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Lilo & Stitch Star Tia Carrere Was Discovered in a Grocery Store at 17
People US
|June 09, 2025
Tia Carrere never expected to have a 41-year acting career. Now starring as Mrs. Kekoa in the live-action Lilo & Stitch (after voicing Nani in the animated versions), the Wayne's World actress, 58, looks back on her Hollywood journey.
Carrere voiced Nani in 2002's animated Lilo & Stitch.
How did you get into acting?
I was discovered at a Waikiki grocery store at 17 when the parents of a movie producer approached me. They said, “Darling, you're gorgeous. You should be the lead in our son's movie [Aloha Summer].” That changed my life, which was good, because I couldn't afford college, and my grades weren't good enough for a scholarship.
This story is from the June 09, 2025 edition of People US.
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