Auli'i Cravalho

format_quote From baby time to now, I wanted to be a Disney princess and then I wanted to be a singer or an actress.

stars  Is of Chinese, Irish, Native Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Puerto Rican descent.

stars  She was discovered by an Oahu casting agent who noticed her singing in a charity competition.

stars  In the casting press release, director, John Musker, said she was cast as Moana because of a "certain fearlessness in her auditions and callbacks," He further said, "She has a playful, mischievous wit. She can project vulnerability, she doesn't seem intimidated at all by the challenges ahead, and her Polynesian background has helped shape her connection to family, hard work, and music. These are all qualities she shares with Moana.".

stars  Filmmakers auditioned hundreds of women in the pacific islands before selecting Auli'i Cravalho for her debut role as Moana. According to Rachel Sutton, Auli'i was the very last girl auditioned.

stars  Cravalho is a soprano and sings in her school's glee club.