Disney’s Lilo & Stitch’s Sydney Agudong talks about her experience, the reception from her hometown, dealing with the critics, and what she hopes for in the sequel.<\/b>
\n\u201cHappy Sydney Elizebeth Agudong Day!\u201d
\u201cI feel like I have impostor syndrome all over again,\u201d Agudong says, completely surprised at the proclamation. \u201cWhat the heck!? [laughs] It\u2019s really cool to have my last name on there, though.\u201d
While the 24-year-old actress may be between the islands of Oahu (for work) and Kaua\u2019i, she considers Kaua\u2019i her true home. Born and raised in Kaua\u02bbi, Hawaii, she has been described by several residents as a \u201cdaughter of Kaua\u2019i,\u201d as she and her family have been an active part of the community for many years. She was involved with the Hawai\u02bbi Children\u2019s Theatre on Kaua\u02bbi and returned many times to speak to the children involved.
Throughout our conversation, we\u2019re 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, \u201cThey\u2019ve known my dad for a long time,\u201d \u201cI grew up with their daughter,\u201d and so forth. Although the population of the island of Kaua\u2019i is over 73,000, everybody seems to know each other, or at least, three or four degrees of separation.
It\u2019s why when she was cast as Nani in the live-action remake of Disney\u2019s Lilo & Stitch, she received non-stop messages of congratulations and support from almost everyone from Kaua\u2019i. She\u2019s grateful for all the love she\u2019s received from her community and abroad.
\u201cI\u2019ve just been able to enjoy the win with everybody,\u201d she shares. \u201cIt means everything in the world [to me]. It feels like everything is possible \u2013 like the cliches are real. I feel like it doesn\u2019t 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.\u201d
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\u2019t think much about it, but was then told that the sequel had been confirmed.
\u201cThey were like, \u2018what\u2019s new?\u2019 she laughs, recalling the story. \u201cI was like, \u2018I don\u2019t know.\u2019 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\u2019s printed! We\u2019re doing it! Let\u2019s go!\u201d
Although the film was successful, audiences raised several criticisms regarding the changes made to the story. There were discussions on Nani\u2019s story arc, the vilification of Dr. Jumba Jookiba, and how \u201cOhana\u201d is defined.
Agudong is very aware of the conversations that were talked about because she knows \u201cchange is scary,\u201d but it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s 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.
\u201cI felt like I understood where Nani\u2019s heart was,\u201d she says. \u201cI 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.\u201d
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, \u201cThey 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.\u201d
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\u2019s 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 \u2013 even for a short time \u2013 to pursue her dream, despite her plans to return. \u201cOhana\u201d does mean family, but it\u2019s not limited to just immediate family. It can mean the entire community.
\u201cFamily is a huge thing,\u201d says Agudong. \u201cIt\u2019s really tough to understand something when you\u2019re outside and vice versa. It\u2019s 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\u2019s extremely important to see how they made it through all these sacrifices. They created their own h\u0101nai family within all of this broken mess after losing their parents, thinking that everything is over and that Nani never had a future.\u201d
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 \u201cOhana.\u201d
\u201cYes, it means ‘nobody gets forgotten or left behind’, and that\u2019s still true to this day,\u201d she says. \u201cThat also means blood or not. We\u2019ve got your back. That\u2019s the point. That\u2019s 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.\u201d
The proof is evident when we\u2019re 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\u2019s Lilo & Stitch were actually from Kaua\u2019i. Therefore, for Agudong to be chosen as Nani is more meaningful due to that significance. She\u2019s not only representing Hawaii, but also her hometown.
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy to hear the hometown thing because I never truly thought about it that way,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is my island. I think what helps is knowing that anytime I feel like I\u2019m gonna take a misstep, someone is there to catch me. Someone is there to tell me how much of them I\u2019m a part of. I\u2019m consistently met with love, light, and aloha. I\u2019m reminded of where I grew up.\u201d
Despite Lilo & Stitch being based in Kaua\u2019i, 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\u2019i. The film commissioner and the Kaua\u2019i Tourism Board have all expressed their interest and support in having the sequel in the animated film\u2019s original hometown. Agudog says, \u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of opportunity here, and we can totally make that happen. I really hope that they take that opportunity, whether or not it\u2019s a few days here and there. It would change the game. There\u2019s so much to explore in Oahu, but there\u2019s more [in my hometown] too.\u201d
She adds, laughing, \u201cIt would be great to be close to home. I\u2019d love to sleep in my own bed. That would be so cool.\u201d
As for the story that she\u2019d love for the sequel to tell, she hasn\u2019t thought much about it. When asked about Nani and David\u2019s 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.
\u201cWe spent all that time,\u201d she explains. \u201cI think I chipped his tooth in one of the takes \u2013 and they took it out! Dean told me they put it in a Polaroid.\u201d
She would love to explore Nani and David\u2019s relationship, but she is more intrigued by Nani and Stitch\u2019s dynamic and their growth as a family. She shares, \u201cYou see a shift there in the film. I\u2019d love to expand on that even more.\u201d
There\u2019s also Nani and Lilo\u2019s 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\u2019t take care of her sister, and is at a loss for words. Agudong\u2019s performance was stellar, as if the pain was etched on her face.
\u201cFor Nani, it will be tough,\u201d she says. \u201cI think she\u2019s gonna have a gaping hole in her stomach because I don\u2019t think she\u2019s ready to let go as much as she wants to. There\u2019s gonna be an issue there. She\u2019s gonna be feeling torn. She\u2019ll probably find out what it\u2019s like to really cry.\u201d
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.
\u201c[Maia] is so excited,\u201d says Agudong. \u201cWe need to get on that. [She\u2019s growing up.] She\u2019s losing teeth too fast! I\u2019m so excited to work with all of them again.\u201d
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\u2019s received, not just from Hawaii, but globally. Although there are people who disagree with the film, others feel seen by Nani\u2019s storyline.
\u201cEverything is just washed away in a huge swarm of waves of love, especially from Hawaii, and globally too,\u201d she explains. \u201cSeeing 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\u2019s the reason why I do it, because I get to connect. The fact that the film is being met with such love, that\u2019s all I need.\u201d
Disney\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n