Lea Salonga to be honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Filipino Broadway icon Lea Salonga will be honored with a star on the  Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard on September 4. 

Salonga will be honored in the Live Performance category, with her star becoming the 2,855th on the Walk of Fame. The ceremony will take place at 11:30 am PHT at Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced the honor on the official Hollywood Walk of Fame website, describing the 55-year old as a “trailblazer” whose extraordinary career has reached audiences around the world.

“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Lea Salonga to the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez said.

“We are thrilled to honor her with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and especially proud that she will be the first Filipina to receive this iconic recognition. Her achievement is a milestone, not only for Lea, but for the Filipino community and for generations of artists who will follow in her footsteps,” she added.

The ceremony will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning sports and entertainment journalist Sibley Scoles, with Salonga’s fellow Mulan star Ming-Na Wen as guest speaker. Wen became a Walk of Fame honoree in 2023.

The honor comes as Salonga marks 45 years in the entertainment industry, a career that began in the Philippines and eventually took her to London's West End, Broadway, Hollywood and stages around the world.

She rose to international fame as Kim in “Miss Saigon,” a performance that earned her a Tony Award along with Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards. She later made Broadway history as the first Asian actress to play Éponine in “Les Misérables.” She returned to the musical as Fantine in its 2006 revival and most recently played Madame Thénardier in “Les Misérables: The World Tour Spectacular” in January 2026.

For generations of Disney fans, Salonga is also the voice behind some of the company's  most beloved characters. She provided the singing voices of Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan in “Mulan” and “Mulan II”  contributions that led to her being named a Disney Legend.

Her work has extended to film and television as well. She appeared in “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” the reboot of the HBO Max’s popular series, and starred in Sony’s critically acclaimed musical-drama “Yellow Rose.” More recently, she provided the singing voice of Celine in “KPop Demon Hunters.”

She will also voice a lead villain in “Forgotten Island,” DreamWorks Animation’s first Filipino-themed film, which is set to premiere in the Philippines on September 23.

In the Philippines, Salonga has remained a prominent figure in entertainment, including as a judge on “The Voice” and “The Voice Kids,” the latter becoming a ratings powerhouse.

She has performed for six Philippine presidents, from Ferdinand Marcos to Benigno S. Aquino III, as well as four U.S. presidents—Joe Biden, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush—and notable figures including the late Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II.

Among her other honors are TIME Magazine’s TIME100 Impact Award and the Gold House 2023 Gold Legend Award.

Salonga's Hollywood Walk of Fame star can also be seen as a milestone for the growing presence of Filipino talent on the global entertainment stage.

Salonga will also receive the Icon Award at the third annual Manila International Film Festival’s Closing Night Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton two days later on September 6.

Artists with Filipino ancestry who have stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame are Bruno Mars and Apl.de.Ap, as a member of The Black Eyed Peas. 

Mars, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, was born in Hawaii and is the son of a Puerto Rican father and a Filipino mother who hails from Cebu.

Allan Pineda Lindo, aka Apl.de.Ap, was born in Sapangbato, Angeles City, Pampanga, near the former Clark Airbase. He is the son of an African-American serviceman and a Filipino mother. He moved to the US when he was a teenager.