Maia Kealoha attends the World Premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana 2” in Kapolei, Hawaii on November 21, 2024 ; Lilo in ‘Lilo and Stitch’ (2002). Credit :
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ; Maximum Film/ Alamy
- Maia Kealoha is Lilo in Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, out May 23
- The child actress first auditioned for the role when she was 5 years old
- Kealoha told PEOPLE she has a lot of similarities to her character
Maia Kealoha is Disney’s newest star!
The actress was just 7 years old when she filmed Disney’s live-action version of the 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch. In the movie, Kealoha plays Lilo, the young girl who becomes best friends with a dog-like alien named Stitch.
In March 2023, Disney announced that she would be playing the lead role after looking for the perfect fit all over the country.
“When I found out I was going to be Lilo, my jaw literally dropped and I couldn’t even believe it,” Kealoha told PEOPLE in May 2024. “I rung my dad and I said, ‘I did it! I’m Lilo! I’m Lilo!’ And then they grabbed me and we jumped up and down. I was so excited!”
In addition to Kealoha, Zach Galifianakis (Jumba), Chris Sanders (Stitch) and Sydney Agudong (Nani) all also have leading roles in the remake.
Here’s everything to know about Maia Kealoha and her role in the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie.
Maia Kealoha attends Gold Gala 2024 at The Music Center on May 11, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Gold House
Kealoha was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii.
She is a proud Hawaiian and frequently shares photos and videos of her hula dancing, embracing her culture and enjoying all the natural landmarks in Hawaii.
Stitch and Maia Kealoha in ‘Lilo & Stitch.’. Disney
Kealoha was just 5 years old when she participated in an open casting call for the live-action remake of the beloved Disney role, according to USA Today.
“Maia was 5 when she sent her tape and we thought it was really promising,” director Dean Fleischer Camp told the publication. “But then, when she walked into the room for her callback, it was very clear to all of us that she was the front-runner. Unlike a lot of the kids we saw, she was dragging her parents to these auditions and not the other way around.”
Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Stitch and Sydney Agudong as Nani in ‘Lilo & Stitch.’. Disney
Ahead of Lilo & Stitch‘s premiere, Kealoha told PEOPLE in May 2024 that she sees parts of herself in Lilo.
“I would say we really love crafts. In terms of our rooms, she has a lot of toys in her room and I don’t really have toys,” she said. “I would say I’m a crafty girl.”
Kealoha added in a separate interview with PEOPLE in May 2025, “We have a lot of similarities. We’re both from Hawaii.”
Maia Kealoha as Lilo and Sydney Agudong as Nani in ‘Lilo & Stitch.’. Matt Kennedy
While promoting the film in May 2025, Kealoha told PEOPLE that her favorite moment in the movie is when she discovers that she can use Stitch as a speaker instead of the record player.
However, she said that she thinks the “funniest” scene is a water fight scene where Stitch finds a water dispenser and starts blasting her with water at a restaurant.
“Did you know a fun fact about the water gun scene? I had to do it in one shot because when you get wet you have to get all dried up,” Kealoha told PEOPLE.
Off-screen, she recalled her favorite prank was when she would hug their director, Camp, and put googly eyeball stickers on his butt without him noticing.
“I would be like, ‘Can I hug you?’ And then I’d stick it on his butt. Sometimes he would notice because he’d be like, ‘Did you put them on my butt?’ ” she said.
Kealoha’s costar Agudong chimed in to say, “He’d find them sometimes at night. His wife, Alex, would see them after a hard day’s work and then be like, ‘Dude, what’s been on your butt the whole time?’ “
Maia Kealoha, Krystal Ka’ai, and Auli’i Cravalho speak on stage during Gold Gala 2024. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Gold House
On May 11, 2024, Kealoha made her major red carpet debut at the Gold Gala, the annual event celebrating Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander excellence in entertainment, the arts, business, culture and more.
The actress was the youngest attendee and presenter, honoring first responders who fought the devastating Maui wildfires with Gold House’s Social Impact award. She was joined onstage by another Disney star, Moana‘s Auli’i Cravahlo, and Krystal Ka’ai, who at the time was the executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
For the gala, the young actress wore a creation by Hawaiian designer — and Project Runway alum — Kini Zamora. Kealoha also showed off more dance moves as the first person to hit the afterparty at the gala, which kicked off after 10 pm!
Maia Kealoha, Kaipo Dudoit at the “Lilo & Stitch” premiere held at El Capitan Theatre on May 17, 2025. Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty
Since Kealoha’s acting career has started at such a young age, she’s already come up with several celebrities she wants to work with in the future.
Kealoha has listed Olivia Rodrigo, Adam Sandler, Jenna Ortega and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as some of her dream new costars.
“Oh, my gosh, I would love to be in a movie with Jenna Ortega and Adam Sandler,” she told USA Today in May 2025, while adding that her favorite movie of his is Happy Gilmore.
In the meantime, she’s already worked with some high-profile celebrities and stars in the 2025 movie The Wrecking Crew alongside Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin and Dave Bautista.
