Lea Salonga becomes first Filipina to receive Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Broadway icon Lea Salonga has been immortalised with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. The honour makes her the first Filipina to receive this distinction.

Salonga, widely recognised as the singing voice of Disney's Mulan and Jasmine, expressed surprise at the recognition. "Most of my work is in musical theater. So even though musical theater does reach Los Angeles and Hollywood, it's not something that I thought would actually happen," she said.

Reflecting on the significance of the moment, Salonga noted that her current work draws deeply from her heritage. "It centers on my culture. It centers Philippine myth and folklore. We get to share our mythological creatures with the bigger world," she added.

The actress's journey to stardom began at age 17 when she landed a role in the original West End production of "Miss Saigon," which later moved to Broadway. After multiple callbacks and a trip to London, she was told she was in the show, though her role was initially unspecified.

Her portrayal of Kim in the musical earned her a Laurence Olivier Award. In 1991, she became the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award and the second-youngest to win for best leading actress in a musical.