Lea Salonga walked onto a sunlit stretch of Hollywood Boulevard and into history, becoming the first Filipina ever to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony on Friday, Sept. 4, unfolded at 6225 Hollywood Boulevard, right in front of the historic Pantages Theatre, where she has performed many times. And in her own words, the moment was as surreal for her as it is for the fans who have followed her from Manila to Broadway.
A first for Filipinos on the Walk of Fame
Salonga accepted the honor under the Live Performance category, becoming the 2,855th star on the Walk of Fame and the first Filipino performer ever granted the recognition. Fellow entertainers Brandy, Darren Criss and Ming-Na Wen joined her at the ceremony, with H.E.R. also in attendance. Salonga and Brandy have shared the stage before, most recently dueting “A Whole New World” at Disney’s princess concert celebration in August.
“This is surreal,” Salonga said as she accepted the star. “I have walked down this street many times. I’ve stepped on a lot of famous people, and now people get to step on me.” She turned reflective, too, thinking of the young dreamers back home: “I hope that someday a young Filipino kid comes to Hollywood, sees my name and thinks, oh, maybe I can get here too.”
From Miss Saigon to Disney royalty
The Walk of Fame nod caps a career that began when Salonga was just seven years old, singing in her native Manila. She was only 17 when she landed the role of Kim in the original West End production of “Miss Saigon,” later winning the Tony for best actress in a musical in 1991, the first Asian woman to take that trophy. Millions more know her voice without ever seeing her face, as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan in “Mulan.”
Here is a snapshot of the milestones that led to this moment:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Originated the role of Kim in “Miss Saigon” in London at age 17 |
| 1991 | First Asian woman to win a Tony Award, for “Miss Saigon” |
| 1992 / 1998 | Singing voice of Disney’s Jasmine and Mulan |
| 2011 | Named a Disney Legend |
| 2026 | First Filipina with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star |
An advocate on and off the stage
In a wide-ranging interview with Variety around the ceremony, Salonga opened up about her son Nic Chien, who came out as trans in 2025, and about the anti-trans rhetoric she says frightens her deeply. “It makes me angry and upset. It makes me intensely afraid, and not just for my own child, but for a lot of other young people who just want to live.”
Salonga’s Hollywood honor is just one headline in a busy month. She is set to receive the Icon Award at the Manila International Film Festival gala at The Beverly Hilton, and later this month lends her voice to “Forgotten Island,” a DreamWorks Animation adventure rooted in Philippine myth and folklore.
Pinoy pride on the global stage
Salonga’s star is the latest proof that Filipino talent belongs on the world’s biggest stages, a point Astig has tracked Filipino hitmakers breaking global records. For the woman who started as a child prodigy in Manila, the moment carried extra weight. “I certainly didn’t have some grand plan,” she told NBC Los Angeles. “I just knew that I loved doing it.”
Salonga previously made headlines here for her candid remarks about unfollowing BTS members, a story we covered when she explained she “was waking up sad” over the controversy. This latest chapter, however, is pure celebration: the little girl who loved to sing now has her name set in the sidewalk of Hollywood, an invitation to every Filipino kid who dreams of doing the same.
