Movie Starring Poker Player Arden Cho Takes Home Two Oscars
Actress and poker player Arden Cho can now add two Oscars to her resume. The Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters in which Cho voices the lead character Rumi, captured two Academy Awards this weekend: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
Released on Netflix in June 2025, the movie follows a K-pop girl group that secretly protects the world from supernatural threats. Led by Rumi, the group eventually squares off against a rival boy band whose members turn out to be demons in disguise.
Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the animated hit quickly became a fan favorite, earning widespread acclaim. It currently boasts a 92% critic score and a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film’s music also played a major role in its success. The pop track “Golden,” which won Best Original Song, became a massive online hit, surpassing one billion views on YouTube within just six months.
Two Oscars for Hit Animated Movie
Cho, who has $436,828 in live earnings and has played on Hustler Casino Live and The Big Game on Tour, attended the Oscars in style ahead as the film picked up two awards.
Cho also plays in poker tournaments and most recently finished 20th in the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty event at the 2025 World Series of Poker for $34,896.
Two years ago, Cho finished runner-up to Daniel Smiljkovic in the $1 million freeroll PokerGO Tour (PGT) Championship for a career-best $200,000. PokerNews interviewed Cho at the event, which can be heard on a Jan. 18, 2024 episode of the PokerNews Podcast around the 10:45-mark.
Cho later spoke to PokerNews about her future in poker and how she balances it with her acting career.
"With acting, I put in an insane amount of preparation and work prior to filming, and even while filming, I'm constantly putting in work," Cho said. "I suppose if I want to keep playing tournaments, I should do the same for poker — but can you blame me for wanting to keep it fun and exciting?"
In addition to KPop Demon Hunters, Cho has acted in Teen Wolf, Chicago Med, and Hawaii Five-0.
The Oscar winners will be announced at the 98th Academy Awards, which will take place in Hollywood on March 15. Previous winners of the Best Animated Feature award include Shrek, Spirited Away, and WALL-E.
