{"id":2492059,"date":"2026-07-07T15:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2492059"},"modified":"2026-07-07T15:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:35:51","slug":"star-wars-actors-daughter-catherine-lagaaia-celebrates-inheriting-nepotism-ahead-of-moana-ill-take-that-anytime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/star-wars-actors-daughter-catherine-lagaaia-celebrates-inheriting-nepotism-ahead-of-moana-ill-take-that-anytime\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cStar Wars\u201d actor\u2019s daughter Catherine Laga\u2019aia celebrates inheriting nepotism ahead of \u201cMoana\u201d: \u2018I\u2019ll take that anytime\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Live-action <em>Moana<\/em> star Catherine Laga\u2019aia praised nepotism ahead of her breakout role.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The daughter of <em>Star Wars<\/em> actor Jay Laga\u2019aia, the actress said she \u201cinherited nepotism.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She added that she hopes she makes her father proud with her acting in the Disney remake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/disney\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Disney;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Disney&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Disney<\/a>\u2018s live-action <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/disney-moana-live-action-catherine-lagaaia-8662430\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Moana;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Moana&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Moana<\/em><\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/disney-moana-live-action-catherine-lagaaia-8662430\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:star Catherine Laga\u2019aia;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;star Catherine Laga\u2019aia&quot;}\" class=\"link \"> star Catherine Laga\u2019aia<\/a> has experienced just how far she\u2019ll go while riding the wave of nepotism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ahead of her breakout role in the highly anticipated <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/moana\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:remake;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;remake&quot;}\" class=\"link \">remake<\/a> (in theaters Friday), the actress joked that her career was bolstered by the path her <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/star-wars-fandom\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Star Wars;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Star Wars&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Star Wars<\/em><\/a> franchise actor father, Jay Laga\u02bbaia, paved for her with his role in the sci-fi fantasy films.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI inherited nepotism, that\u2019s for sure. I\u2019ll take that anytime,\u201d\u00a0she joked in an interview with <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>\u2018s sister publication <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/how-moana-star-catherine-laga-aia-is-following-in-her-dad-footsteps-exclusive-12012945\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:PEOPLE;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;PEOPLE&quot;}\" class=\"link \">PEOPLE<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Jay Laga\u2019aia and Catherine Laga\u2019aia at \u2018The Lion King\u2019 premiere<br \/>Credit: Don Arnold\/WireImage<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jay, 62, portrayed Captain Typho in <em>Star Wars: Episode II \u2013 Attack of the Clones<\/em> and <em>Star Wars: Episode III \u2013 Revenge of the Sith <\/em>in 2002 and 2005, respectively.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI think having my dad in the industry, as well as wanting to do the OG proud, and wanting to do the people who love the movies proud, I feel my biggest thing was I wanted him to be proud,\u201d Catherine \u2014 one of Jay\u2019s eight children \u2014 continued. \u201cHe knows what\u2019s good, he knows what he likes. I\u2019m someone on his side. That\u2019s the part of my family that I\u2019m representing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Australian actress said that her father\u2019s adoration was at the forefront of her mind as she filmed the lead role in Disney\u2019s live-action <em>Moana<\/em> remake, which also saw <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/dwayne-the-rock-johnson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson<\/a> reprise his role from the studio\u2019s animated movies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cSo coming back to that, it\u2019s like a \u2018what would my dad do,\u2019 but it\u2019s also I need him to be, at the end of the day, proud of the legacy that I\u2019m extending for him,\u201d Catherine continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/moana-dwayne-johnson-live-action-maui-transformation-exclusive-11931570\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:In a prior interview with EW;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;In a prior interview with EW&quot;}\" class=\"link \">In a prior interview with EW <\/a>about reprising the role of Maui in the live-action film, Johnson opened up about having to wear a heavy prosthetic suit in order to play the part physically on the big screen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe thing that became a challenge, that I had to work through very quickly, that I didn\u2019t anticipate was the prosthetics and the hair and then the body. That is an additional 40 pounds on you,\u201d he observed. \u201cThere\u2019s a freedom when you perform, whether it\u2019s as an actor or singing. So that was an adjustment on how to actually work my emotions through the 40 pounds of prosthetics and hair and body that I had on me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our <\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;EW Dispatch newsletter&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He also praised the film\u2019s commitment to accurately portraying various parts of the culture represented in the project.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe were doing our best to make sure that we were always representing our Polynesian culture in every department,\u201d Johnson noted. \u201cSome department heads, story, development, just everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Moana<\/em> opens Friday in theaters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/moana-star-praises-nepotism-catherine-lagaaia-father-star-wars-actor-12013262\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Entertainment Weekly;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Entertainment Weekly&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Live-action Moana star Catherine Laga\u2019aia praised nepotism ahead of her breakout role. The daughter of Star Wars actor Jay Laga\u2019aia, the actress said she \u201cinherited nepotism.\u201d She added that she hopes she makes her father proud with her acting in the Disney remake. Disney\u2018s live-action Moana star Catherine Laga\u2019aia has experienced just how [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2492060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[367766,365976,490774,23301,490773,345195,347507,23300],"class_list":["post-2492059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-breakout-role","tag-catherine","tag-catherine-lagaaia","tag-disney","tag-jay-lagaaia","tag-moana","tag-nepotism","tag-star-wars"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Star-Wars-actors-daughter-Catherine-Lagaaia-celebrates-inheriting-nepotism-ahead.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2492059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2492059"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2492059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2492061,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2492059\/revisions\/2492061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2492060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2492059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2492059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2492059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}