Sydney Agudong got her start at Hawaiʻi Children’s Theatre. She returns to Kauaʻi as star in ‘Lilo & Stitch’ 

Kauaʻi native Sydney Agudong landed her first acting role in 2009 while with the Hawai’i Children’s Theatre, playing a young version of the leading character Ti Moune in the “Summer Stars” production of “Once on this Island.”

On Tuesday, the alum-turned-Hollywood actress was back as the special guest of Hawai’i Children’s Theatre. The organization hosted a special community screening at Waimea Theatre of Agudong’s first blockbuster film, the 2025 live action remake of the Disney action comedy “Lilo & Stitch.” 

The 24-year-old, who moved to Los Angeles at just 18 to pursue acting, made her film debut as Nani Pelekai, the sister of Lilo.

At the screening, Agudong took pictures with fans, signed autographs and even sang a rendition of Aloha ‘Oe to an audience packed with family members, former theatre and arts mentors, and community members from across Kaua’i. 

Agudong said the homecoming was special because it was an opportunity to share her new film with the people who supported her when she was young.

“This goes so beyond me and my dreams,” she said. “It’s about Kaua’i and showing the world what our community can do.” 

Her journey into the arts began in her family’s living room in Wailua, where she put on elaborate performances with her younger sister Siena and sang along to Eric Clapton songs as her father strummed his guitar.

She brought her singing talent on stage to perform in beauty pageants across Kaua’i. And when she wasn’t singing or performing, she spent her after-school hours tumbling in gymnastics.

She credits her tight-knit community for bringing her to acting and performing: “I think growing up in Kaua’i, you’re always surrounded by such a rich culture in the arts. I was always surrounded by music, which really became a part of who I am.”

Her childhood on the Hawaiian Island led her all the way to Hollywood and her breakout role in “Lilo & Stitch.” The film follows two Hawaiian sisters — Lilo and Nani — who get their lives shaken up by the arrival of the mischievous alien Stitch, who ultimately brings them closer through the unbreakable bond of ‘ohana. Lilo is played by Maia Kealoha, an 8-year-old from Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.

“I think I felt so connected to Nani because I’m so close to my sister, Siena,” Agudong said. “We are best friends, and I would protect her with my life. It helped me understand Nani’s whole arc because she puts her needs on the back burner to try and keep her family together. I kind of understood that sacrifice and what that looked like because our entire family made their own sacrifices to try to make our dreams come true.” 

Younger sister Siena Agudong also is an actress, whose roles include the Netflix series “No Good Nick” and “Resident Evil,” and the upcoming Amazon series remake of “Carrie.” She also has been in several movies, including “Sidelined: The Quarterback and Me” and “The 4:30 Movie.”

Sydney Agudong’s talents in singing and acting were noticed early in her childhood, including by dance teacher Carol Culver, who introduced Agudong to her would-be talent manager Suzie Maynes. 

But when Agudong and her sister Siena wanted to jet off to LA to pursue their Hollywood dreams, their dad had one condition: train here in Hawai’i first. 

The duo did exactly that, and trained under Honolulu-based acting coach Wayne Ward. Their voice coach, Dolly Kanekuni of Kauaʻi, prepared them for rigorous talent auditions. It was this community-based training, and her dad’s forward thinking, said Sydney Agudong, that helped develop the necessary skills and resilience needed to pursue a career in the tough world of Hollywood. 

While the live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” premiered this year, Sydney Agudong’s preparation for her role of Nani started decades before she even auditioned with her day-to-day role as older sister to Siena. 

This sister bond was put to the test when they found out some surprising news: the role of Nani came down to the two of them. 

While this news might have caused animosity between other sister duos, Sydney Agudong said it brought her even closer to Siena. 

“We just felt utter joy for each other,” Sydney Agudong said. “We had this feeling of ‘oh my gosh, our family is gonna win no matter what.’”

Sydney Agudong also said it was her sister’s support that helped her seal the deal: “I think I wouldn’t have been able to take the role had my sister not given me the blessing that I got from her.” 

In the end, she said, “It felt like a real Lilo and Nani moment.” 

But even with her decades of training, Sydney Agudong felt intimidated by the role.

“It felt like a huge undertaking,” she said. “I was so scared to even audition just because I was so daunted by not wanting to screw it up. I mean, it’s such a beloved film that I really just did not want to mess with it.”  

It was her fellow Hawai’i-based co-stars and crew that gave her guidance and strength to bring Nani to life. She connected with Tia Carerre, who voiced Nani in the 2002 animated film and plays social worker Mrs. Kekoa in this latest adaptation. Carerre gave her advice about how to take on such a massive role. 

She said she also clicked immediately with Kealoha, who played Lilo.

“I did become like her big sister, as we were always doing everything together,” Sydney Agudong said. “We were very much bonded, for sure. I think being able to make the movie at home [on Oʻahu] made it even easier, because we all just felt like we were amongst our community and our people.” 

While this was Kealoha’s first time on screen, she brought a sense of professionalism that went well beyond her years, according to Agudong, who described feeling like a proud big sister when working with the young actor: “She is just such a light and so full of love. She’s so endlessly creative and imaginative–she was definitely born for this role.”  

While filming on O’ahu, the production team faced many setbacks including the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and a trailer fire that disrupted filming schedules. According to Sydney Agudong, the cast also experienced mishaps of their own. 

Kealoha, who was only 6 at the time of filming, lost a few of her baby teeth during a filming break and needed to wear a “flipper” or partial denture set for the rest of the movie. While at a sleepover, she also managed to get slime stuck in her hair and had a friend cut it out with a pair of scissors, causing a mild panic for the hair and makeup team. They outfitted her with a set of fake bangs for the rest of her scenes, Agudong said. 

While preparing for the role of Nani, Agudong underwent extensive surf lessons with top Hawai’i watermen. Agudong also lost teeth after she took a surfboard to the face while catching waves out at Waikīkī right before filming a scene between Nani and Lilo. Though she and her sister tried to reset the tooth with dental glue, Agudong said she eventually needed emergency dental care to fix her smile. 

While coming from a small, isolated community nearly 3,000 miles away from Hollywood might seem like a challenge for young artists looking to pursue a career in performing arts, Agudong says it’s actually an advantage: “Being raised on an island and being raised in Hawaiʻi is one of the biggest blessings that [young artists] could ever have. It especially helps with having a foundation to what they want to achieve or what they want to do.”

Hawaiʻi Children’s Theatre head Mardi Maione says Sydney and Siena Agudong are excellent role models of what can happen if you dream big and have community support. “This is exactly what HCT is all about.” Maione shared. “Giving kids on island the opportunity and space to be creative and discover their passions.” 

Maione remembers that when the Agudongs were first scouted for their talent, many couldn’t believe that  Hollywood opportunities were possibilities for Kaua’i youth. “People said to us, ‘oh that stuff just doesn’t happen for kids on Kaua’i,’” she recalled. “But Sydney and Siena proved that this can happen for local kids, especially if they have community support.”     

As for navigating the trials of Hollywood, Agudong said that every failure she’s encountered in the industry has been an opportunity for learning and growth. “And at the end of the day, you do it because you love it, and you do it because it’s fun and because it makes you happy. That’s real success in the industry.” 

As for her next steps, Agudong has another community showing of her other Hawai’i-based film, “At Her Feet” at Kaua’i Community College on June 21. She is also releasing new music under the name “Jayne Doe” including a cover of John Legend’s “All of Me” with Hualalai Chung, one of the stars from “Moana 2.” She’s also starring in a new series called “Ripple” as well in an upcoming psychological thriller called “Ether,” which Agudong also co-produces.