- On The Red Carpet
San Francisco Bay Area’s 11-year-old ‘Moana’ star Amaya Masoli speaks on culture, representation
Friday, July 10, 2026 9:14PM
SAN FRANCISCO –San Francisco Bay Area native 11-year-old Amaya Masoli, who’s starring as young Moana in Disney’s live-action remake, sat down to speak about the movie out Friday
The talented young performer shared her excitement for the film and how she brought her own Samoan culture into the experience
Masoli explained her audition process and how she landed her first role ever. She said that a family member had seen a post about auditions to be a villager, and so she tried out and got called back for second dance autions, but then was asked to try out for young Moana
MORE: ‘Moana’ comes to life: Inside the making of Disney’s film with Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Lagaaia
“I loved Moana ever since I was a little girl, I practically grew up with her. I was her for my very first Halloween and I’ve just always been told I look just like her by my family,” she said
Masoli said she’s very grateful to be able to represent her culture and be a
“All little girls, they all have a piece of Moana in them worldwide, they’re all leaders, they’re all beautiful, they’re kind, they’re smart. And I hope they all know that, and they learn that they can do so many things,” she said. “My family, my friends have supported me along my journey, and especially with God. In the Samoan culture, we have a saying ‘Muamua Le Atua,’ which is God is First, and it just means a lot that this is my first movie, a Disney film! I love Disney!”
Masoli used to live in American Samoa for several years and in the Bay Area has learned a lot about her culture from going to events and watching dancing performances
“It just made me who I am today,” she said
You can watch the full interview with Masoli above
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