Moana Star Catherine Lagaʻaia Reflects On How Playing The Disney Heroine Changed Her Life: “I Was Nervous To…”

Catherine Lagaʻaia reflects on how playing Disney’s Moana transformed her life, opening up about overcoming nerves and embracing the iconic heroine

- July 6, 2026 | 4:23 PM IST

Moana Star Catherine Lagaʻaia (Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

As Disney’s biggest live-action spectacle, Moana, prepares to sail into cinemas, 19-year-old Catherine Lagaʻaia, who takes on the title role in the highly anticipated live-action reimagining, recently opened up about the journey that shaped her both on-screen and off during the film’s promotions.

Asked what advise her Moana might have for the young Moanas of the world navigating their own uncharted waters, Lagaʻaia points to the bond at the heart of the film: the quiet, unwavering faith passed down from grandmother to granddaughter.

Catherine Lagaʻaia On How Playing Moana Changed Her

“I think it’s the advise that she kind of receives from her grandma, to go beyond the reef,” Lagaʻaia says. “Something Tommy (director Thomas Kail) says all the time is that Grandma Tala knew something that Moana didn’t. She had this kind of trust and faith in Moana that she would achieve the goal she was always set to do. So, I think maybe there’s some divine thing that calls out to you that you maybe don’t know yet, but I think just seizing every opportunity is the best way to do it.”

“I learned a lot about myself, and I learned how to be brave,” she shares. “There were so many opportunities in that world that I was nervous to take and nervous to seize, because you don’t know where you’re going to end up. But coming off the back of it and coming out the other side, I feel like I am much more likely to seize something, to go for something that maybe seems too far away or too hard.”

It’s a fitting parallel; much like the character she plays, Lagaʻaia found her own courage by simply choosing to go beyond the reef.

Moana Plot & Cast

The film is a live-action reimagining of the 2016 animated adventure. It follows a spirited teenager named Moana, who sets sail on a daring journey across the ocean to save her people. Along the way, she teams up with the legendary shapeshifting demigod Maui to restore the heart of Te Fiti and lift a curse that is destroying her island.

The cast features Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana, Dwayne Johnson as Maui, John Tui as Moana’s father, Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as her mother, Sina, and Rena Owen as Grandma Tala. Along the way, we’ll also meet an array of adorable animal characters, Pua the pig and Heihei the rooster, who help Moana on her journey.

Moana Release Date

Disney’s reimagining of the beloved Oscar®️-nominated animated adventure is directed by Emmy®️ and Tony Award®️ winner Thomas Kail (Hamilton). The film is produced by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and executive produced by Thomas Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films Moana and Moana 2.

Featuring original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi, and Mark Mancina, along with an original score composed by Mancina, Moana brings the beloved story to life on an epic scale for a new generation. Moana will release exclusively in cinemas across India in English and Hindi from 10th July 2026.