Catherine “Katie” Laga’aia, born December 17, 2006, in Sydney, Australia, is the 19-year-old actress who landed the title role in Disney’s live-action Moana after a global search that attracted more than 32,000 applicants.
Her casting has placed her in one of Disney’s biggest live-action projects and given her a major step into global visibility.
Catherine Laga’aia Family Background
Catherine is the daughter of New Zealand-Australian actor and singer Jay Laga’aia, known for playing Captain Typho in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, as well as for long-running Australian television shows including Play School and Home and Away.
Her mother, Sandra Jane Laga’aia, is a deputy principal and educator.
The couple have been married since 1990 and have seven children together. Jay also has an older son from a previous relationship, making Catherine one of eight siblings.
Some of her brothers and sisters have pursued the performing arts. Two sisters, Isabella and Georgia, also submitted tapes for Moana.
The family is of Samoan and English descent, with her paternal grandparents coming from Savai’i and Upolu in Samoa. Catherine grew up in Sydney’s inner west in a competitive but tight theatrical household.
Education and Early Acting Career
Laga’aia attended Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and graduated in 2024. She later completed a Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
Her only other prior screen credit is a younger version of a character in the 2023 series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
Landing the Moana Role
Casting for Moana involved multiple self-tapes, callbacks and a final audition in New York. Her father accompanied her and gave her practical industry advice throughout the process.
She has spoken about the cultural resonance of the role for Pacific Island girls and the grounding provided by her large family during the intense production schedule in Atlanta and Hawaii.
Opposite Dwayne Johnson as Maui, the role represents a huge step into global visibility for the young actress.
Laga’aia has emphasized her family as the core of her life, as well as the importance of representing Samoan heritage on a major studio stage.
With additional projects already under discussion, Catherine Laga’aia is entering a new phase of her career. Her family background, performing-arts training and connection to Samoan heritage are now becoming important parts of the story surrounding her rise.
As it stands right now, Moana represents the biggest professional opportunity of her young career and gives her a major platform to establish herself beyond an overnight discovery.
