‘Moana’ Star Catherine Laga’aia Took Auli’i Cravalho’s Advice and Made the Disney Princess Her Own
Much like the character she plays, Catherine Laga’aia isn’t afraid of new waters. The 19-year-old stars as the titular role in Disney’s new live-action Moana, a role she knows comes with plenty of expectations. Despite the pressure though, Laga’aia, who is of Samoan descent, was ready to put her own spin on the beloved Disney character. “The advice I got from Auli’i [Cravalho] was just that I could make it my own, to take my own approach to her, to feel out what I wanted her to be, who I wanted her to be and just try and do my own thing,” she tells Teen Vogue.
The new film, which was released on July 10, brings Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson back to the big screen to reprise his role as Maui alongside Laga’aia’s Moana. Just a few days earlier, the film had its world premiere in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl, where Laga’aia took the stage with Johnson to perform a taualuga, a traditional Samoan ceremonial dance done in times of celebration.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 07: Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia perform onstage during the Moana World Premiere at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on July 07, 2026. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney)Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Despite criticisms of whether or not we needed a live-action movie so soon after the animated release, the significance of the film to the Pasifika community means more than any debate. It’s so much more than just a Disney movie; it’s pride in seeing your rich culture on display to the world and seeing yourself being represented on screen by an all-Pacific Islander cast. Laga’aia understands that completely.
Below, Laga’aia chats with Teen Vogue on stepping into the role of Moana, Pasifika representation, and what’s next for her career.
Teen Vogue: What was it like for you to perform the taualuga on stage at the Moana premiere?
Catherine Laga’aia: That was really nerve-wracking because I’d gotten that dance two days before. It was very, very new and very fresh and I was in the midst of the press tour and I didn’t really have time to sit down and learn it, but we were getting dressed backstage in the whole outfit, tuiga [Samoan headdress] and all, and I was watching it on my phone trying to remember the dance. Having all the energy from the dancers, having Dwayne there, everything is kind of gearing up to have all this energy and all this power behind it. I got out there and I was like, “I’m just going to do it. Whatever happens, happens.” As I was walking out during the beginning of the taualuga, I could see Tiana Nonosina Liufau, who’s the choreographer of Moana, across the stage. She was going, “Breathe, deep breaths, walk slow.” I was looking at her the whole time.
