Auli Cravalho, the voice behind Disney's Moana character It wasn't an easy start in life.
In a new interview with people magazine, The 24-year-old spoke about landing the life-changing role.
“I was able to really look back on the past 10 years and see how much I've grown,” she told the outlet.
“Moana” star Auli'i Cravalho survived on food stamps and lived with his mother in a one-bedroom apartment before his big break. (Kate Green/Getty Images)
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Before she voiced the title character in 2016's “Moana,” Cravalho and her mother lived on food stamps and shared a one-bedroom apartment in Mililani, Oahu.
“When I got cast, we were living in a one-bedroom apartment in Mililani. I was sleeping in the bedroom and my mom was sleeping on the couch. She gave me everything.” said the “Mean Girls” star.
Auli'i Cravalho provided the voice of the main character in 2016's Moana and its sequel. (Kate Green; © 2024 Disney)
Cravalho grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii and Oahu, and after the success of the first “Moana,” he bought a house with his mother, Puanani.
Cravalho said her mother “gave me everything.” (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)
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“I bought my mom a house. She's happily retired,” she told People.
“Your parents have given you so much,” she continued. “Honestly, the kids feel a little bit of a loss, but we're very grateful for the sacrifices their parents made.”
“When I was cast, we were living in a one-bedroom apartment in Mililani. I was sleeping in the bedroom and my mom was sleeping on the couch. She gave me everything. .”
Cravalho said her parents, who divorced when she was young, kept her grounded from the start of her career.
“My parents said, 'Listen, what if? [“Moana”] I can't go anywhere, I need to finish high school. you need to do the dishes. The bed needs to be fixed. Don’t let that get to you,” she said.
Cravalho co-starred with Dwayne Johnson in both “Moana” animated films. (Barry King/Wire Image)
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in a recent interview New York Times, Cravalho said he immediately thought of the character.
“My name wasn't Auli'i anymore. Everyone in the halls, even the teachers, called me Moana!” asked what she remembered about the day she heard the news. At that time, she said:
“Moana definitely started my career, and now I've played roles that have helped me grow as an actor and as a person,” she added. “But I also realized that I still have a deep connection to Moana. I miss my family every time I'm gone.”
Cravalho said that when she got the role at age 14, everyone she knew started calling her “Moana.” (© 2024 Disney)
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Cravalho also recalled to People that he was a “Disney kid,” saying, “I think it's about putting all your energy into a project and then not saving anything for yourself.” Ta.
She admits that she can be stubborn about doing her homework and says her mother “disciplined” her.
Cravalho said being a “Disney kid” requires “putting all of your energy into a project and then saving nothing for yourself.” (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
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“She was the one who really supported me right then and there…It was a tough upbringing that helped me grow as a person, but at the same time she looked me in the eye and said, 'You have to be kind, you have to be kind. 'You can't do that to me.' In that moment, I realized, “Okay, I can't give my all.'' ”
