Lea Salonga Becomes First Filipina to Receive Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Her star was announced alongside Miley Cyrus, Josh Groban, and other honorees.
by Jam Nitura
Published on Aug 22, 2026
Lea Salonga is getting a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame, an international landmark that immortalizes the names of “talented individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of entertainment.”
With this recognition, she makes history as the first Filipina to achieve the feat, after Filipino-Americans Bruno Mars, Apl.de.ap, and Rob Schneider. The news was announced last July when Ovation Hollywood released the list of celebrities set to be inaugurated to the Walk of Fame Class of 2026.
Lea Salonga to Receive Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Lea is being honored under the Live Theatre/Live Performance category, alongside American actor Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. Apart from the two, 33 other personalities were selected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, including Miley Cyrus, Timothee Chalamet, Josh Groban, Rami Malek, and Demi Moore.
The Filipino theater legend’s ceremony will be held at 6225 Hollywood Boulevard on September 4, with Mulan voice actress Ming-Na Wen reportedly set to attend. In an Instagram story, Lea expressed her excitement over the milestone, writing, “Just woke up to this bit of amazing news!!! To the Manila International Filmfest, many thanks for nominating me to be part of the class of 2025-26!”
Lea rose to international prominence for portraying Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon. Her career-making performance won her a Tony Award in 1991 for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical category. She also has a Laurence Olivier Award and two Grammy nominations for Best Musical Theater Album (2004, 2019) as part of the casts of Flower Drum Song and Once on This Island.
Following her success on stage, she famously lent her distinct voice to two Disney princesses, singing A Whole New World for Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, and Reflection for Mulan in the movie of the same name.
As part of the House of Mouse’s legacy, Lea recently performed both tracks at the D23 Expo 2026, with other iconic Disney princess voices, like Susan Egan and Halle Bailey. Watch their full performance below.
Jam’s way of exploration is by reading and writing. She hopes to always be lost in words and, occasionally, a good podcast.