MOANA Auli’I Cravalho (voice of “Moana”) Interview
One of the most highly anticipated movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios is “Moana,”a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Wondering who Auli’i Cravalho,the voice behind Moana is and how this teenager from Hawaii came to the attention of the Disney producers. I had the pleasure of interviewing the delightful newcomer and her equally delightful and very proud mom.
6 Fun Things I learned about Auli’i Cravalho and her mom Puanani Cravalho
1. Auli’i Cravalho did not think she had a chance in getting the lead role. While hundreds of talented people from across the Pacific Islands were eager to try out for the role, Auli’i Cravalho set her sights firmly on her sophomore year of high school. “I didn’t think I would have a chance,” she said. “When I was little, I used to dance around the house singing at the top of my lungs. In my mind, that was performing and I loved the feeling of it. But I never imagined being in a Disney movie, being Moana—representing my culture in that way.”
Fortunately, the film’s Hawaiian casting director remembered an unrelated audition Cravalho did as part of a Capella group, which had been submitted for a talent showcase for a charity. Feeling the local teen would be perfect for the Disney role, she tracked her and her mother down and invited Cravalho to audition. “Her audition was fantastic – she was such a raw talent,” said producer Osnat Shurer. “Auli’i was among a small number of girls we brought back for a second round of auditions. Then we flew her and her mom over to audition at our studios in Burbank.”
2. Sworn to Secrecy – Last year when I attended D23 Expo, the crowd was thrilled to see Dwayne the Rock Johnson come out on stage to introduce Moana but the buzz was still there for who would voice Moana. During the interview, Aulil’i and her mom told us that they actually knew during the D23 Expo but were sworn to secrecy not to tell anyone she had won the role. Not even her closest friends or family knew until the formal announcement was released to the press.
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 14: Actor Dwayne Johnson of MOANA took part today in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
3. Auli’i did not interact with any of her co-stars during the making of the movie. This is pretty common that in voice animated movies, the actors don’t meet until the press junket and premieres. Of course, we had to ask if she had met the charismatic Mr. Dwayne Johnson who voices Maui. She stated that she had only recently met her co-star Dwayne Johnson. I am sure that she was excited to meet him but I think her mom, Puanani like most moms was probably a bit more thrilled to meet him. Her mom had to chime in with the biggest smile what a moment it was to meet “the Rock.” We all laughed because I think who wouldn’t want to meet the Rock, I know I would be grinning from ear to ear.
As you would expect with the young star, her mom accompanies her throughout the press events. Usually the parents stay in the background as they did when I interviewed the young stars (Oakes Fegley & Oona Laurence) of Pete’s Dragon and Neel Sethi of The Jungle Book but we invited her mom Puanami to the table because this is such a special journey for them both. And it was quite obvious from their interaction during the interview that it is pretty much it’s just the “two of us” relationship. Also I think because they were sworn to secrecy during those few months, they only had each other to celebrate with every day until it was announced. They talked about their nightly ritual coming home every day and just hug. Auli’i would say “I’m Moana” and her mom would cry in joy.
4. Attending Pete’s Dragon was Auli’i first red (or green) carpet experience. She expressed how surprised she was when she was walking the red carpet that the press not only knew her name but they were actually saying it correctly. “They were all saying it in sync to get me to turn to them.” Welcome to Hollywood.
5. On having her culture embodied into a Disney Princess. As you can imagine, Auli’i is very proud of her cultural heritage, having been born and raised in Hawaii. She loves that Moana is a strong role model and totally fits in with recent Disney princesses. And she noted that Moana’s journey to find herself is not unique to her character but is universally identifiable, who are looking for their own journey to find themselves. I know I still am and I know young girls will definitely identify with the character.
6. Auli’i is not your typical teenager when it comes to Social Media. She admitted she is very comfortable not sharing everything on social media – not typical. I think that will certainly change when Moana opens and makes her a well know entity.
Watch Disney’s Moana Trailer and Get Excited to Meet Disney’s Newest Favorite Characters
Official Moana website // Facebook // Twitter
“Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016
Disclosure: NYC Single Mom’s travel and accommodations to attend the the Pete’s Dragon event is being covered by Disney. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
Auli’i seems like such a great person. I love that she’s proud of her cultural and doesn’t share everything on social media. I can’t wait to hear as the voice of Moana!