Maia Kealoha

Maia Kealoha (born December 15, 2016) is an American child actress from Hawaii. She is known for playing Lilo Pelekai in the 2025 live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch, for which she earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Younger Performer in a Film in 2026.

Early life Maia Kealoha was born on December 15, 2016 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. She has been dancing hula since she was little. She started dancing Tahitian dance at the age of two. In 2022, Kealoha won the title of Mini Miss Kona Coffee.

Career Kealoha's first onscreen role was in the 2025 film Lilo & Stitch, a live-action remake of the 2002 animated film of the same name. She auditioned for the role of Lilo at the age of five, and was cast for the role in 2023. She was later cast as Lani in The Wrecking Crew (2026). She appeared in Disney's musical series, Electric Bloom (2025) as Kaia.

On February 12, 2026 it was announced that she would star in Nutmeg & Mistletoe as Alma. Months later, it was announced on June 26 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival that she would reprising her role as Lilo in a new 2D/computer-generated animated short set shortly after the events of the original 2002 animated film titled Lilo & Scratch, which is set to release on November 25, 2026 alongside the Disney animated film, Hexed.

Recognition In June 2025, Mayor of Hawaiʻi County, Kimo Alameda, proclaimed June 3, 2025 as Maia Kealoha Day on Hawaii County during a ceremony at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center.

She features on Gold House's most impactful Asian Pacific Gold100 list of 2026.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes 2025 Lilo & Stitch Lilo Pelekai Main role Electric Bloom Kaia Episode: "How We Handled an Unexpected Visitor" 2026 The Wrecking Crew Lani Lilo & Scratch Lilo Pelekai Voice, short film Alma Post-production

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work ResultRef. 2025 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Best Female Youth Performance (Under 21)Lilo & Stitch 2026 Saturn Award Best Younger Performer in a Film