Can you remember when you were first charmed by 16-year-old Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of the titular heroine in Moana? Was it her adorable reaction to finding out she’d been cast as the next Disney Princess during what she thought was just another audition?
Or perhaps it was her starstruck bonding with Moana’s cast and crew, who were all delighted to find she looked just like her character?
What about her friendship with costar Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson?
Or when she made this charming pronunciation guide to her name (“Ow-Lee-Ee”)?
Or maybe she only caught your attention this very evening, when she flawlessly performed Best Song nominee “How Far I’ll Go,” at the 89th Academy Awards, with a special rapped intro by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not only did Cravalho sing her heart out, she even kept her cool when a rogue flag-twirler got a little too close:
We loved Cravalho as the voice of Moana. But it turns out, she also has a face and torso! She can sing, she can dance, she can act—and has a smile that could melt the cold heart of Te Ka. Let’s get her in a live-action role ASAP, Hollywood.
