Eight years after Moana made history by featuring a Polynesian Disney Princess, the sequel hit theaters to break box office records and deliver an ambitious expansion of the franchise’s fantastic universe. Moana 2 didn’t get the raving reviews its predecessor did. Still, the movie has successfully taken whole families to theaters to sing along with a cast of familiar faces and newcomers. Among the fresh voices is Nalo, a vengeful god played by a Samoan celebrity.
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WARNING: MOANA 2 SPOILERS!
In Moana 2, the titular heroine (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) discovers that the storm god Nalo has cursed humanity. Wishing human history to vanish, Nalo has submerged the mythical island of Motufetu, from which the ocean currents flow. Without these waterways, human tribes are doomed to remain separated until isolation wipes them all. The sequel follows Moana and her allies facing a living storm guarding Motufetu and breaking Nalo’s curse.
The storm god himself, however, remains a hidden threat until the post-credits scene, where Nalo’s towering figure promises to get revenge on Moana. The impact of Nalo’s reveal works is due to his imposing voice. Ironically, the man behind Nalo’s voice is best known for his comedic endeavors.
From Comedy to Villainy
The actor voicing Nalo in Moana 2 is Tofiga Fepulea’i, who is mainly known as one half of the comedic duo Laughing Samoans. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1974, Fepulea’i discovered his comedic talents during his early years performing at church events and White Sunday celebrations. His natural ability to make people laugh eventually led to the formation of the Laughing Samoans with Eteuati Ete in 2003
The Laughing Samoans became a cultural phenomenon, producing annual shows like A Small Samoan Wedding (2004), Old School (2005), and Fobulous (2013). Their success took them beyond New Zealand to audiences in Australia, the United States, Cook Islands, Hawaii, Fiji, and England. After 13 successful years and a television series called The Laughing Samoans at Large, the duo disbanded in 2016. Fepulea’i then launched his solo career with I Gan’t Belive It in 2017 while diversifying his portfolio with supporting parts in Pacific-focused films like Three Wise Cousins (2016) and Take Home Pay (2019).
While an incredibly talented artist, Fepulea’i has stayed out of Hollywood’s spotlights until Moana 2. Now, everyone wants to know who is the man giving Moana’s new arch-nemesis such gravitas. A post-credits scene is not enough for Fepulea’i to stretch all his voice-acting muscles, but he’ll likely get the opportunity to shine even brighter whenever Moana 3 hits theaters. After all, the existence of a post-credits scene betrays Walt Disney Animation’s plans to pursue a threequel, where, hopefully, Nalo will have a more prominent role to play.
Moana 2 is currently playing in theaters worldwide.