Lea Salonga to receive her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in September

August 26 ------ Lea Salonga will officially receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 4, becoming the first Filipina to be honored with the prestigious recognition.

Salonga will get the 2,855th star in the Live Performance category during a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. PT on Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the Pantages Theatre. Actress and fellow Walk of Fame honoree Ming-Na Wen, who voiced the title character in Disney’s “Mulan” alongside Salonga’s singing voice for the character, will be among the guest speakers. Emmy Award-winning sports and entertainment journalist Sibley Scoles will serve as emcee.

The ceremony will be streamed live on the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s official website around 2:30 a.m. (Philippine Time) on September 5. “Lea Salonga is a true trailblazer whose extraordinary talent and decades-long career have inspired audiences around the world,” Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame, said in a statement. “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,” it continued.

Salonga is best known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Kim in the musical “Miss Saigon.” She became the first Asian actress to play Éponine in the Broadway production of “Les Misérables” and later returned to the musical as Fantine in its 2006 Broadway revival. In January 2026, she took on the role of Madame Thénardier in “Les Misérables: The World Tour Spectacular.”

Her other Broadway credits include “Once on This Island,” “Here Lies Love,” “Allegiance” and “Flower Drum Song,” as well as the recent production of “Old Friends,” in which she starred alongside Bernadette Peters. Beyond theater, Salonga is widely recognized as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan in “Mulan” and “Mulan II.” In 2011, Disney named her a Disney Legend for her contributions to the company. The Filipina actress-singer also appeared in the TV series “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.” She lends her voice to the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” as well as the animated series “Centaurworld” and “Little Demon.”

Salonga is set to star next as the lead villain in DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming fantasy film “Forgotten Island,” which is scheduled to premiere on September 23 in Philippine cinemas. Following the Walk of Fame ceremony, Salonga will also be honored with the Icon Award at the third annual Manila International Film Festival’s Closing Night Awards Gala on September 6 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

The Manila International Film Festival, a member of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, nominated Salonga for consideration by the Hollywood Walk of Fame committee. The Walk of Fame honor caps a 45-year career for Salonga, who has performed around the world and for Philippine and American presidents, as well as members of the British royal family.

Source: inquirer.net