How 24-Year-Old Moana Star Auli'i Cravalho Deals With Career

Cravallho burst onto the scene in Hollywood with her voice in the 2016 film "Moana," and has since made her mark in films like 2014's "Mean Girls," TV roles, and the role of Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" on Broadway.

But she hasn't always gotten the roles she most desires.

"The best way for me to overcome that is: one: time, and two: recognizing that the young woman who gets that role is just like me, very different from me, but just like me," Cravalho told CNBC Make It, a conference focused on Generation Z organized by United Talent Agency.

"How can I be angry with a girl who has worked so hard to get exactly where she should be?" she continued. "And if it's not for me, that's okay, and I should just leave it."

Behind the scenes, Cravalho has started trying her hand at producing, including becoming an executive producer on the upcoming live-action remake of "Moana."

The expansion of her work is natural.

"For many of us [in Hollywood], work is seasonal," she said. "When it rains, it pours, and then there's a drought. And when you're in a drought, make a change."

She added that it took time to focus on her career, be willing to make mistakes, and commit to learning from them.

"To make a change, I had to walk into a room and say, 'I don't know what I don't know.' I had to shut my mouth and just watch, listen, and learn," she said.

This has helped her find a career path based on her interests and passions and combat the feeling that she has "inherited a world on fire," especially in her advocacy for climate change and marine conservation.

In 2025, Cravalho's partner produced the documentary "Reef" about one of the world's largest coral reef restoration programs.

Cravallho emphasized the importance of finding mentors to help during career transitions and called on leaders to support at-risk youth. "If someone is willing to help me, I'm all in," she said.