On Friday, September 4th, Lea Salonga became the first Filipina actress to have her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This honor recognizes her groundbreaking career on Broadway, especially her stellar performance in the musical “Miss Saigon,” for which she also won a Tony Award.
According to reports from the City News Agency, Salonga’s star is the 2,855th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame was completed in 1961 with the initial installation of 1,558 stars.
During the unveiling ceremony in front of the Pantages Theatre, Salonga expressed her disbelief at the honor, saying, “It feels surreal. I’ve walked down this street many times. I’ve stepped on many stars of famous people, and now people can step on my star. It’s wonderfully fitting for the entertainment industry.”
She mentioned, “I was just a little girl from the Philippines who loved to sing and perform. I started working at a young age, and I never had grand plans for all of this. I just knew I loved doing it. This career has taken me to places I never imagined and introduced me to extraordinary people, allowing me to do what I love.”
Highlighting her historic achievements as the first Filipina on the Walk of Fame, she expressed her hope to inspire others, saying, “I hope that one day, a young Filipino child will come to Hollywood, see my name, and think, ‘Oh, maybe I can do that too.'”
American singer and actor Brandy, Darren Criss, and Chinese-American actress Ming-Na Wen were among the attendees at the ceremony honoring Salonga.
On August 13th, Salonga performed a duet of “A Whole New World” with Brandy at the “Disney Princess: The Ultimate Music Celebration” at the Disneyland Resort in California. The duo provided the voices for Princess Jasmine and Aladdin in the 1992 animated film “Aladdin,” which won an Oscar and a Grammy for Best Original Song.
Criss has expressed that Salonga, as a fellow Filipino performer, has been an inspiration to him. The two have performed “A Whole New World” together on various occasions.
In the 1998 Disney animated film “Mulan,” Ming-Na Wen voiced the character of Mulan while Salonga provided the singing voice for this Chinese folk heroine.
Two days after the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, Salonga will be presented with the Icon Award at the third Manila International Film Festival gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Born Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga on February 22, 1971 in Manila, Salonga began her involvement in Philippine musical theater as a child and made her professional stage debut at the age of seven. From 1980 to 1982, she won the Aliw Awards for Best Child Performer for three consecutive years.
The Aliw Awards recognize excellence in live entertainment performances in the Philippines.
After working in theater, recording, film, and television in the Philippines, Salonga was chosen to star in the original London production of “Miss Saigon” in 1988, portraying a 17-year-old Vietnamese girl forced to work in a bar.
Her portrayal of Kim in the show earned her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1990. She reprised her role on Broadway, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1991, becoming the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award.
In 1993, Salonga became the first Asian actress to portray Éponine in the Broadway production of “Les Misérables.” Her other Broadway credits include Fantine in a 2006 revival of “Les Misérables,” “Once on This Island,” “Here Lies Love,” “Allegiance,” a 2002 revival of “Flower Drum Song,” and “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends.”
Salonga’s next film project is the DreamWorks animated fantasy adventure comedy “Forgotten Island,” where she will voice the formidable creature, “Terrifying Manananggal.” The film is set to be released on September 25th.
In 2011, Salonga was honored as a Disney Legend for her work in “Aladdin” and “Mulan.”