I met Kristen Bell, and was just like, “I love your work, I’m a fan,” and we ended up having a wonderful conversation. I also met Taylor Dearden from The Pitt and I remember just being like, “Hi you’re incredible, you’re amazing,” and running away. I think she was just like, “Huh?” Same with Noah Wyle, actually. I’m such a big fan of the show. People deserve their roses and I like giving it. I’m not scared to give it if the moment feels right. I guess the rule is: Give the honest roses and get out of the way. [Laughs.]
What’s your No. 1 rule for dating?
Oh man, I was never so good at dating, but I guess … no games! I hate games! Just the thought of going back into the dating world gives me anxiety. The games and the rules, all of that was so stressful for me. With my fiancé now, the reason it worked is because we said no games from the beginning. We were both pretty up front about what we were looking for and what we wanted. So yeah, honest, mature communication! Games are for when you’re maybe not sure who you are and you’re, I don’t know, insecure. Don’t come at me, don’t be mad! Let’s treat people the way we want to be treated.
What was your No. 1 rule on the set of KPop Demon Hunters?
With animation, we only really have our voice. I wanted to make sure that Rumi’s voice was really authentic and real and grounded. And that even though we spoke English for the majority of it, she was still Korean, so when she spoke Korean, it would be perfect, making sure the pronunciation of certain words was very authentically Korean. So in that sense making her perfect, but at the same time also very vulnerable and broken when she needed to be.