After “Moana” debuted in 2016, Auliʻi Cravalho continued to dominate as a rising star. The actress had a starring role in the musical series “Rise” for NBC and lent her talents to the Netflix drama “All Together Now.” In 2024, Cravalho received a breakthrough live-action role thanks to the “Mean Girls” musical. As she branched out into different mediums and genres, Cravalho continued to voice Moana, notably returning as the character briefly in “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and the Disney+ special “Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest,” which unites several Disney princesses together.
For Cravalho, the character of Moana is near and dear to her heart. “I’ve grown up on an island all my life—so has she—and we’re both deeply connected to our culture,” the actress told Harper’s Bazaar about her relationship with the Disney character. She continued, “I’m connected to Moana through my age; my 16th birthday was the day before our film was released. Her journey is something I feel as well—that journey to find yourself.”
The actress isn’t done with “Moana” just yet. While Cravalho won’t be appearing as Moana in the Disney live-action remake, she’s executive producing the picture. Audiences can also see Cravalho voice the heroine once again in “Moana 2.”
