Sydney Agudong
Sydney Agudong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sydney Elizebeth Agudong[1] November 13, 2000 Kauai, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013, 2021–present |
| Relatives | Siena Agudong (sister) |
Sydney Elizebeth Agudong (born November 13, 2000)[2] is an American actress and singer. Agudong is best known for her role as Nani Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch (2025).
Early life
[edit]Sydney Elizebeth Agudong was born in Kauai, Hawaii and is of Caucasian, Filipino, and Polynesian descent.[3][2] Her younger sister Siena Agudong is also an actress.[2]
Agudong grew up participating in theater, talent shows and pageants and was named the 2010 Miss Hawaii Preteen.[4] When she was 11 and her sister was 7 they began going to Los Angeles for acting auditions.[4] When she attended Island School, she initially concentrated more on her social life before taking up songwriting in her junior and senior year.[4][5] She wrote her first song "I'm So Sorry" entirely during a math class and it received air time on KQNG-FM.[5]
Career
[edit]After graduating school in 2018, Agudong moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting again alongside her music career.[4] She writes music under the persona of Jayne Doe who she states is "basically [her] own version of Hannah Montana" and is an "unapologetic soul searcher".[4] Her debut single "Welcome to Hollywood" was released in 2022 which she said was about her "relationship to [her] dreams in Hollywood".[4] She cited artists and bands she looked up to as including Briston Maroney, Frank Ocean, Elton John, Queen, The Backseat Lovers, The Beatles and Billy Joel.[4]
Agudong starred in the low-budget film West Michigan (2021).[5] She made her television debut playing Jamal's (Brett Gray) prom date in the final season of On My Block.[5] She played a social media influencer whose friend disappears in the web series Find Millie Martin (2022) and played Savannah in At Her Feet (2024), an adventure film shot at the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.[5][6] Agudong's other acting credits include NCIS and Infamously in Love.[2]
Agudong's first major starring role was as Nani Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch (2025).[2] Both she and her sister had auditioned for the role and were the final two candidates considered.[7] Some critics and fans said that Agudong looked whiter than her animated character and that a darker skinned actor should have been cast instead.[3][8]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Second Chances | Ellen | |
| 2021 | Turning the Tide | Skylar | Short film |
| West Michigan | Jasmine | ||
| Cool, Awesome, and Desirable | Riley | Short film | |
| On My Block | Charlize | Two episodes: "Chapter Twenty-Nine" and "The Final Chapter" | |
| 2022 | Find Millie Martin | Sara Sanders | Web series; also credited for writing additional material |
| Infamously in Love | Karina | Television film | |
| 2023 | NCIS | Kelly | Episode: "Unusual Suspects" |
| Terminally Unique | Kelly | Short film | |
| Trapped in the Farmhouse | Kylie | Television film | |
| 2024 | At Her Feet | Savannah | |
| 2025 | Lilo & Stitch | Nani Pelekai | Credited as "Sydney Elizebeth Agudong" |
| Ripple | Aria | In post-production | |
| TBA | Ether | Tessa | In post-production |
| Jilliahsmen Trinity: 2.0 - R.O.Y.G.B.I.V | TBA | In post-production |
References
[edit]- ^ "Summer Movies: 11 breakout actors to watch". Spectrum News. May 1, 2025. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Felt, Klein (March 12, 2025). "Meet Nani Actress Sydney Agudong, 4 Things To Know About Lilo & Stitch 2025's Nani". The Direct. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b Waxman, Olivia B. (May 22, 2025). "Why the Lilo & Stitch Remake Has Sparked Controversy". Time. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Singer and Actress Sydney Agudong Welcomes Debut Single "Welcome to Hollywood"". Mundane Magazine. January 18, 2022. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Keller, Ginger (May 4, 2022). "Sydney Takes Hollywood". MidWeek Kaua'i. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Walling, Kelsey (August 4, 2024). "Adventure movie shot in HVNP debuts at the Palace Theater". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Hunt, Hannah; Nemiroff, Perri (May 23, 2025). ""Obviously, It Was Very, Very Tough": 'Lilo & Stitch's Sydney Agudong Beat Out a Surprising Candidate for the Live-Action Nani". Collider. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ "Disney criticised after revealing cast for Lilo & Stitch remake". Sky News. April 15, 2023. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
External links
[edit]- 2000 births
- 21st-century American actresses
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters
- Actresses from Hawaii
- American actresses of Filipino descent
- American child actresses
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American web series actresses
- Living people
- People from Kauai
- Singer-songwriters from Hawaii