Seiuli Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson spoke emotionally about his late grandfather, Peter Maivia, and his connection to the character of Maui at Disney’s CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas last week.

Seiuli opened up about the deep influence his late grandfather had on his life and career.

Seiuli said Maivia was one of his heroes growing up and played a major role in shaping his values and understanding of what it means to be a man. He said his grandfather’s personality, humour, strength, and love of music were all reflected in Maui's character.

“He was a big man, so powerful, so charismatic,” Seiuli said, adding that Maivia loved to sing and play the ukulele.

Seiuli said that many of Maui’s traits in Moana were directly inspired by his grandfather, including his voice, humour, catchphrases, and spirit. He said even lines like “You’re welcome” and expressions such as “chee hoo” were drawn from Maivia’s personality.

He also shared that his grandfather passed away when he was 10 years old, but remains a strong presence in his life and work.

Seiuli said he feels honoured that his grandfather’s legacy continues through Maui and that Moana has helped share Polynesian culture with audiences around the world.