Many fans will be introduced to live-action Nani actress Sydney Agudong for the first time in the Lilo & Stitch remake when the film launches this year on May 23.
Agudong will bring to life Lilo's older sister and guardian in the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, marking the 25-year-old's first major starring role.
Before appearing in the 2025 Disney movie, Agudong's previous credits include NCIS, Infamously in Love, and On My Block.
Get To Know Live-Action Nani Actor Sydney Agudong
Sydney Agudong Was Born and Raised in Hawai'i
Sydney Agudong is the perfect person to play a pivotal role in Lilo & Stitch, as she was born and raised in Hawai'i. The Nani actress (born November 13, 2000) is originally from the island of Kaua'i and is of Caucasian, Filipino, and Polynesian descent.
She credited her Hawaiian lineage for guiding her toward the arts. In a conversation during Kaua'i Comic-Con 2024, she admitted that "Kaua'i in general...is based around love and art," which grounded her in the artistic world from a young age:
"With Kaua'i in general I think our whole community is based around love and art and trying to keep music and dance. The culture is alive. I think that is a huge thing. We make fun of each other, that is what we do. It is good tough love. It is good nutrition. That is what brings us together. Nobody wants anything filtered anymore. We are here because we are grounded. We are connected to our roots."
She and her sister, Siena, were ultimately discovered through this love of art, as they were spotted by a Los Angeles-based management company who were visiting one of their various dance classes
Even though she has found success in the acting world, Agudong has not let her island roots get away from her. She still calls Hawai'i home and has not been ky about calling herself a "Kaua’i baby" (via Instagram)
Sydney Is a Working Musician
Outside of her work acting on the stage and screen, Sydney Agudong is a working musician. She works under the stage name Jayne Doe, having shown off her musical stylings in several places.
Fans have gotten glimpses of her musical talents online over the years, with Agudong posting several covers of popular songs on social media for followers to enjoy.
She, however, broke through with her first publicly released original single in 2023,
"Welcome to Hollywood." The debut track from Agudong is a haunting mix of synth-based singer-songwriter tenor with a tinge of sun-soaked R&B (akin to artists like Best Coast and Lana Del Ray).
She described what went into her debut single during her appearance at Kaua'i Comic-Con, telling fans, "If anyone knows about writing music or being an artist, it is never-ending, it is always really hard to let go of your work."
"[The song] is basically my true experience of coming to Hollywood and getting my dreams to reality, she added, saying that sometimes it can be hard to achieve one's dreams, but it is almost always worth it:
"I have one song out. If anyone knows about writing music or being an artist, it is never-ending, it is always really hard to let go of your work of art and not be a perfectionist. The one song that I do have out is called, cliche enough but truly the cliches are real, 'Welcome to Hollywood.' It is basically my true experience of coming to Hollywood and getting my dreams to reality. It can sometimes be a really tough journey, but it is worth it in the end."
Sydney's Sister Is Also an Actor
Superstardom is in Sydney Agudong's blood, as her younger sister, Siena, is also a working actor.
Siena has several big-name credits in her resume as well, including the Resident Evil TV series, Kevin Smith's 4:30 Movie, and Nickelodeon's Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, & Dawn. She was even up for the role of Nani in the Lilo & Stich movie along with her sister before Syndey ultimately got the part.
Siena and Sydney remain incredibly close. The Lilo & Stitch actress has called her sister her "eternal best friend," saying she has "never known a stronger, wiser, funnier, influential, motivated, gorgeous light in this world" (via Instagram):
"I’ve been trying to post this since yesterday but internet connection said no...anyway to sum up everything... HAPPY (now belated) BIRTHDAY TO YOUR NOW 15 YEARS OF LIFE!! You are my eternal best friend and I have never known a stronger, wiser, funnier, influential, motivated, gorgeous light in this world. I love you an am more proud of you than words could ever explain. 143. You are 'everything.'"
Agudong previously described coming up in the acting world along with her younger sister, saying it all started when the pair of them were very young "doing talent shows" (via Kaua'i Comic-Con):
"Me and my sister started off pretty young doing talent shows. We were kind of performing on and off stage. We would do flag football. We would do soccer and stuff and all that. And then at night we would do pageants, and we would do all that. So that started to bring us into performing and such. And then also at home you are always going the home videos and dancing around."
She said, "As we were growing up," they were "introduced to HCT, Hawai'i Children's Theater," which Agudong largely credits for helping find both her and Siena's love of acting:
"As I we were growing up, I was introduced to HCT, Hawai'i Children's Theater, which is still up and running, and it is growing. And thank god for that, because they have programs like Summer Stars, they do fall productions, and we also have KCP which is the Kaua'i Community Player and a whole bunch of stuff which keeps the theater companies alive. And I think that is honestly got us to consistently start doing all of that stuff and exploring and enjoying things like this."
Sydney Is a Longtime Lilo & Stitch Fan
The Lilo & Stitch franchise runs deep for Sydney Agudong. She claims to be an OG fan of the original film dating back more than 20 years.
"I am an OG fan," Agudong told fans in attendance of Kaua'i Comi-Con 2024, revealing that when she was one year old, she "decided to dress up for my first contest ever as Lilo:"
"I am an OG fan. It came out in 2002, and my mom and dad can proclaim to, we have this country fair, and the Kaua'i County Fair has this healthy baby contest, and I think I was one year old and the thing I decided to dress up as for my first contest ever was Lilo. and I literally walked on stage as Lilo. She was like my soul growing up. She is this six-year-old precocious thing, and I think the story in general with 'Lilo & Stitch' is wonderful"
She also lamented that Nani (the character she will be playing in live-action) "was the big sister that [she] looked up to:"
"It has got this mix of family and aliens, and it is Hawai'i. Like what? Growing up Nani was the big sister that I looked up to, and she honestly was the someone I idolized and also was a little bit intimidated by. She is kind of a bad b****. I think when I ended up getting the audition, I was kind of like, 'No way I am going to get this. Whatever." But I connected to the sister."
Because of this, Agudong is "truly grateful" she got to be part of the Lilo & Stitch franchise and that it was "an absolute dream come true:"
"I was truly grateful to be a part of it. It was an absolute dream come true. It was insane."
Lilo & Stitch comes to theaters on May 23.
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