Tia Carrere is a successful film and television actress, two-time Grammy award-winning singer, and the original voice of Nani in the Disney animated film ‘Lilo & Stitch’. Building on the legacy of the iconic movie, Disney will be releasing a live-action adaptation of the 2002 film later this year, with Carrere having a featuring role. We spoke to Tia about her experience as Nani in the original animated film, being part of the Disney legacy and her upcoming role as Mrs Kekoa in the live-action adaptation of ‘Lilo & Stitch’.

You were the voice of Nani in the 2002 animated film ‘Lilo & Stitch’. What was that experience like for you and how did that role come about?

Initially Disney casting had reached out to me about Mulan but I was out of the country working on my tv series Relic Hunter. I was very disappointed that didn’t work out but it seems Lilo & Stitch was really meant for me. Chris (Sanders) & Dean (DeBlois) wanted to get together and talk about Hawaii for this project they were working on. As I was born and raised in Hawaii I said I thought Nani should speak with a little of the local ‘pidgin’ inflexion to her dialogue. It’s a subtle accent that people from Hawaii often have to their way of speaking. I told them different phrases I’d use. Told them about Aloha Oe. I'm so glad they allowed me to help put ‘fingerprints' on the character and contribute to the realism.

The animated ‘Lilo & Stitch’ became one of the most iconic Disney films of all time. How does it feel to be part of the Disney legacy? 

It’s incredible this movie was the one that ‘popped’ that year because Treasure Planet really was the one Disney was focusing on at the time. It was supposed to be their big movie that year, and Lilo & Stitch was this little tiny movie that we were sort of left alone to create, it seems. I think that really helped Chris & Dean form their world as they saw fit. I think it contributed to our autonomy because all the studio focus was on Treasure Planet.

The movie obviously had a huge cultural impact, and was the first Disney movie to represent Hawaiian culture, followed later by ‘Moana’. You even sang ‘Aloha Oe’, which has huge cultural significance in Hawaii, and that hammock scene became one of the most emotional scenes in a Disney film. Why do you think that representation is so significant and ‘Lilo & Stitch’ still resonates so strongly with audiences today?

I am so honoured and so touched that they took my suggestion of singing Aloha Oe in that hammock scene as a farewell to my sister Lilo before social services took her away the next day. Aloha Oe is a song of love and farewell written by Queen Liliuokalani when she was held captive. It was so cool doing a walk-through of the sets with director Dean Fleischer Camp and telling him I had come up with the song idea. He remarked he had read about that 20 years ago when the animated film came out!  I remember that when Chris & Dean told me the storyline I joked, “Wait, is this a Disney cartoon or an episode of Jerry Springer?!” Hahaha  I mean, our parents are understood to have passed away prematurely and social services are taking my little sister away?! That’s a pretty heavy subject matter. But I think it’s a thoroughly modern tale of a difficulty that many people of colour, and Indigenous cultures in particular, have had to deal with disproportionately. It’s so meaningful to me when people have come up to me over the past 20 or so years and told me how this movie touched their hearts so deeply because they finally felt seen and held. And I’ve also heard some women say they’re grateful to finally have seen a Disney princess with thick legs! [laughs]

You have a role in the new live action adaptation of ‘Lilo & Stitch’. How did it feel to revisit the story 23 years later? 

It’s been wonderful revisiting these beloved characters and feeling like I was an integral part of its creation, that I helped form Nani. It feels like visiting with longtime friends. And, like I said, I love thinking about how I contributed in particular on the Aloha Oe scene.  It fills my heart.

Tell us about your character, Mrs. Kekoa. 

Unfortunately in this one, I’m Mrs. Kekoa who is the social worker meaning to take Lilo away! But instead of a big meanie that comes in, since I believe Mrs Kekoa may have come up through the same system herself, I wanted to embody that I am advocating for Nani to make it. I know Nani is smart enough and able to pull herself and Lilo through to succeed in life.

The character of Nani will be played by Sydney Adugong. Did you have any conversations with her about the character or have any advice to offer her or the rest of the live-action cast? 

It was wonderful that I was put in touch with Sydney because of my friend, who is a local Hawaii producer, Angie La Prete. Angie said she was on set and that Sydney was interested in speaking with me about the character. I got on the phone with Sydney and laughed and told her I was just a cartoon, but we did discuss all aspects of Nani and how I approached her. But I told Sydney they chose her because of something in her that embodies the strength and toughness that Nani needs in the piece, to trust in that. She is a wonderful Nani!

You’ve had a hugely successful career so far in film, television and of course, as a two-time Grammy-winning recording artist! What is next for you?

I’m heading to the Philippines to do a movie called The Last Resort written by my friend Karen McCullah who wrote Legally Blonde, been pitching a great TV series with another writer's girlfriend Nina Colman and producer Julia Eisenmann to shoot in Hawaii, as well as writing my dramatic indie to shoot in Hawaii, and I just put together a one-woman singing show about my journey from Honolulu: Hollywood. It’s like a huge creative renaissance that I seem to be going through and I’m loving every minute of it!

The new live-action of Lilo & Stich crashes into cinemas on May 23rd 2025.