10 years ago, Auliʻi Cravalho was cast in her first professional acting role as a Disney princess. She would also be the studio’s first Polynesian princess (although the character herself insists she is not). technically a princess), which marks a huge moment for AAPI representation.

Two years later, “Moana” was officially released in theaters and proved that it had something to offer sea Legs and became the most streamed film on Disney+ last year. It made Cravalho famous, but it also gave her something that most actresses don’t immediately — or in some cases, never understand at all.

“Starting with an incredible film like ‘Moana’ meant that I could be picky (about future roles) and that I had the beauty of being picky,” Cravalho told TheWrap.

The actress immediately took full advantage of this opportunity. In between her starring roles in “Moana” and “Moana 2,” now in theaters everywhere, she played a teenager at risk of homelessness in “All Together Now,” a mean girl who only realizes herself in death , how terrible she was in “Darby and the Dead” starred in the current musical “Mean Girls” in which she played Janis, one of the most acerbic characters in all of history.

Of course, some of those involved sing, considering their pipes are featured in “Moana.” But actually, Cravalho chose them all to immediately expand her range and explore who she is as a person.

“I want to be constantly challenged and I think enough people know that I can sing,” she said. “I think another reason I was so picky is the tendency to put people who can only sing in singing roles, and I wanted to do other things. That’s one of the reasons why I also just wanted to focus on the things that I’m not the best at.”

Cravalho noted that there was “very little to no separation” between her true self and the character, especially since she was so young when “Moana” came out. But that wasn’t a bad thing; In fact, she loved it.

Growing up in Hawaii and attending an all-Hawaiian school, she became Moana with pride because it was an opportunity to show her true identity, which has always been rooted in her culture and community.

“But as I’ve grown up and played different characters, including Janis and including AJ Campos (in ‘Crush’), including all these incredible leading ladies who manage to not get stuck in a mold that I really love,” she said . “All of these women transcend the boundaries of their families, for themselves, for their school or for their friendships, and I hope to continue on that path. I hope I can continue to play strong leading ladies.”

In fact, that’s exactly what she’s doing. Cravalho is currently in the midst of her Broadway debut, playing bohemian icon Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.” Obviously, the series is very different from “Moana,” and most of what it has done before in the 1920s-set story revolves around fascism, totalitarianism, misogyny, and conversations about abortion care.

It’s arguably Cravalho’s most adult role to date and the kind of character she’s really been looking forward to – even if her “Moana” fans are occasionally taken aback by the show’s adult nature.

“The stage door is a perfect place for the spiritual fusion of people who grew up with me on ‘Moana’ and then come to see ‘Cabaret’ without really knowing what the show is about. And when I see them at the end of the show they say: “(gasp) Nazis?!’ And I remind her, ‘Yes, darling, 1920s Berlin!'” she said in her Bowles accent.

At the start of 2024, Cravalho also physically stepped out of her comfort zone by shaving her head, a move that ended up being a bit poorly timed as she did it after completing Mean Girls but then had to shoot again. Oops.

“Plus, I was really hoping to get out of high school and I was ready for anything,” she said. “I realize I’m 24 and will be playing seniors until my mid-30s. But I do think that playing characters that I’ve exposed does help me, and I don’t mean exposure – no one really cared that I did that, not PR disclosure – but the feeling of being exposed helps me.

But Moana is still an integral part of Auliʻi Cravalho and seeing the impact it has had only makes her proud. She recalls a recent “Cabaret” stage-door interaction with two fans in which they both told her that they wanted “How Far I’ll Go,” her stunning song from the first film, for her middle school talent show and her would have presented the final show. respectively.

“And I said, ‘How old am I? What? What do you mean?!’” she recalled with a laugh. “And it’s true that a full eight years have passed, which means an entire generation has grown up with Moana and the characters I played, and I still find it incredible that I made an impact through my mere existence I left behind.”

She continued: “Being a young woman of color, being a young woman of mixed race, being Polynesian, being queer, just simply being me, allows others to see themselves where they might “We didn’t think it was possible, on the screen or…” on the stage.”

Returning for “Moana 2” felt like “coming home” for the actress. Even with the first film doing so well and the potential added pressure on him, Cravalho said he had no hesitation in deciding to come back and voice the character.

“I think it’s always a real problem not to compare one film to another, especially sequels. But the thing is, if I had said no, they would have found someone who sounded similar to me and I’ll be damned!” she said with a laugh, putting on a gruff, overprotective voice. “I’ll be damned if anyone touches that animated character, you understand me?”

For Cravalho, it’s almost a decade later, but for Moana, only three years have passed in the film. Nevertheless, the wayfinder in “Moana 2” gets an updated look, is visibly older and wears a new costume. Given the development of Cravalho’s own singing voice, this also applies to the character noises more mature, with more involvement in the songs Barlow & Bear wrote for the sequel.

“I listened to the first film again and I realized that the youth in my voice is something – you can’t reproduce that,” she said. “So it’s really nice that I grew up and Moana grew up too.”

It wasn’t always a given that Moana would age. According to the actress, when she first signed on to the project, which was originally supposed to be a TV series, it had not yet been decided whether Moana would grow older. It was the addition of Moana’s little sister Simea (adorable voice by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) that made time pass. And that was something Cravalho welcomed.

“I remember really hoping that we would see (Moana’s) growth, not just through the story but also through my voice and through the animation,” she recalls. “It’s so beautiful to see women aging on screen. And yes, it’s in the details, but I think it makes the story all the more impactful.”

Despite the time that has passed in real life, Cravalho said that she and Moana are “still pretty much the same person,” but also acknowledges that neither woman is the same person as they were when the first film was made. Now that she has more life and more jobs behind her, Cravalho is able to take it all in and truly experience it.

Because in reality, the actress doesn’t remember much about the whirlwind of the first film, partly because she was just anxious to please.

“I was so young. I wish I had journaled more. I wish I spent my time outside of the hotel rooms where all those press conferences were happening,” she said. “I was also still working in graduate school, so I was taking tutoring sessions, and unfortunately I don’t remember the fullness of that time. Now I’m much more conscious about being present.”

The growth is also noticeably continuing. Cravalho is taking dance lessons to help with the choreography required on Broadway and has also started taking stunt lessons in hopes of taking on more action roles in the future. She would like to be a villain.

“I admit that being a Disney princess is easy,” she said with a smile. “Instead, I have to challenge myself to do other things.”

Of course, Moana 2’s mid-credits scene certainly offers possibilities for more in-universe. So could we see more of her Moana in the future?

As Cravalho pointed out, the core of the “Moana” films lies in Polynesian culture and real stories she heard growing up.

“I can imagine a million different directions her story could go next,” she said. “And I’m biased, but I really hope I don’t have to say goodbye to her anytime soon.”

“Moana 2” is now playing in cinemas everywhere.

The post “Beyond ‘Moana’: Auliʻi Cravalho Reflects on Finding Her Way After Disney Princess Stardom” appeared first on TheWrap.