What must it be like to be 14 years old and find out you're going to play Disney's next princess, Moana? That's exactly what happened to Auli‘i Cravalho. We sat down with the 16 year old sensation to find out more about her and her role in Disney's Moana.
You can probably imagine that hundreds of hopeful teens and young women auditioned for the title role in Walt Disney Animation Studio's Moana. Surprising though, Auli'i Cravalho didn't seek out the role; the film’s Hawaii based casting director recalled her singing performance from a video submission for a fundraiser/talent showcase and asked her to come in and try out. Just three auditions later, the native Hawaiian earned the role and, in my opinion is a perfect fit. After meeting her in person I can honestly say that she embodies the true spirit of Moana.
Fun Facts about Moana with Auli‘i Cravalho
1.) The filmmakers tricked her when they told her she got the part of Moana.
Instead of her agent telling her or a simple phone call to offer her the role, the filmmakers had a little fun with Auli'i instead. She told us that they called her into another audition to see her ad-lib skills. This was after she had already flown to Burbank for her third audition. Her mom (who she is very close with) couldn't accompany her to her Skype interview because, well "This is awesome but, the world continues." So, they had her perform a line and they told her she didn't sound excited enough. They said, "If we gave you the role, how would you react?" It was then that she realized she'd gotten the part. "I was crying and I was so happy. And just thrilled that, first of all, they thought that I was worthy enough for this role. I didn’t think that I was. I could never imagine in my wildest dreams that I would be voicing this character. But I was just so happy and blessed. And then I told my mom. And then I had another cry fest."
See the heartwarming audition clip here:
Auli'i was 14 when she landed the role of Moana and will be 16 the day before the movie premieres. We asked her how it feels to know she'll go down in history as the youngest princess. She said, "Pretty incredible." She added that she's very proud of the character Disney created. She added, "I love that people will look up to her and then look up to me."
3.) She knew a good deal of Polynesian culture before this movie.
We asked Auli'i how it felt to watch the Polynesian culture play out. She told us that she was a little weary at first. "Anyone who hears that a movie’s going to inspired by their culture, they want it to be done right. And we don’t want any misrepresentation, we want to make sure that what we feel our culture’s about, that it's portrayed correctly on the screen." Fortunately, the filmmakers took great care to research the Polynesian culture and consulted with the Oceanic Story Trust to ensure that even the smallest details would be authentic and honor the culture.
The major themes within the movie evolve around Polynesian culture and Auli'i said she was very familiar with the tales. She said, "I kind of describe Maui’s mythology and the folklore of it as my bedtime stories. Because they really were. The stories of him pulling oceans out of the sea, or slowing down the sun. I not only heard it before going to bed but also at my school. I go to an all Hawaiian school and the stories are very connected into my curriculum."
4.) She wants your kids to know that EVERYONE can be a hero.
We asked Auli'i what she wanted kids to take away from Moana. She said, "The underlying theme from Moana is something everyone can take away. Young women, but also young men, who are going to go into this era... they can be the hero and heroine of their own story." She added, "Being strong doesn't mean you don't have your weaker moments... Her journey of finding herself if something everyone can take away."
5.) A lot of her personal traits made it into the movie.
Auli'i told us that Moana was designed before she ever stepped into the booth, so it was a little uncanny that the character actually looked liker her. But, there are other things that the two have in common. Auli'i said that she's learned not to touch her hair when she's nervous, which Moana does. She also noticed that Moana puts her hair up when there's work to do, and Auli'i did that in the sound booth.
6.) Her mom has a line in the film.
Auli'i is very close with her mother and it was so sweet to hear her talk about her mom and how she has a line in the film about husking coconut. She laughed when she recalled that her mom wanted to "run lines" with her and said, "Mom, you have one line!"
7.) The biggest challenge for her was conquering the learning curve.
Auli'i told us that backyard plays were her thing and she was a novice otherwise. She said she didn't know how to work in the booth and she didn't have anyone to off of. "I wasn't rubbing elbows with Dwayne Johnson like I thought I would but, I did have a writer though, Jared Bush. And he really helped me throughout the entire process. Because it was all new to me. And the directors as well. They made me feel right at home. They understood that this [was my] first time doing this. But that’s what [they] wanted. And I think that’s also something that makes Moana relatable, that I’m not a seasoned professional. But I think the emotion that I bring to her is something that is very true. And I was able to connect to Moana on a deeper level as well."
She also mentioned that reaching the right emotions for certain scenes in the movie was challenging. Auli'i is generally happy and upbeat, so recording some of the sadder scenes messed with her headspace. To get into character, she drew on her mom for inspiration. There are a few emotional moments between Moana and Gramma Tala and Auli'i thought of her mom as gramma to evoke those emotions.
Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, actors Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson attend The World Premiere of Disney's "MOANA" at the El Capitan Theatre on Monday, November 14, 2016 in Hollywood, CA. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
8.) Her normal life hasn't changed very much.... yet!
Surprisingly, her real life hasn't changed much in the wake of Moana. Auli'i said she still continues to do her school work, whether she's doing homework in the car or on a plane, and she has a teacher who travels with her. She said she did realize that she missed the camaraderie of her school friends so she makes it a priority to Skype with them or text them.
9.) She landed the role on her natural talent alone.
We asked Auli'i what she did to prepare for the role. She said she had no formal vocal training prior to the film, but she got to work with a voice coach during recording. She said, "Before this I had school and church choir, but didn't have much vocal training beyond that. I credit my singing voice to my mom. I came out of the womb screening. She didn't give me a binky and I developed wonderful lungs. Which I thank my mom profusely for that." She went on to say, "I worked with my voice coach on Skype and we would work twice a week and she'd give me tips on breathing and all the things she thought I knew, but didn't know. I realized with voice acting you can't hide much... they can cut things here and there but if it’s a more emotional scene, you’ll start to have a heavier breathing. And in the song, if you're emotional and your breathing has to get heavy. Your breathing has to get heavy but you can’t get out of breath. So it was another learning curve."
10.) Science is definitely in her future, and it will continue to connect her to the islands.
You'd think that this breakout star would be completely focused on her Hollywood career, but not totally. Auli'i told us, "I have no idea what’s on the horizon for me... I was in a science and molecular cell biology program. And I was focusing on how our sunscreen, that we need for our skin, is damaging to our ocean and reefs... The natural algae in our system is able to absorb and refract so much light, which gives it it’s wonderful fluorescent sometimes deep green color. And with that I’m hoping to create some kind of suntan lotion that is better for us. And better for the environment. I believe that the land and the world stems from our oceans. And we need to protect it, as kind of a Hawaiian saying, “If we protect the ocean, if we love on it, it will love on us."
Here's official information about Moana from Disney:
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why.
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “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. Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”) and produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), “Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.
Check out the Moana trailer here:
Moana Official Website / Facebook / Twitter
Moana is in theaters everywhere NOW!
Linda Manns Linneman says
She is a beautiful young lady. I am so happy she got this great part. We can't wait to see this movie. Thank you so much for sharing
Sherry Fram says
Cannot wait to take my three grandkids to see this movie! The storyline is perfect for all kids no matter what there culture!
Amber Ludwig says
How fabulous!! I love that she is a fresh face and a strong face for girls everywhere!! What an amazing role model for girls everywhere and up and coming actresses too!! To be true to yourself 😉 I am excited to see a movie that embraces such a beautiful culture and such awesome Polynesian folklore!!