Disney’s Jasmine Voice Surprises KPop Demon Hunters Star

Arden Cho, who lends her voice to the lead character in KPop Demon Hunters, found herself on the receiving end of an unexpected and rather touching phone call. The person on the other end? None other than Linda Larkin, the original voice behind Disney’s Princess Jasmine. Cho recounted the experience during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, describing how surreal it felt to be speaking with the voice of a character so many grew up with.

“A couple months after the film came out, Linda Larkin, the voice of Princess Jasmine, called me and we had a two-hour phone conversation,” Cho shared.

“I put it on speaker, because, for the first hour, I was like, 'Is this really happening? Am I talking with Jasmine?'”

Larkin, who began voicing Jasmine in 1992’s Aladdin, has long been associated with the character, having reprised the role in both The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. The original Aladdin was a landmark for Disney, becoming the first animated feature to cross the half-a-billion mark at the box office.

Words of Praise and a Few Tears

During their lengthy chat, Larkin expressed genuine admiration for Cho’s portrayal of Rumi, the central figure in KPop Demon Hunters.

“Well, she wanted to congratulate me, and she actually told me [that], as a voice actor, she was really impressed with my work with Rumi, and she loved the depth and the layers and all of it. I think at one point we were both crying. And she was like, 'You're gonna be a modern-day princess!'

The exchange clearly left a mark on Cho, who admitted to being rather emotional by the end of the call.

It’s not every day that a performer receives such direct and heartfelt feedback from someone who helped define a generation’s idea of a princess. For Cho, the conversation was both affirming and a bit overwhelming, blurring the lines between fiction and reality in a way only a Disney legend could manage.

Huntr/x, Demons, and Streaming Success

KPop Demon Hunters centres on Huntr/x, a girl group with a rather unusual sideline: saving the world from demonic threats using the power of their voices. Their main adversaries, the Saja boys, are a rival band with a secret—each member is, in fact, a demon. Cho’s character, Rumi, stands at the heart of the story, the daughter of a demon father and a demon hunter mother, navigating both worlds with a microphone in hand.

The film has become something of a phenomenon, quickly rising to the top of Netflix’s charts. Before the end of 2025, it had already racked up 500 million views, making it the most-watched original film on the platform. Audiences have clearly taken to the blend of supernatural drama and pop spectacle, with Cho’s performance as Rumi drawing particular praise.

What’s Next for KPop Demon Hunters?

With such a strong reception, it’s little surprise that a sequel is already in the works. However, fans will need to exercise a bit of patience, as KPop Demon Hunters 2 isn’t expected to arrive until 2029. In the meantime, the original remains available for streaming, and viewers can revisit the story of Huntr/x as often as they fancy.

For those keen to explore more, there’s no shortage of recommendations for top-tier films on Netflix, but few can claim the unique blend of music, myth, and heartfelt moments that KPop Demon Hunters has managed to deliver.