Auli’i Cravalho Reveals How Her Hawaiian Roots Keep Her Grounded: ‘Hasn’t Steered Me Wrong Yet’ (Exclusive)

Auliʻi Cravalho credits her roots in Hawaii as the source of her steadfast spirit in Hollywood.

The Moana 2 star, 24, told PEOPLE at the Variety Power of Young Hollywood event on Aug. 7 that growing up in Hawaii has been a guiding force in her career and life as she navigates the entertainment industry.

“I didn’t grow up in this industry. I’m born and raised in Hawaii,” Cravalho said. “My people love life, and they’re also not afraid to tell you when you’re wrong. And so I try to take that with me wherever I go.”

“It hasn’t steered me wrong yet,” she added.  

The actress, who got her big break in Hollywood with Disney’s Moana (2016), also noted that because of her upbringing, she has a different perspective when it comes to the Aloha State and the culture that surrounds it. 

“Hawaii is a beautiful place. Hawaii is also steeped in Kona, in meaning, in ancestry,” Cravalho explained. “And if you don’t understand the feeling of ‘this is my homeland’ — if that doesn’t affect your gut — then you and I are just different, and that’s okay.” 

Cravalho still has a strong connection to her home of Hawaii, despite her recent move to New York City. She revealed at Moana 2’s premiere last year that she was able to buy her mom a house and help her retire early. 

She also attributes her grounded outlook to the advice and support her parents offered when she first entered Hollywood.

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“My parents were like, ‘Listen, if [Moana] doesn’t go anywhere, you need to finish high school. You need to do the dishes. You need to fix your bed. Don’t let it get to your head,’ ” Cravalho recalled to PEOPLE at the premiere.

She said she still would “be a little gremlin,” especially after going from promoting Moana and then back to schoolwork. But her mom “nipped that in the bud real quick.”

“She was the one to discipline. She was the one to really support me right then and there,” she said. “That was some tough parenting in allowing me to grow as a human, but also looking me in the eye and saying, ‘You need to be kind and you need to be kind to me.’ It was at those moments that I realized, ‘Okay, I can’t give all of myself.’ ”

Since starring in Moana, Cravalho has gone on to act in several projects, including the 2024 musical film Mean Girls and the Broadway show Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.