THR's #NextBigThing: catherinelagaaia⁠ ⁠ Reinterpreting a beloved Disney character would be a challenge for any actor, but was it especially daunting for #CatherineLagaaia who was just 17 when she made her film debut leading Disney’s live-action #Moana. Laga’aia, now 19, took over the role from #AuliiCravalho who voiced the character in the two previous animated movies, and was well aware of the pressure that came with the role. As an Australian actress of Samoan descent, it was nerve-racking knowing she was embodying a character that she grew up resonating with, but was quickly put at ease by co-star #DwayneJohnson and director Thomas Kail. ⁠ Of first watching the 2016 film, she recalls thinking: “This is a princess who looks like me. This is a princess who looks like my sister. The dad looks like my dad. This is a village on an island that has been described to me, and now it’s being so vividly put in front of me.” ⁠ Read the full feature at the link in bio.