Who Is Nic Chien? What You Need to Know About the Gen Z Theater Actor

The only child of Lea Salonga and American-Chinese-Japanese businessman Robert Charles Chien, Nic was born on May 16, 2006, in the Philippines. He spent much of his childhood between Manila and New York, often tagging along to his mother’s rehearsals and productions. He attended high school in the United States before deciding to take a gap year ahead of college.

In fifth grade, Nic first came into terms with his bisexuality, which was openly accepted by his parents. Come 2020, at around 14 years old, he then came out as transmasculine and adopted he/him pronouns. In 2025, he got top surgery, which addressed much of the body dysmorphia he had growing up.

In an interview with Korina Sanchez, Nic opened up about the decision to transition, narrating: “I knew when someone looked at me, they wouldn’t see what I wanted to be... they wouldn’t see a man. They would see a girl. I think that idea [was] so tragic in my mind." Getting top surgery—which is the surgical process of removing breast tissue to align with one's gender identity—was a vital step in addressing such dysmorphia.

"I hated looking in the mirror and seeing that. [I hate] looking at pictures of myself, seeing that and having people not see me as a guy," Nic said.

Lea sympathized with her son, adding that she felt the need to help him feel more at home in his body. "To be his mom and to feel helpless, it is a terrible feeling," she explained. "There is a feeling of guilt when you are unable to help your child. It is truly difficult."

Nic has been following in his mom's footsteps since he was 11 and he was cast in a Filipino production of Matilda the Musical. In between shows, he would also frequently sing live with his mom on TV programs and other live stages.

Fast forward to 2025, he was offically cast in Theatre Group Asia's production of Into the Woods, where he played Jack. Lea was also part of the same musical, wherein she portrayed the role of the Witch. The production ran from August 7 to 31 to rave reviews.

Aside from acting and singing, Nic also dabbles in cosplay, dedicating an entire Instagram account to document his looks. You can give him a follow on @nym_scaresme.

The 19-year-old also does graphic design, having shared some of his works online. In 2020, he was commissioned by his mom to design the artwork for her single "Dream Again," a ballad made to inspire amidst the ongoing pandemic at the time.

Theater fans can soon catch Nic as Moritz in The Sandbox Collective's production of Spring Awakening. The rendition of the Steven Sater classic will be staged at the Black Box of the Proscenium Theater in Makati from February 13 to March 22.

In an interview, Nic expressed that it's a "huge jump" to go from his past characters into someone like Moritz, but he's elated nonetheless. "I love roles like Moritz. Like teenage angsty vibes, I love it! I've grown up with stuff like that being really cool," he exclaimed.