‘A source of Polynesian pride’: Moana voice actor Auli‘i Cravalho on auditioning for the iconic role and being a bisexual icon … but what did Eminem have to do with her coming out?

Dec 5 , 2024

Moana voice actor Auli‘i Cravalho discusses auditioning for the iconic role and being a bisexual icon … but what did Eminem have to do with her coming out? Photo: AFP

The voice behind Disney’s titular Polynesian princess is thrilled about indigenous representation in this year’s Moana 2, adding that reprising the role felt like ‘coming home’

The highly anticipated sequel to Disney’s beloved Moana is finally out and not even its star, Auli‘i Cravalho, the voice of our titular heroine, can keep calm. “To see a young Wayfinder on screen using traditional techniques, that’s a source of Polynesian pride,” she told The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s UK premiere, adding, “That’s a piece of indigenous knowledge that comes straight from us.” In an interview with ABC, she said, “It feels like coming home, getting to play this character again. And I’ve missed her, truly.”

A more mature-looking Moana, voiced by Auli‘i Cravalho, in a scene from Moana 2. Photo: Disney

Moana is not only Disney’s first Polynesian princess, but also the first to get aged up. Meanwhile, Cravalho, 24, is the first actress to play a princess as a teenager – she was 15 during production of the original Moana, turning 16 as the film came out. The rising star’s life has changed drastically over the last few years. She is currently performing on Broadway, playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and executive producing the live-action Moana. But what do we know about her? Here’s what to know.

What was Auli‘i Cravalho’s childhood like?

Auli‘i Cravalho at the premiere of Moana 2 in Kapolei, Hawaii, last month. Photo: Reuters

Born in Kohala, Hawaii, in November 2000, Auli‘i Cravalho has Puerto Rican, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Chinese and Irish roots. She was raised by her mother, Puanani Cravalho, after her parents divorced when she was a child. The pair went from occupying a room in a relative’s home to living in a one-bedroom flat on benefits. The lack of space meant Cravalho’s mother had to sleep on the sofa.

What’s her educational background?

Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at the UK premiere of Moana 2 last month, in London. Photo: Invision/AP

Cravalho attended an all-Hawaiian boarding school Kamehameha and was a soprano in the glee club. She suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – a genetic disorder resulting in overly flexible joints – which made her prone to accidents. To help her daughter’s physical development, Mama Cravalho enrolled her in swimming, surfing, water polo and canoeing. Little Auli‘i also played the piano, sang in the choir, rode horses, and practised hula dancing and aikido. At school, she took a molecular cell biology course and, in 2021, was accepted to Columbia University for environmental studies. Unfortunately, she lost her seat after deferring admission too many times because she was “so afraid that if I took a break from [acting] work that the industry would forget about me”.

She is close with her mum

Auli‘i Cravalho was raised by a single mother and has kept a close relationship with her. Photo: @auliicravalho/Instagram

Auli‘i Cravalho never fails to wax lyrical when speaking about her mother. “The person who loves me unconditionally and inspires me every day to do my best is my mom,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in November 2016. The All Together Now actress even credits her mother for her singing voice. “She wouldn’t give me a pacifier when I was a baby, so I screamed and screamed and screamed, and I developed wonderful lungs,” she told the outlet.