Catherine Laga'aia

Catherine Laga’aia thinks Moana deserves a little more credit for being a teenager.

Many Disney princesses exist within timeless fairy tales that can represent countless versions of growing up and becoming a woman. Yet, Moana’s story feels remarkably distinct. Behind the image of a courageous heroine also lies a young girl experiencing the uncertainty of adolescence.

Laga’aia is no stranger to that reality. After being cast as Disney’s live-action Moana at just sixteen, she spent the next few years navigating teenage girlhood alongside the character. Looking back, Laga’aia barely recognizes the nervous teenager who first auditioned for the role. Speaking about her younger self, she remembers someone eager to please and convinced that everything had to be absolutely perfect for it to be enough. “Back then, I didn’t know who I was or who I wanted to be. I was very much still growing into the person that I am now,” she says. “My mom always says that I grew up on Moana, and I do think that I’m much more aware of who I am and what I do.”

Though Laga’aia doesn’t discredit the perfectionism that helped her get where she is today, success looks very different now. Instead of chasing impossible standards, she’s chosen to measure growth by something much simpler: remaining true to herself. “I look at work with such a different light,” she says. “You have to make yourself proud, still be yourself at the end of the day, and not feel like you’ve drained every ounce of effort out of your body.”

Laga’aia rarely describes growing up as a journey alone. Rather, she instinctively credits the people who shaped her. Whether reflecting on her own coming of age or stepping into one of Disney’s most beloved characters, every milestone seems to lead back to family. Her mother, she says, was someone who showed her what true leadership looked like. “I think my mom was such an inspiration by the way she holds herself and conducts herself with people,” she recalls. “When you’re in a big family, it’s easy for people to slip through the cracks. She made sure that everyone feels accounted for and like they mean something. It’s a little reminiscent of what Moana does with her village, making sure that everyone is heard and seen.”

Her older sister, Jessie, was another influence. Laga’aia admits that she still catches herself borrowing her sister’s mannerisms, from aspects of her personality to even the smallest details, like the way she gestures her hands.

Perhaps no reminder of home stayed closer to her heart than the pounamu she wore throughout filming. When Laga’aia first auditioned for Moana, she wore her mother’s pounamu, a treasured greenstone traditionally passed down within Māori families. She had not yet received one of her own, so wearing her mother’s pounamu became a way of carrying a piece of home with her through the audition process. After she was cast, Laga’aia was given a pounamu of her own, carved in the shape of Maui’s hook. She wore it every day on set, and she continues to wear it proudly today.

Family also found its way into many of the relationships Laga’aia built during production. Laga’aia speaks about Grandma Tala’s character with particular affection, describing her as the gentle voice encouraging Moana to move forward even when uncertainty lies before her. “She’s the force that pushes Moana to go, so I think Moana is the most herself and the most free when she gets to be with Grandma Tala,” she says. “They have such a sweet relationship. Even when Moana comes out of getting tossed around by the ocean and scrapes her ankle, she isn’t scared. She’s just glad that Grandma Tala is the one waiting for her.”

Off-screen, actress Rena Owen (Grandma Tala) became a similar source of guidance in Laga’aia’s own life. Having grown up without one of her grandmothers, Laga’aia found a natural familial bond with Owen. Most notably, she remembers how the film’s “I Am Moana” sequence remains one of her most cherished memories. “We weren’t in the middle of the ocean, but it still felt like one of the most real moments. I think that’s because I got to have Owen there with me,” she says. “Getting to have that live feedback and reaction from her made it feel very much like I was Moana, standing on a canoe, and deciding whether or not I was going to go or stay.”

The rest of the cast also provided Laga’aia with unwavering support. Working alongside Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Laga’aia says his humor and willingness to laugh at himself quickly put her at ease. “The last thing you want is to be stressed thinking, ‘I have to scream at Dwayne today,’” she laughs. “He’s such a seasoned professional, but he knows how to make a joke of himself. It brought new energy into Moana and Maui.”

As the reality of Moana settled in, so did her family’s excitement. Though initially hesitant, they quickly met her with wholehearted encouragement. “I’ve had such a fun experience with Moana, and that has really inspired my family to be like, ‘Go for it and shoot for the stars,’” she says. “I think that’s the biggest thing, changing your perspective and looking beyond what you think you can do.”

Messages from Samoan women celebrating Laga’aia’s casting reminded her that the role had a much deeper significance. “To have somebody so close to your culture and where you come from represent everybody is almost like watching the Olympics,” she says.

In Laga’aia’s eyes, the excitement about Moana came from knowing that audiences from Polynesia and across the Pacific Islands saw a piece of themselves reflected back on screen. In some ways, their celebration became her own. “When people ask if I’m excited to represent where I come from, I think about the fact that I was once the person who was being represented, who didn’t have my face on screen,” she says. “I think that was one of the most important things for me, because that’s my Moana.”

For Laga’aia, the live-action adaptation is a continuation of the legacy that Auli’i Cravalho, the voice actress of the animated Moana, began nearly a decade ago. “Meeting Auli’i was one of the best moments for me, because it also meant that I had her seal of approval to take something that she built a step further,” she says. “It’s a really cool relay race we’re now running, where it’s going to be the two of us on a team celebrating this character.”

Maybe that is why Laga’aia sees so much of Moana’s teenage side. Both spent their stories learning that sometimes, growing up simply means finding the courage to move forward anyway.

Disney’s live-action adaptation of Moana was released on July 9, 2026.