Sitting down with Wonderland, the Hawaiian actor reflects on the joys and challenges of bringing a fan favourite back to the silver screen, the complexities of Nani, and the healing power of the ocean.
Taking on the mantle of an iconic animated character in a Disney live-action adaptation is no small feat – especially when it’s your childhood favourite. Yet, Sydney Agudong was more than ready for the challenge in Lilo & Stitch.
Born and raised on the island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i, the actor relocated to Los Angeles straight after finishing high school in 2018 to pursue her craft. Before landing the summer blockbuster role, the 24-year-old had built her résumé with indie titles like Ether and Infamously in Love, alongside a recurring role in season four of Netflix’s On My Block.
Now midway through the London leg of the press tour, Agudong speaks to Wonderland from a bright, well-lit hotel room. Radiant and brimming with energy, her passion for the project is palpable as she reflects on how “incredible” it was not only to embody the role but to receive Tia Carrere’s blessing—Carrere being the original voice of Nani in the 2002 film.
Just a fortnight before the film’s cinematic release, Agudong still seems to be wrapping her head around landing the role of a lifetime in her beloved Disney movie. “I’m an absolute OG fan, from day one, one and a half years old,” she admits. “I’m still trying to make sure that it’s real. I’m pinching myself every single day, but I’m grateful for it every second.”
Much like the original, Nani is a twenty-something juggling the pressures of holding down a job, running a household (serving Capri Sun as iced tea marking a particularly low moment), and looking after her adorably mischievous younger sister, Lilo, following the tragic loss of their parents in a car accident.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp zeroes in on the deeply human side of the story, delivering an emotional reimagining of the animation through the heartwarming (and at times challenging) sisterly dynamic between Nani and six-year-old Lilo, portrayed by newcomer Maia Kealoha.
From chasing one another through their chaotic, cluttered home to squabbling over the unruly antics of their not-so-normal dog, Stitch, the sisters’ bond shifts from tender to tempestuous in an instant – capturing the uniquely real sibling chemistry like no other.
“Luckily, I think that we built it pretty instantly as soon as we met in the chemistry reads,” she admits, “and we just built off of that. I think she’s just a sister to me in that way and her family is just as important to me as well. I think that’s Hawaii in general. We’re just all taking everybody in all the time and she’s a ham, so we get to have fun all the time.”
Undoubtedly, there’s an added weight that comes with being cast in a Disney live-action remake – audiences arrive with their own expectations, eager for the reboot to live up to the original. Navigating through that noise was Agudong’s biggest challenge, but she centred herself by trusting her instincts (and drawing on her encyclopaedic knowledge of the film, built from years of re-watching the animation) to deliver a faithful performance.
“I think the most challenging part really was just being able to trust myself and get out of my head,” she shared, “and know that I knew the role backward and forward and that I was doing everything that I could to pay tribute to the original and to my community and to myself.” And what’s a Disney film without an iconic soundtrack? “I was super excited about the hammock scene because I was really, really stoked to sing “Aloha ʻOe”, and I knew how much that meant to the community.”
Another perk of the role was tackling some of the stunts, including underwater scenes, surfing, and the inevitable sisterly scraps at home. “I’m such an athlete when it comes to loving all the stunts,” she reveals. “I couldn’t do them all because they were like, ‘Please, your face!’ and I was like, ‘Okay.’ But I had an incredible stunt double who was fantastic.”
Live-action reboots can be tricky to get right, but Lilo & Stitch strikes a fine balance, paying homage to the original by recreating certain scenes shot for shot, while also offering something entirely fresh. New characters are introduced to reinforce the film’s core message of ʻOhana: that family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten – including Nani, who is quietly grappling with the grief of losing her parents. “They built a new character, Tūtū (Amy Hill), which was amazing because that’s a huge sense of Hawaii in that way, where it’s not just blood, it’s your Hānai people, which means your family that isn’t actually related to you. I think that that really solidified what the Hawaii community is in that way.”
Stepping into her shoes, the actor admits to deeply resonating with her character Nani, who carries the weight and responsibilities of an eldest daughter – providing for and protecting Lilo while simultaneously navigating her own path in the world. “I think that there’s a lot of similarities between Nani and I,” she begins. “I understood Nani in the way of an older sister, and that I would die for my sister because it’s true. I think that I was also surrounded by a lot of Nani’s growing up that were very strong-willed and had a huge heart and tough skin and really had to take on a sense of responsibility. Women in Hawaii – they’re very strong.”
Agudong also mirrors her on-screen counterpart in other ways, turning to the ocean and music to feel revitalised after a tough day. “The ocean also is very resonant in that way because it feels like a cleansing,” she shares. “If you’re in a good mood or a bad mood, the waves will tell you, and they don’t give a crap about what’s going on. You’re either going to get hit or you’re going to ride with it and it’s a really good motto to live by.”
Before we part ways, the only question left to ask is whether Agudong is keen to return for a sequel. “Yes, no questions asked,” she instantly replies.
Lilo & Stitch is in cinemas now.
Lilo & Stitch is in cinemas now.
Words – Jess Bacon
