A Whole New World: Lea Salonga Dedicates Walk of Fame Star to Her Loved Ones, Support System

“Long before Broadway, there was Manila,” Lea Salonga quips as she receives her very own Walk of Fame star on the iconic Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

The acclaimed singer and actress is the first Filipina in history to have ever achieved this milestone — one she could hardly believe herself.

“If you had told seven-year-old Lea Salonga making her stage debut in a production of The King and I in the Philippines that, nearly 50 years later, she would be standing on Hollywood Boulevard in front of this iconic theater surrounded by so many wonderful [family, friends, and colleagues], receiving a star on the Walk of Fame, she would have said, ‘Ha? What’s that?’” she said during her acceptance speech on September 4 (September 5 in Philippine time). 

“This is surreal,” Salonga added. “I have walked down this street many times; I’ve stepped on a lot of famous people, and now, people get to step on me.”

As much as the Tony Award and Olivier Award winner is delighted by the honor, she made sure to acknowledge her loved ones at home and the people who helped make her Walk of Fame star possible, taking pride in the fact that her success is not solely her own.

“There’s something funny about a star like this because there’s only room for one name: mine,” said Salonga. “But no career is ever the work of just one person. So, if they made this star big enough, there would be a lot of other names on it.”

Behind Salonga’s success is a very supportive family. Her mother, Ligaya, produced and sold her first album using her own money when no one else believed in her. Salonga’s brother, Gerard, became her first duet partner and lifelong accompanist, while she said her son, Nic Chien, stands as her biggest inspiration to this day.

“There would be the people who have loved me, shown up for me like you all out here [….], and occasionally, reminded me that there actually is a life outside of show business,” the Miss Saigon star said.

“There would be the teachers who taught me, the directors who trusted me, the composers and lyricists who gave me extraordinary words and music to sing,” she continued. “[There would be] the actors I’ve had the privilege of standing beside, the musicians who have made me sound so much better than I have any right to, the crews who somehow make everything work. The people who have represented me and fought for me and helped me navigate this very strange business. And, of course, the audiences.”

The Broadway legend made waves for her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon, earning her recognition from various award-giving bodies globally. She is also known as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II. Among her latest projects is the upcoming Filipino-inspired animated film Forgotten Island, where she joins the voice cast led by Liza Soberano and H.E.R.

By opening more doors for young dreamers with this feat, Salonga hopes to inspire a new generation of Filipinos to dream big and not be afraid to pursue their own paths.

“I hope that someday, a young Filipino kid comes to Hollywood, sees my name, and thinks, ‘Oh, maybe I can get here too.’”