Lea Salonga has officially etched her name in Hollywood history as she became the first Filipina to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Salonga received the prestigious honor on Friday, Sept. 4 (US time), during a ceremony held along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.
The theatre icon was joined by fellow Disney voice actresses Ming-Na Wen and Brandy, who starred alongside her in the animated film “Mulan,” as well as fellow Filipino stars Darren Criss, H.E.R., and Pops Fernandez.
Photos shared by the Hollywood Walk of Fame showed a visibly elated Salonga receiving her star under the Live Performance category.
She is the fourth Filipino and the first Filipina to receive the honor, following Filipino artists Bruno Mars, Apl.de.Ap, and Rob Schneider. She is also the 2,885th honoree overall.
During her acceptance speech, Salonga reflected on the full-circle moment of having her name permanently etched along the iconic Hollywood Boulevard.
“I have walked down this street many times. I have stepped on a lot of famous people and now, people get to step on me, which feels strangely appropriate for show business. I love a full circle moment,” she said.
Salonga also looked back on her beginnings in Manila, recalling how she started performing at just seven years old in a production of “The King and I” in the Philippines.
“Long before Hollywood [and] long before Broadway, there was Manila. If you had told seven-year-old Lea Salonga making her stage debut […] that nearly 50 years later, she would be standing on Hollywood Boulevard, in front of this iconic theater, surrounded by so many wonderful friends, family, and colleagues, receiving a star on the Walk of Fame, she would have said, ‘Ha? What’s that?’”, she continued.
The Broadway star paid tribute to her family, sharing and dedicating her achievement, particularly to her mother, Ligaya Alcantara Imutan-Salonga, her brother, Gerard Salonga, and her son, Nic Chien.
“If they made this star big enough, there would be a lot of other names on it. My family, first and foremost—my mother… she was my manager for decades, my champion my whole life. None of this happens without her. My brother—my first duet partner, my favorite accompanist, and the finest musician I know. My son… he is an inspiration, the bravest person I’ve ever met, [and] my proudest production, today and always,” stated Lea.
Salonga also reflected on some of the roles that shaped her international career, including Kim in “Miss Saigon,” Éponine and Fantine in “Les Misérables,” and the singing voices of Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan.
“When I began my career, I didn’t see very many people who looked like me, doing the things I dreamed of doing on the world’s biggest stages and screens. There wasn’t an obvious road,” she said.
As she concluded her speech, Salonga highlighted the growing number of Filipino and Asian artists making their mark in the global entertainment industry.
“There are so many extraordinary Filipino and Asian artists working today, telling our stories, playing roles that we once could have never imagined being offered, and creating new opportunities for future generations,” she said.
“I hope that someday, a young Filipino kid comes to Hollywood, sees my name, and thinks, ‘Oh, maybe I can get here too.’”
