Biography
Who is Auliʻi Cravalho?
Early life and education
Auliʻi Cravalho was born in Kohala, Hawaii. Her heritage includes Portuguese, Irish, Puerto Rican, Native Hawaiian, and Chinese ancestry. She grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with her mother, Puanani Cravalho, and they relied on federal food stamps for support during her childhood.
While attending school at the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama campus, she participated in the glee club as a soprano. Before gaining fame, she lived in Mililani, Hawaii. She was later accepted into Columbia University to study environmental science, though she repeatedly deferred her enrollment to focus on her acting career.
Rise to fame with Moana
At age 14, while a high school freshman, she auditioned for the role of Moana in the 2016 Disney animated feature. A talent agent discovered her through a charity video contest and facilitated her audition in Los Angeles. Casting director Rachel Sutton noted she was the final person to audition out of hundreds of candidates.
Following the success of the film, she bought a home for her mother. In 2017, she voiced Moana again for the Hawaiian language version of the movie. Later, she served as an executive producer for the live-action adaptation of the film but decided not to reprise the title role, stating that she wanted to pass the opportunity to another young woman of Pacific Island descent.
Acting career and projects
Auliʻi Cravalho has appeared in a variety of television series, including the NBC drama Rise in 2018 and the sci-fi series The Power in 2023. She portrayed Ariel in the 2019 live-action concert rendition of The Little Mermaid for ABC. Also, she voiced the character Hailey in the Disney Channel animated comedy Hailey's On It!.
Her film credits include the drama All Together Now, the comedy Darby and the Dead, and the 2024 adaptation of Mean Girls. She has also performed on stage in productions such as Evita in London and Cabaret on Broadway, where she took over the role of Sally Bowles in 2024. She also participated in the Acting for a Cause reading series, where she performed in plays like Hamlet and The Importance of Being Earnest.
Personal life and health
In April 2020, she publicly came out as bisexual. In January 2024, she disclosed that she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Auliʻi is a supporter of the Buffalo Bills, an NFL team, and she performed the national anthem at Highmark Stadium for their home opener. She has also served as a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World on two separate occasions.
Birthday and age
Auliʻi Cravalho was born on November 22, 2000, which makes Auliʻi 25 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Auliʻi shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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