One of my favorite things about live-action Disney movie remakes is how they find ways to pay tribute to the original voice actors, and I love that this trend continues with the new Lilo & Stitch movie. So, I really need to talk about how the original Nani, Tia Carrere, became involved in the 2025 Lilo & Stitch, especially after getting a chance to talk to her about her journey into playing Mrs. Kekoa.
SPOILERS are ahead!
When The Lilo & Stitch Remake Was Announced, Tia Carerre Had A Role In Mind For Herself
Back in 2022, prior to the new Lilo & Stitch entering production, when Jon M. Chu was initially attached to direct rather than Dean Fleischer Camp, CinemaBlend caught up with Tia Carrere about the animated movie in celebration of it turning 20 years old. At the time, here’s what she said about how she’d like to be involved in the live-action movie:
I could play like an old Tutu with a muumuu. I'm gonna see if I can make my way in. I think that would be great if we did cameos just for the real cinephiles to go ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Nani! That’s David!' You know what I mean?
At the time, Carrere was excited by the idea of making a simpler and comedic cameo alongside the original David, played by Jason Scott Lee, who actually ended up playing the restaurant manager in the live-action movie. Little did she know she’d be given a lot more involved role when the movie was filmed a year later!
Why The New Role For Lilo & Stitch’s Original Nani Makes ‘Perfect Sense’ To The Actress
When I spoke with Carrere (along with doing interviews with the whole Lilo & Stitch cast) about what she said a few years ago regarding the role she initially wanted against what she was actually given in the new movie, she seemed very happy with the result. Rather than simply being an easter egg to nod to the original, she got to play a new social worker character named Mrs. Kekoa, who gets to meet directly with the new Nani, played by Sydney Agudong, and helps her out. Here’s what Carrere said in our interview:
They wouldn't give me the part of Tutu I really wanted. Well, it makes perfect sense. From being the girl that needs some mentoring that's kind of all over the place and needs a little bit of help in her life to being the woman that says, you know what, let's just find, break this down and look at the things you need to do for a successful life. And sort of mentor that young, messy girl. It's kind of where I am in my life now as a woman. And to be able to play that as Mrs. Kekoa to Nani, it makes perfect sense in my mind.
As Carrere also spoke about in our first interview, Lilo & Stitch’s plotline between its sisters was really ahead of its time, between “ushering in inclusivity” and featuring a realistic sister relationship that is actively dealing with the repercussions of their parents’ death.
While the changes regarding Nani ultimately going to college in San Diego and allowing their neighbor of Tutu to take care of Lilo has rubbed some fans the wrong way, the movie does also allow for Nani’s arc to grow, and even gets into a longtime theory about the character’s love of surfing. How sweet is it that both Nani actresses got solid parts in the new movie?
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