Nineteen-year-old Catherine Laga'aia may be Disney's newest leading lady, but according to director Thomas Kail, it took only "10 seconds" to know she was the perfect choice for Moana. The Samoan-Australian actor, who stars opposite Dwayne Johnson in Disney's live-action reimagining of Moana, was selected from more than 32,000 aspiring actors. The film releases in India on July 10 in English and Hindi.

Catherine Laga'aia lands Moana role

Laga'aia has shared that playing Moana feels deeply personal. She was just nine years old when the original animated film released in 2016, and seeing a Polynesian heroine on screen left a lasting impact on her.