Disney’s Lilo & Stitch’s Sydney Agudong Finds Joy Beyond The Noise

“Happy Sydney Elizebeth Agudong Day!”

I say to Disney’s Lilo & Stitch star Sydney Agudong when we meet her for our interview. A few hours earlier, Agudong was honored by the mayor of Kaua’i, Derek S.K. Kawakami, with a proclamation declaring July 2 as “Sydney Elizebeth Agudong Day.”

“I feel like I have impostor syndrome all over again,” Agudong says, completely surprised at the proclamation. “What the heck!? [laughs] It’s really cool to have my last name on there, though.”

While the 24-year-old actress may be between the islands of Oahu (for work) and Kaua’i, she considers Kaua’i her true home. Born and raised in Kauaʻi, Hawaii, she has been described by several residents as a “daughter of Kaua’i,” as she and her family have been an active part of the community for many years. She was involved with the Hawaiʻi Children’s Theatre on Kauaʻi and returned many times to speak to the children involved.

Throughout our conversation, we’re interrupted by several residents who know Agudong, who greet her as if she were family. She apologizes to me each time, telling me snippets of their relationship, “They’ve known my dad for a long time,” “I grew up with their daughter,” and so forth. Although the population of the island of Kaua’i is over 73,000, everybody seems to know each other, or at least, three or four degrees of separation.

It’s why when she was cast as Nani in the live-action remake of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, she received non-stop messages of congratulations and support from almost everyone from Kaua’i. She’s grateful for all the love she’s received from her community and abroad.

“I’ve just been able to enjoy the win with everybody,” she shares. “It means everything in the world [to me]. It feels like everything is possible – like the cliches are real. I feel like it doesn’t matter where you are, how small or big the island is, or not, it all comes down to your upbringing and the fact that I have the community, the culture, and my family surrounding me.”

Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, released in May, has been met with positive reviews, broken records, and is set to reach $1 billion globally. With the success of the film, Disney has given the sequel the green light.

Agudong was amazed at the positive reception of the film, and heard whisperings from the creatives and cast, but nothing was confirmed until a few days before our conversation. She had heard the news while promoting a swim show and was speaking to one of the local news outlets about it. As she was about to participate in the interview, she was asked if they could talk about Lilo & Stitch. She didn’t think much about it, but was then told that the sequel had been confirmed.

“They were like, ‘what’s new?’ she laughs, recalling the story. “I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ Then all of a sudden, the Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter news dropped. They were all sent to me. This is set in stone! That’s printed! We’re doing it! Let’s go!”

Although the film was successful, audiences raised several criticisms regarding the changes made to the story. There were discussions on Nani’s story arc, the vilification of Dr. Jumba Jookiba, and how “Ohana” is defined.

Agudong is very aware of the conversations that were talked about because she knows “change is scary,” but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. She was a bit nervous reading the script and auditioning because she was a fan of the 2002 animation. But after reading the script, she understood the purpose of these changes.

“I felt like I understood where Nani’s heart was,” she says. “I understand sacrifices that way, and I wanted to pay homage and tribute to those types of people who were in my life. Being an older sister and seeing that, I almost felt like I wanted to do this as a love letter to my sister.”

Every time her co-star, Maia Kealoha, who played Lilo, is mentioned, Agudong comments how much she loved her. They had created their sibling connection that felt so natural to Agudong. When she did the script reading with Kealoha, their chemistry was so strong that director Dean Fleischer Camp knew they had found their Nani. He told ABC, “They have an undeniable sisterly chemistry. When we read Maia with Sydney, it was just so clear from the jump that these two had a spark, and felt like sisters immediately, and that only continued to grow and deepen.”

At the end of the film, Lilo and Stitch move in with their family friend/neighbor, Tutu (Amy Hill), as Nani is given the opportunity to study at her dream school, the University of California, San Diego, where she receives a full scholarship. Though they are an ocean away from each other, Nani has access to Jumba’s portal gun and can visit Lilo any time she wants to. They are never too far away from each other.

Many have opposed the idea of Nani leaving Lilo – even for a short time – to pursue her dream, despite her plans to return. “Ohana” does mean family, but it’s not limited to just immediate family. It can mean the entire community.

“Family is a huge thing,” says Agudong. “It’s really tough to understand something when you’re outside and vice versa. It’s constantly changing. What is tough is that there are not a lot of people who get the opportunity to [leave the island]. I totally understand Lilo and Nani had a very fortunate series of events at the very end. Does that always happen? No. But, at the same time, I think it’s extremely important to see how they made it through all these sacrifices. They created their own hānai family within all of this broken mess after losing their parents, thinking that everything is over and that Nani never had a future.”

Agudong thinks the ending is very real in terms of the community coming together to support each other, and ensure Nani could have a future and Lilo would be taken care of. She credits Hawaiian screenwriter Chris Kekaeniokalani Bright for digging deeper into Hawaiian culture when it came to family dynamics and the meaning behind “Ohana.”

“Yes, it means ‘nobody gets forgotten or left behind,’ and that’s still true to this day,” she says. “That also means blood or not. We’ve got your back. That’s the point. That’s what they got right. Your family is what you make of it, and they will be there for you, blood or not. The community is your family.”

The proof is evident when we’re interrupted yet again, as more community members briefly embrace the actress before quickly leaving. None of the people who spoke to her were blood relatives, but rather people she had known throughout her life.

One of the community members expressed how meaningful it was when she was cast, because the characters of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch were actually from Kaua’i. Therefore, for Agudong to be chosen as Nani is more meaningful due to that significance. She’s not only representing Hawaii, but also her hometown.

“It’s crazy to hear the hometown thing because I never truly thought about it that way,” she says. “This is my island. I think what helps is knowing that anytime I feel like I’m gonna take a misstep, someone is there to catch me. Someone is there to tell me how much of them I’m a part of. I’m consistently met with love, light, and aloha. I’m reminded of where I grew up.”

Despite Lilo & Stitch being based in Kaua’i, the movie was filmed in Oahu, which initially surprised Agudong. When she first booked the role, she was convinced the film would be shot in her hometown, as many other movies had been filmed there before, including Jungle Cruise, Jurassic Park, Hobson & Shaw, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

But, she does hope that the sequel will film some parts in Kaua’i. The film commissioner and the Kaua’i Tourism Board have all expressed their interest and support in having the sequel in the animated film’s original hometown. Agudog says, “I think there’s a lot of opportunity here, and we can totally make that happen. I really hope that they take that opportunity, whether or not it’s a few days here and there. It would change the game. There’s so much to explore in Oahu, but there’s more [in my hometown] too.”

She adds, laughing, “It would be great to be close to home. I’d love to sleep in my own bed. That would be so cool.”

As for the story that she’d love for the sequel to tell, she hasn’t thought much about it. When asked about Nani and David’s romance, which is briefly shown in the end credits through a kiss in a Polaroid, Agudong reveals that they had a scene of them kissing that was cut out.

“We spent all that time,” she explains. “I think I chipped his tooth in one of the takes – and they took it out! Dean told me they put it in a Polaroid.”

She would love to explore Nani and David’s relationship, but she is more intrigued by Nani and Stitch’s dynamic and their growth as a family. She shares, “You see a shift there in the film. I’d love to expand on that even more.”

There’s also Nani and Lilo’s grief that has yet to be dealt with. Both Nani and Lilo were young, losing both parents, but, because of how crazy the circumstances were, they were never fully given time to grieve. Nani was given a moment in the film when she realizes she couldn’t take care of her sister, and is at a loss for words. Agudong’s performance was stellar, as if the pain was etched on her face.

“For Nani, it will be tough,” she says. “I think she’s gonna have a gaping hole in her stomach because I don’t think she’s ready to let go as much as she wants to. There’s gonna be an issue there. She’s gonna be feeling torn. She’ll probably find out what it’s like to really cry.”

Agudong is excited to start production on the next film, which should begin soon, as Kealoha is growing up quickly. The 8-year-old actress began filming at 6 years old, and if they want it to be a consistent and close timeline, then they should start filming soon.

“[Maia] is so excited,” says Agudong. “We need to get on that. [She’s growing up.] She’s losing teeth too fast! I’m so excited to work with all of them again.”

Until then, Agudong is still taking all the joys and wins in stride, and not allowing herself to be consumed by internet debates. She does appreciate the messages of support she’s received, not just from Hawaii, but globally. Although there are people who disagree with the film, others feel seen by Nani’s storyline.

“Everything is just washed away in a huge swarm of waves of love, especially from Hawaii, and globally too,” she explains. “Seeing people from different cultures who have been able to relate to that is incredible. Also, seeing the family dynamics of Lilo and Nani, they felt seen. Those are the people that I do this for, and that’s the reason why I do it, because I get to connect. The fact that the film is being met with such love, that’s all I need.”

Disney’s Lilo & Stitch is scheduled to arrive on digital streaming and On Demand on Tuesday, July 22nd. The film is available for $29.99. Since PVOD rentals are typically $5 less, Lilo & Stitch will be available to rent for 48 hours for $24.99.