Actress Sydney Agudong was cast in the role of Nani, the older sister of protagonist Lilo, in the sci-fi comedy that follows two orphaned Hawaiian sisters who unwittingly befriend an alien fugitive named Stich. Agudong was born and raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.

Is the girl playing Nani Hawaiian?

“Nani is Indigenous Hawaiian with strong features and dark skin, this casting is blatant colorism.” Disney did not respond to a request for comment. In the 2024 adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch,” Nani will be played by 22-year-old Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, who is multiracial with Hawaiian ancestry.

Are Lilo and Nani Hawaiian?

The film's story revolves around two individuals: an orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, who is raised by her older sister Nani after their parents' deaths, and the extraterrestrial creature Experiment 626, who is adopted by Lilo as her "dog" and renamed "Stitch".

What race is Lilo and Nani?

“The conflict occurring in Lilo and Stitch being about the colonialist state attempting to pull this tiny 'broken' native Hawaiian family apart is made more apparent by their both being darker skinned girls,” another user tweeted, adding, “Casting a lighter skinned Hawaiian to play Nani interferes with that.”

Who is the actress who plays Nani in Lilo and Stitch?

Nani — Sydney Agudong

She is also the sister of Star Falls and No Good Nick actress Siena Agudong.

Woke Little Mermaid Supporters LOSE THEIR MINDS Over Hawaiian Lilo & Stitch Actress Being Too WHITE!

Is Lilo autistic?

While there appears to be no evidence that creators Chris Sanders and Dean Deblois intentionally made Lilo autistic, it is a widely accepted theory among fans—especially for those who are on the spectrum or believe themselves to be—that her neurodivergence is at least implied, much in the same way that other Disney ...

Who is Lilo's sister's boyfriend?

David Kawena is Nani's boyfriend. David is a great surfer. Like Nani, he also has trouble finding employment. He is also one of the only four recurring human characters (the other three being Victoria, Cobra Bubbles, and later Mertle) aside from Lilo's family, who is aware of the aliens and experiments.

What is the controversy with Nani Disney?

Hundreds of fans began to call for Disney to “recast Nani next” in reference to the whitewashing and colorism accusations that sparked in response to actress Sydney Agudong's casting. “Good. Now recast Nani immediately," wrote on fan on Twitter on April 21. “And give us the dark skinned Hawaiian beauty we all desire.”

Is Lilo Native Hawaiian?

While it is the company's first princess of Polynesian descent, it is not the first time Disney has ventured to represent Polynesian culture on-screen: the 2002 film Lilo & Stitch features sisters Lilo and Nani, who are of Indigenous Hawaiian descent as two of the central characters.

Who is Lilo's daughter?

Ani Pelekai is Lilo Pelekai's daughter and Nani's niece seen in Stitch! She looks exactly like her mother when she was her age to the point that Stitch fully believed she was Lilo until her mother appeared.

How culturally accurate is Lilo and Stitch?

Carrere praised directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois for putting in the effort to depict Hawaiian culture accurately, saying the filmmakers "really did their homework." "It was so connected to the local culture and respectful of what it's like to truly grow up in Hawaii," she said.

What's Moana's ethnicity?

Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti.

What does Nani mean in Hawaii?

[Hawaiian Dictionary (Hawaiian)] nani. 1. nvs. Beauty, glory, splendor; beautiful, pretty, glorious, splendid.

Who is the white actress playing Hawaiian?

Emma Stone's casting as Allison Ng, a character of Hawaiian and Asian heritage, in Cameron Crowe's latest romantic comedy Aloha, received its fair share of criticism when the film opened in May.

Why does Nani call Lilo Lolo?

Nani will refer to someone as "lolo", meaning stupid or crazy in Hawaiian, when she observes them doing just that. In the first film, she refers to Lilo this way when the latter suggests buying a lobster from the shelter, and again when Nani thinks someone caused them to wipe out while surfing.

Why does Lilo take pictures of fat tourists?

The target was an overweight person, something Lilo distinctly remembers, and now she takes the same pictures as a way of remaining close to her deceased father."

Did they recast Nani in Lilo and Stitch?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Nani Pelekai will be played by Sydney Agudong, who was born and raised on the island of Kauai. soooo I did a really cool project for some really cool people…you may have heard of it.

Does Lilo mean lost in Hawaiian?

Lilo (literally, "lost" in Hawaiian, and also in Mandarin).

What movie almost bankrupted Disney?

The Black Cauldron. It was nicknamed “The Movie That Almost Killed Disney” because it was a box office bomb in 1985.

How old is Nani in Disney?

Nani is Lilo's big sister, who is said to be nineteen years old in the first film.

Why are Disney movies controversial?

LGBT references in Disney films

Disney has been criticized for limiting and stereotyping LGBT representation in its media, with LGBT topics previously being deemed not "family-friendly" to address directly by Disney while villains were often portrayed as queer-coded through gender non-conformance.

Who was Lilo's dad?

A photograph of Lilo, Nani, and their parents, with Stitch in a separate photo underneath it. Makuakane and Makuahine Pelekai were characters mentioned in Lilo & Stitch as the late parents of Lilo.

Are Lilo and Nani orphans?

The backstory to the movie is that Lilo lost her parents in a car crash as a kid. Since then she's been raised by her big sister Nani who has to act as a parental figure and as a sister.