How Disney found its new Moana: meet 19-year-old Catherine Laga’Aia
Against all odds, an unknown Australian teenager has been cast as Disney’s new live-action Moana, vaulting from obscurity to the global spotlight.
Disney 's live-action Moana just hit theaters worldwide, and yes, the title role went to a total newcomer. So who is Catherine Laga'aia, and how did she land one of the biggest jobs on the planet at 19?
Meet Catherine 'Katie' Laga'aia
Laga'aia is a Sydney-born Australian actress of Samoan and English descent, and she is one of eight kids in a very musical family. If her last name rings a bell: her dad is Jay Laga'aia, a veteran actor who played Captain Typho in the Star Wars prequels.
She trained at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and logged an early screen credit in the TV series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart before Disney came calling. When the Moana casting news broke, her classmates were stunned — partly because she had quietly disappeared from school to shoot in the U.S., and partly because some friends thought the official Disney photos were AI or a prank. Hard to blame them when, outside of school choirs, she barely had professional experience yet.
"You'll never know unless you try."
The audition that felt like buying a lottery ticket
Laga'aia told USA Today she almost did not audition because the odds were ridiculous: around 32,000 actors submitted tapes. Her mom pushed her to send one anyway (hence the quote above), and she ended up making the cut. Then everything froze during the Hollywood labor strikes, and for a minute she thought the whole movie might be dead.
Disney ultimately zeroed in on her raw potential — even though, by her own account, she considers herself the weakest singer in a family of strong ones. The original animated Moana, Auli'i Cravalho, emailed her a warm welcome early on, and her dad went from anxious to relieved once he saw she could hold her own. With time, practice, and a lot of support, she found her footing on a massive stage.
So, how is she in the movie?
The film itself has been getting mixed reviews, but Laga'aia is coming out of it with across-the-board praise for her performance. Not a bad way to make your feature debut.
Quick facts
- Age: 19; often goes by Katie
- Hometown: Sydney, Australia
- Heritage: Samoan and English
- Family: One of seven siblings; dad Jay played Captain Typho in the Star Wars prequels
- School: Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
- Early credit: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (TV series)
- Moana casting: Chosen from about 32,000 submissions
- Process hiccup: Paused during the Hollywood labor strikes; she worried it might be canceled
- Support system: Welcomed by Auli'i Cravalho; proud, relieved dad; very musical siblings
- Current status: Moana is out worldwide; her performance is widely praised even amid mixed reactions to the movie