'Moana' Star Katherine Lagaia Says She and Her Sisters Took Turns During Video Auditions

Disney's new live-action film 〈Moana〉 debuted at No. 1 at the South Korean and North American box offices over its opening weekend, as new details emerged about newcomer Katherine Lagaia's unusual audition for the title role.

Of Samoan descent, Katherine Lagaia beat out a staggering 32,000-to-1 field to be chosen as the new Moana. In the newly released account of the audition process, she and her two sisters all auditioned, and the casting director handled the process unusually, keeping the video-conference camera on while the sisters took turns appearing. After six rounds of video auditions, she flew to New York with her father for the final audition and later recalled that she was so nervous she barely slept. Still, she stressed that Moana is a deeply meaningful role to her—an important project that connects her Samoan cultural identity to the screen.

After the final audition, she heard nothing for months and grew despondent, until in February 2024 director Thomas Kail personally called to tell her she had been selected as the lead. Kail praised her, saying, "Katherine Lagaia showed a boldness that didn't back down even in front of co-star Dwayne Johnson," and added that "she has large, expressive eyes and the brave decisiveness of the original character." Lagaia said Kail, the choreographers who taught her to dance, and the steady encouragement from her family were a tremendous source of strength throughout filming.

Faithful to the original animation's emotional core, the film follows Moana, a girl from the island of Motunui, as she sails into the unknown with the legendary hero Maui to save her island. 〈Moana〉 is now showing in theaters nationwide.