Home And Away Star's Daughter Lands Major Role In Disney's Moana Remake

Disney has revealed that a rising Australian actress will play the title role in the upcoming live-action version of Moana. Sydney native Catherine Laga’aia, 17, is a Disney princess who is following in the footsteps of former live-action Disney princesses Lily James, Emma Watson, and Halle Bailey.

Alongside Dwayne Johnson, who is returning to his role as the demigod Maui, the teenager will be performing with performers from New Zealand, including John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen.

She added in a statement on Thursday, “Moana is one of my faves, so I’m really excited to embrace this character.” “My grandfather hails from Savai’i’s Fa’aala, Palauli. Moreover, my grandma hails from Leulumoega Tuai, which is located on Samoa’s major island of ‘Upolu. It is an honor for me to be able to honor Samoa and all Pacific Islanders while also standing in for young ladies who resemble me.

Although Catherine’s only acting credit prior to Moana was a cameo in The Lost Flowers of Alice Heart, it’s likely that you are acquainted with her father, Jay Laga’aia.

The Australian-New Zealander actor is most known for playing Elijah Johnson on Home and Away and Captain Typho in Star Wars. In addition, he participated in the 2017 season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, performed in multiple stage plays, including the most recent Australian run of Grease the Musical, and appeared on Play School from 2000 to 2014.

Thanks to his daughter’s accomplishment, Jay posted on Instagram on Thursday. He wrote, “My family and I are so pleased to share this news with the rest of the world.” I can now finally tell my daughter Katie that she will be playing Moana in the live-action Disney film, starring alongside Lin Manuel Miranda and Dwayne Johnson.

The Water Rats actor shared a picture of himself and Catherine in December, during what appears to have been a “quick trip for a job interview” in New York, most likely a Moana audition.

The 2016 animated film Moana’s voice actress, Auliʻi Cravalho, announced last year that she would not be playing the same character in the live-action adaptation. On social media, she did, however, make a message stating that she will be an executive producer on the movie and that she was eager to assist in finding the next young woman of Pacific Island origin to play the part.

“It changed my life and launched my career when I was 14 and cast as Moana,” she remarked. It is not me who will be playing the same part in this live-action adaptation. I think it’s critical that the characters and stories we want to express be appropriately portrayed in the casting.

As the movie’s executive producer, I am eager to assist in casting the next actress who will capture Moana’s bravery, irrefutable wit, and emotional fortitude. The next young woman of Pacific Island origin will take on this tradition with great honor as I pass it on to her in order to honor the amazing peoples, cultures, and communities that have influenced her story.