In the 2016 animated film Moana, its titular character (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) is caught between her love of home and her wanderlust for the ocean. Determined to make her own way in the world, she laments, “If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me, one day I’ll know. If I go, there’s just no telling how far I’ll go.” The strong-willed heroine was on the precipice of something big. Cravalho, barely 16 at the time the Disney film hit theaters, was on a similar path. There was no telling how far the Hawaii native would go, but the consensus was the breakout star had all the wind behind her for a big future in Hollywood.
Following her acting debut in Moana, Cravalho went on to star in the ABC musical drama Rise, played Ariel in the live-action concert rendition of The Little Mermaid, starred in the Netflix drama All Together Now, joined the all-star cast of this year’s film adaptation of the stage musical Mean Girls, and is now playing the iconic Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway. With each new role, the 24-year-old continues to show the depth of her skills as a performer. Now, almost eight years to the day, she’s back on screen voicing the character who started it all.
Hitting theaters November 27, Moana 2 picks up three years after the first film. The island of Motunui is by all accounts thriving, and Moana is now a master navigator and an older sister. But when she receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, she must embark on an expansive new journey with Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and friends. Featuring all-new characters, new larger-than-life villains, and new songs from Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, including the power anthem “We’re Back,” the sequel promises to be every bit as fun and heartwarming as the original.
We caught up with Cravalho during a brief break from Broadway to talk about her kinship with Moana, passing the torch for the live-action movie, and what she’d like to do next.
When Moana came out in 2016, you were 16 years old living in Hawaii with your mother. It became a massive hit for Disney and I imagine changed the course of your life. Can you take me back to that time and what it was like for you?
I went to an all-Hawaiian school, Kamehameha Schools. It gives preference to those of Hawaiian descent, and so when it was released that I was cast as Moana, I was no longer known as Auliʻi. I was Moana up and down those halls. It was so lovely, and I knew immediately what this character would mean to my community, but I had no idea the waves this character would make eight years from then. I was cast when I was 14, the film came out the day after my 16th birthday. … And now I turn 24 on the 22nd. We have our premiere in Hawaii on the 21st, which is so special, and we have a premiere in London just a few days after that.
The fact that there’s still more story to tell, the fact that Moana is the most-streamed animated film for Disney, the fact that it’s still trending on Disney+, it really goes to show just how well the research was and then also how badly we as a culture wanted to see a young woman be the hero of her own story. No love interest, just guided by the stars and finding herself along the way. I truthfully feel that I’ve gotten to do the same thing coming back 10 years older than I was when I first started the project. I feel like I have grown so much. And for the first time in Disney history, a Disney princess has been allowed to age as well. There are so many motifs that I feel connected to, and she and I are like this [crosses fingers].
When did you hear a sequel was in the works?
Mickey Mouse kept it under wraps for a very long time. I had heard whispers. We started working on the animated series, so I was already in the recording booth. And then similar to the pandemic that was an act of God, we had the strikes that were happening, so there were a lot of changes and a lot of restructuring. I remember just kind of sighing and saying whatever this comes out to be will be. I love this character so much. I was hoping to at least get to hold on to whatever project it would be, the animated series or sequel, and I love that we’ve become a sequel because I feel like a story like this has so much heart but then all-new songs, all-new villains, and this time also we’re bringing along people you know and love. We have Maui, Hei Hei, and Pua along for the ride. It’s just a real celebration that’s really great to see in theaters.
Sequels can be scary. There is a lot of pressure to live up to the original. How much did you know about where they were taking the story, and what was important to you in terms of the next chapter?
I really wanted to see growth in this character, and I didn’t know if it would be part of her canon, part of her lore that she would grow up truly in years, so I was really glad to know that when that became a part of her character. I also wanted to see how the relationship between Maui and Moana changed. They are such great friends, but in that first film, I felt that there was demigod and human, and this time around, they’re so much more equal. Moana is holding her own. Now she’s a master navigator. And instead of Maui needing a pick-me-up, Moana needs the pick-me-up this time around. So I think it really shows their bond and the fact that it’s the both of them against the world. I love knowing that for our heroes, that no matter what may come up next, they still have each other.
How was it for you stepping back into that recording booth again? Did you feel like Moana immediately came back to you?
I love this character. And she and I are so similar. I don’t know if you can tell. I’m very animated in real life, so that translates very well into the recording booth. But I have also done quite a few Moana records in between our last film and this one. We have firework shows, we have Disney on Ice, we have Lego movies, and I’ve done the Calm app to help little kids meditate. This character has never left me, but instead of having to revert back to my 15-year-old voice, which I often do for those recordings, now my voice is down here, which is a smidge different. I was so grateful that they encouraged me to show that depth and show that growth even through my voice acting.
What really resonated with you in regard to Moana’s journey this time around?
In our first film, it felt like we were connecting with the past, and I think this film is showing us how we connect with the future. There is this character Tautai Vasa, who is the master navigator that Moana can trace her lineage back to, the last master wayfinder before Moana, and he says something so powerful: “In isolation we will not survive.” I love that theme because on a smaller level, absolutely. If you do not reach out to those around you, life gets significantly harder. But also thinking of it a bit larger for those of the Pacific, we are big ocean states. We are not separated by the ocean; we are connected by it. So the fact that wayfinding is so incredibly tied to our history and the fact that a film like Moana is showcasing this indigenous knowledge means the world to my community. I think that’s what’s most important to me, no matter how far I am in the world. I’m in New York City right now playing a character like Sally Bowles who is so very different from anything I’ve done in the past. My culture and my people and my pride still sits very high in my chest, and it’s once in a lifetime that a film like Moana comes out that does its homework, that perpetuates the culture like it does. I also had the joy of revoicing Moana in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. It’s used as educational material to help bring back language that was forbidden to be spoken in Hawaii for a couple of generations. She continues to give back. I’m really grateful to her.
“How Far I’ll Go” was such a major song in the first film. Do you have any predictions for which track will be a standout this time around?
“How Far I’ll Go” is a bop! I think “We’re Back” is such an anthem. I love that it sounds similar to the world we remember but also excites us for what’s coming up next. I love that as our first song. “Beyond,” which is out now, you can hear Moana’s longing for something more, and yet it is so far away. If you thought Moana went beyond the reef in the first film, you have no idea how far she’s going to go on this one. I also think “Can I Get a Chee Hoo” is hilarious, so I need to learn the rap on that one. I’ve done my work. What people enjoy and what they decide to sing along to in their own homes and what earworms stick, I cannot control, but I can simply cross my fingers. I hope it’s many of them.
You are an executive producer on the live-action adaptation of Moana but are not starring in it. Why did you make that decision?
I’m always looking to learn and to grow, and I’m really excited to be stepping into this executive producer role. I’m learning that it’s a lot of emails. But also very important. There are so many fantastic Hawaiian writers and directors, and I have made it so far because of Disney and because of my team, and to extend that privilege to my fellow countrymen really feels like a great way to give back. So that’s why producing feels like a natural role for me. I’m also type A, so I really like seeing all of the pieces come together.
I’ve been to so many events for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and I speak on representation all the time, and yet I can count on one hand the amount of Pacific Island talent in the industry, and it gets even smaller when we think about young women. So when looking at the live-action version, I know how important it is to see yourself on-screen. I am of proud mixed descent. I am Puerto Rican, Portuguese, Chinese, Hawaiian, and Irish. I’ve got a whole bunch of cultures in me that I carry with pride, and I think that Catherine Lagaʻaia is a beautiful Moana. I think what she represents to so many young people is going to change their trajectory. A lot of times we don’t know what we can become or how far we can dream until we see someone that we see ourselves in, and I know Catherine is going to be that girl for a whole generation of individuals.
In passing the touch to Catherine, have you given her any advice?
It does feel like a passing of the torch, but it’s also…
You are, in a sense, still sharing Moana.
There’s a whole Moana universe that is expanding, which is amazing. I have no advice for her because Moana is in her bones just as much as Moana was in mine. I grew up sailing, I was on my school’s paddling team, I grew up swimming, I grew up an only child to two very strong and protective parents. So these parts of myself I found within her. But Catherine is also so beautiful and so strong and so clever, and the fearlessness that it takes to get on a boat with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and hold your own, he has a completely different story to her. Seeing that has been an absolute pleasure, and it’s an absolute gift to see how these characters evolve and change with each of their own iterations.
I love the beautiful Dolce & Gabbana dress you are wearing today. Can you hint at what else we can see you wearing on this upcoming press tour?
Absolutely! I’m wearing a Dolce & Gabbana dress now, but also Pacific designers in my ears, so I’m always giving a nod back to home. I will be doing that for the rest of my press run as well. We have our premiere in Hawaii, which means we are making custom garments in collaboration with my stylist, Jessica Paster. We have designers like Afa Ah Loo and Rocket Ahuna, who is this beautiful, young Hawaiian designer who I’m so in awe of. … The amount of the work and the amount of funding these people need to do on their own to get these designs off the ground, to have their show, and then to let me wear it also, they’re giving parts of themselves to me. I take very good care of it, but I also alter it because I’m 5’3! I’m not a model. They put a lot of trust in me. When we head to London, I have a bunch of beautiful Pacific Island pieces and jewelry that I’ll be wearing. We’re making an emphasis on shells and on pearls and the diamonds of the Pacific so to speak. Just truly paying homage to those in the Pacific and the great work that they do.
You have taken over the role of Sally Bowles in the Broadway production of Cabaret, which has previously been performed by Michelle Williams, Emma Stone, Sienna Miller, and Gayle Rankin. How has it been for you to step into those shoes?
Well, she is very different from Moana, we’ll start there. It’s been so fun. I have been itching to play characters that were outside of high school, just for the depth of character and for the depth of story. And boy oh boy did I manifest this one! Not only do I get to play a character who descends into madness every night, but also the show itself, Cabaret, touches on themes of facism, sexism, and young women having a choice over their own bodies and their decisions. It has always been a timely show, but to be a part of it now especially feels—great theater has the purpose of ripping us open and revealing a mirror, and I feel very grateful to be in a show like this now. I’ve also lost my voice. I have so many theater bites, aka bruises, up and down my shin. It’s also such a different beast from live action and significantly different from voiceover. Thankfully, when I have both a show and press or a Moana recording the same day, the characters feel so different that they feel like a break from one another. But I get to do it all truly with those two.
You also starred in the movie musical Mean Girls earlier this year. You have some iconic musicals under your belt. What do you want to do next?
I simply want to play young women who are written well, who are smart, who are defiant, but I also want to play people who are different from myself. I am an only child, my mom raised me as a single parent for a really long time, and she put me in aikido, she put me in karate, and so I’ve always been very physical. I trained for the USA swim team when I was a kid. I was on the water polo team, so I’ve always been very in touch with my body. I danced. All these things. So I’ve been taking stunt lessons in Los Angeles for the last few years or so, and I’m really looking forward to getting into an action film. Or to play a villain because I think I would be the perfect twist; you’d never expect me. And what I love about Cabaret is it shows that I have these acting chops. I am this sweet ingénue that you’ve heard for the last eight years, and I can sing a power ballad, but I also love to get dark and gritty and get to the meat of the story. I also just want to have fun and fly around, so that’s kind of the goal.
Moana 2 is in theaters November 27.
Photographer: David Urbanke
Stylist: Jessica Paster
Hairstylist: Rheanne White
Makeup Artist: Kirin Bhatty
