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Lea Salonga

Reyma Deveza

ABS-CBN News

<p>Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga made history as the first Filipino to receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this weekend.</p><p>In her most recent social media post, Salonga shared a reel showing highlights of the momentous event in Hollywood held last September 4.</p><p>In her speech, Salonga recalled her theater debut as seven-year-old in the musical &quot;The King and I&quot; in Manila.</p><p>&quot;Long before Hollywood, long before Broadway, there was Manila. If you had told seven-year-old Lea Salonga making her stage debut in a production of &#39;The King and I&#39; 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 friends, family, and colleagues, receiving a star on the Walk of Fame, she would have said, &quot;Ha, what&#39;s that?&quot;&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;This career has taken me to places I never imagined I would go, introduced me to some extraordinary people, and allowed me to keep doing what I love,&quot; she added.</p><p>Salonga becomes the 2,885th entertainer and the first Filipina to receive her very own Hollywood star in Hollywood, California.</p><p>Salonga acknowledged that the milestone was not hers alone, but the result of the many people who helped shape her career and journey, as she dedicated her success to the family, mentors, colleagues and audiences who supported her along the way.</p><p>&quot;There&#39;s something funny about a star like this, because there&#39;s only room for one name -- mine. 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. My family, first and foremost. 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. The actors I&#39;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,&quot; Salonga said.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc9OtcOPnJ_/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=594&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2110921%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="753" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Salonga also expressed hope that her journey would inspire a new generation of Filipino children to dream big and pursue their own paths in Hollywood.</p><p>&quot;Some of you have met me as Kim. Some as &Eacute;ponine or Fantine. Some of you heard my voice coming out of Princess Jasmine or Mulan and some of you have stayed with me through all of it. Thank you. I hope that someday, a young Filipino kid comes to Hollywood, sees my name and thinks &#39;Oh, MaybeI can get here, too,&#39;&quot; she said.</p><p>Salonga concluded her speech by thanking those who have part of her work and journey.</p><p>&quot;So to everyone who has been part of this very improbable career and journey, thank you. Maraming-maraming salamat,&quot; says Salonga, adding that &quot;the best part is I&#39;m not done yet.&quot;</p>

<p>Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga made history as the first Filipino to receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this weekend.</p>

Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga made history as the first Filipino to receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this weekend.

‘Long before Hollywood, there was Manila,’ Lea Salonga says in Walk of Fame speech

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‘Long before Hollywood, there was Manila,’ Lea Salonga says in Walk of Fame speech

Reyma Deveza,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 07, 2026 12:16 PM PHT

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Lea Salonga

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