Who voiced Grandma Tala in Moana?

Grandma Tala in *Moana* is voiced by Rachel House.

Tala is Moana’s paternal grandmother and the mother of Chief Tui. She serves as Moana’s closest spiritual guide, encouraging her connection to the ocean and helping her understand Motunui’s forgotten voyaging history. Tala explains that Maui’s theft of Te Fiti’s heart caused the world’s ecological crisis and urges Moana to restore it.

Rachel House is a New Zealand actor of Māori heritage. Her performance gives Tala warmth, humor, and emotional authority, especially in the scenes involving Moana’s departure and Tala’s later spiritual appearance. House also reprised the role in the Māori-language version of the film.

A common mix-up is confusing Tala with Sina, Moana’s mother, voiced by Nicole Scherzinger, or with Moana herself, voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho. House also sings as Tala in “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors),” connecting the character to the film’s wider musical storytelling.