Hawaiʻi actor Kaipo Dudoit brings island charm to Disney’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’
Several Hawaiʻi-born actors are hitting the big screen in the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” when it opens in theaters this Friday, May 23. Among them is Kaipo Dudoit of Oʻahu who plays the role of David Kawena — the handsome, young neighbor of Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and her big sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) — in the cartoon-come-to-life version of the Disney animated classic.
When the original came out in 2002, Dudoit was in elementary school. “Seeing people that look like me and scenes of my home on screen was eye-opening,” he recalled in a Disney interview.
Now, to be cast in a role for a major motion picture company, Dudoit called it a great opportunity. “I’m very humbled and honored to be a part of this journey,” he told Maui Now during a virtual Zoom interview on Thursday. “It’s been a wild, wild ride, but I’m very grateful and excited,” he said.
“Lilo & Stitch” is a funny yet touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien, Stitch, who helps to mend her broken family. (View the official trailer HERE).
According to the storyline, David works with Nani at a lūʻau where he performs as a fire knife dancer. An avid surfer, David has always had a crush on Nani and is always trying to entice her with a trip to the beach.
Developing the cartoon version of David into a living, breathing character was a task Dudoit welcomed. “Kaipo came on board and immediately brought dimension to David, making him awkward, yet charming, and emotionally intelligent,” producer Jonathan Eirich tells Disney. “He really helped evolve the character.”
The main alien character was brought to life through CGI and supported by a practical puppeteer version (by Seth Hays of Legacy Effects) during filming. Oscar®-nominated filmmaker, Dean Fleischer Camp, known for the animated feature film “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” directed the film, using his experience and expertise to bring realism to the beloved character.
Reflecting on the additional task of interacting with an alien, Dudoit said he enjoyed the creative process: “It just really pushed and expanded my acting skills because you have to reimagine things… it was a challenge in the sense that as an actor, you’re kind of used to reacting to other people.”
The Native Hawaiian actor, hula dancer and model grew up on the ʻEwa side of Oʻahu in the ahupuaʻa (land division) of Honouliuli. He is a 2012 graduate of Kamehameha Schools and went on to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where he earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Hawaiian Studies.
Growing up, Dudoit was surrounded by music, arts and entertainment, with both parents at one point, working in Waikīkī — his dad as a musician and his mom as a hula dancer.
He said his interest in performance started at a very young age, first as a musician throughout his childhood; then as a hula dancer with the award-winning Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua. He is among the haumana (students) of respected Kumu Hula Robert Cazimero who performed just last month on the Merrie Monarch Festival stage, earning first place accolades in the kāne (men) division.
Dudoit began acting when he was in college, securing roles on stage for a wide range of characters with Kumu Kahua Theatre. The community theater is known for “Plays about life in Hawaiʻi… by Hawaiʻi playwrights… for the people of Hawaiʻi.”
“It is always such a great honor to do art in Hawaiʻi for Hawaiʻi, especially things that may reach outside of Hawaiʻi as well — like ‘Lilo & Stitch,'” he said.
Dudoit is also known for his roles in “Magnum P.I.” (2018), and more recently, “Rescue HI-Surf” (2025), and “My Partner” (2023).
“My Partner” was Dudoit’s first experience with a feature length movie. “It was kind of my first introduction to cameras and angles… That movie was a great project to work on,” he said, commending Director Keliʻi Grace.
“My Partner” was shot in West Maui and is believed to be the last production to showcase Lahaina before the destructive Aug. 8, 2023 fire.
“I was very lucky to be a part of that… My heart goes [out] to Lahaina,” said Dudoit.
In addition to his work in film and television, Kaipo is a licensed massage therapist, “driven by passion for creating spaces for healing and connection,” according to Disney production notes.
Whether it’s dance, acting or modeling, “Dudoit finds purpose in connecting with his culture through his various art forms,” embracing the values of Hawaiʻi’s heritage and “uplifting the lāhui and the people of Hawaiʻi through his creative pursuits.”
Dudoit hopes audiences will appreciate the new take on the beloved story, telling Disney: “This is a timeless and transgenerational story; one that connects with every age group and person around the world. The film’s commitment to authenticity is evident from the moment the audience first sees our beloved islands on screen.”
With a passion for acting, “All the world’s a stage,” for Dudoit who has his eyes on expanding into new roles in the future, telling Maui Now: “Shakespeare, I think is my next thing.”
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