Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month: Trailblazing Women in Entertainment
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, honoring the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders throughout U.S. history. We're spotlighting influential AAPI women like Miyoshi Umeki and Ming-Na Wen who've shattered barriers in Hollywood.
✨ From Lucy Liu to Ming Na Wen, these AAPI heritage trailblazers have made significant contributions to the entertainment industry and the AAPI community. Join us in celebrating their accomplishments!
AAPI Heritage Month is held every May to reflect on and celebrate the work and impact of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders throughout history.
Celebrate AAPI Month with us as we highlight the achievements of influential women in entertainment! From Miyoshi Umeki's historic Oscar win to Lucy Liu's impact on pop culture, we're recognizing the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by spotlighting these amazing women and Ming Na Wen.
Auli'i Cravalho
At just 14 years old, Auli'i Cravalho brought the voice of Moana, Disney's first Polynesian princess, to life
Chloe Auliʻi Cravalho(born November 22, 2000) is an American actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 16 as the voice of the title character in the Disney animated musical film Moana (2016).
Auli'i Cravalho was only 14 when she was cast as Moana, Disney's first Polynesian princess. The 2016 film was a box-office smash, earning over $640 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
She went on to star in the NBC drama series Rise (2018), the Netflix drama film All Together Now (2020), the supernatural comedy Darby and the Dead (2022), the Amazon Prime Video sci-fi series The Power (2023), the Disney Channel animated series Hailey's On It!, and the 2024 film adaptation of the Mean Girls musical.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Cravalho spoke about how the role impacted her life at the second annual Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti Conversations panel in May 2024.
"For me to be a representative of all the Pacific is simply incorrect, so I look forward to seeing more faces in the crowd, and, importantly, more faces behind the camera, in the writers' room, as showrunners, as producers, as industry leaders, because having to answer everyone's questions is too much," Cravalho added.
In addition to "Moana," she has starred in the 2024 adaptation of "Mean Girls" and "Darby and the Dead," and she'll reprise her role in "Moana 2" later this year.
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