Auli'i Cravalho told People she bought a house for her mom after her acting career flourished. Cravalho said that before filming "Moana" in 2016, her mother could only afford a one-bedroom apartment.

Cravalho, who was 14 when she was cast and 15 when she recorded as Moana, recalls the awkward part of that first meeting: her mother, Puanani. Johnson “hugged my mom,” she says.

Auli'i Cravalho told People she bought a house for her mom after her acting career flourished. Cravalho said that before filming "Moana" in 2016, her mother could only afford a one-bedroom apartment.

But this is more than just a movie for Cravalho - it's a coming-of-age story and a dream come true. Moana was her first professional role when she was just 16 years old and it has since catapulted ...

AULI’I CRAVALHO: Pretty realistic. Yeah, we couldn't afford the real thing. It would be way too expensive to fly you out to Hawaii. 100%. Or do the premiere in Hawaii.

"Things happen and you just kind of got to roll with it," she said on "GMA." — -- Auli'i Cravalho laughed off Sunday night's Oscars hiccup, when a flag grazed her head during her performance ...

Related: Auli'i Cravalho Left Her 'Comfort Zone' for Broadway's Cabaret. How the Moana Star Found Her Sally Bowles (Exclusive) Fun fact: Cravalho’s father is also named Dwayne.

NEW YORK -- Moana returns to the big screen this week to take us on a new adventure through Hawaii and Auli'i Cravalho returns as Moana alongside stars like the Rock and Nicole Scherzinger.