What Happened to ’90s Star Tia Carrere? Where the ‘Wayne’s World’ Star Is Today

Getty

HOLLYWOOD - APRIL 13: Actress Tia Carrere arrives at the 103.1 Celebrates 103 Days in Los Angeles party on April 13, 2004 at Avalon in Hollywood, California. The event featured a live performance by L.A. Supergroup, Camp Freddy. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

Tia Carrere became one of the most recognizable faces of the 1990s thanks to her role as Cassandra Wong in the 1992 comedy “Wayne’s World”. Playing the confident, rocker-chick love interest of Mike Myers’ Wayne Campbell, Carrere quickly became a fan favorite, helping make the movie a cult classic.

But her career didn’t stop with the iconic comedy, and the actress has continued working in Hollywood for more than four decades.

Tia’s Acting Career

Following her success in the ’90s, Carrere found another major role on television, starring as Sydney Fox in the action-adventure series “Relic Hunter” from 1999 to 2002. The show introduced her to a new generation of viewers and further established her as a leading lady.

She also built an impressive career as a voice actress, most notably playing Nani, Lilo’s older sister, in Disney’s 2002 animated film “Lilo & Stitch”. Carrere reprised the role in subsequent installments of the franchise, while also appearing in television projects including “Nip/Tuck,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “AJ and the Queen.”

Acting, however, is only one part of Carrere’s career. The Hawaii native has also enjoyed considerable success as a singer, particularly through her Hawaiian music. Working alongside musician and producer Daniel Ho, she earned two Grammy Awards for Best Hawaiian Music Album, winning in 2008 for ‘Ikena and in 2010 for Huana Ke Aloha.

Return to Lilo & Stitch

More than 20 years after introducing audiences to Nani, Carrere returned to the franchise in Disney’s 2025 live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch”. This time, rather than voicing Lilo’s older sister, she portrayed Mrs. Kekoa, a social worker who becomes involved in the lives of the Pelekai family.

The casting was a particularly meaningful full-circle moment for Carrere, who reflected on returning to a story that had been such an important part of her career. The live-action movie became a massive box-office success, crossing $1 billion worldwide.

“For me personally, as an actress and a woman to transition to another role like I have in life, which is mentoring and sharing my experience with a younger generation of females, was wonderful because Sydney is amazing,” she said, per Cold Tea Collective. “But so that I could actually be her mom and advocate for her, and show Mrs. Kekoa a map of life as it could be.”

Tia Carrere Is a Mom

Carrere shares one child, son Jude, with her ex-husband, Simon Wakelin. In 2025, she announced that her child had come out as transgender.

“He doesn’t love the spotlight,” she told People. “He’s more introverted, so he definitely won’t go into acting or singing like I did. But he’s a great artist. I don’t know what he’ll do! Maybe become a doctor or work with animals. He’s working with animals right now.”

She added, “He’s such a sweetheart; he’s like the therapist to all the other kids. When his friends go out drinking or partying too hard, he’s always the designated driver, that kind of caring friend you can always lean on. I did a good job with that. But I don’t want to congratulate myself too much! He’s his own person!”