Lea Salonga receives dual honors: Her own Walk of Fame star and an award as an Icon

Lea Salonga is the first Filipino artist to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

History was made on Hollywood Boulevard, and it’s the kind of Asian American joy we desperately need right now.

On September 4, 2026, theater icon Lea Salonga became the very first Filipina to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For a community that has spent decades fighting for visibility and representation on the stage and screen, seeing Salonga get her flowers in front of the historic Pantages Theatre was nothing short of monumental.

Salonga’s star, the 2,855th in the Walk's history, cemented her legacy in the Live Performance category. A massive crowd of fans and fellow AAPI trailblazers—including Ming-Na Wen, H.E.R., and Brandy — showed up to celebrate the milestone for their co-star in Mulan, Forgotten Island and Aladdin, respective.

Disney and Broadway Royalty

Fellow FilAm star Darren Criss stole the show during the speeches, proudly wearing a traditional barong Tagalog. Criss didn't hold back his admiration, praising Salonga as "Disney, Broadway, and Filipino royalty" and as an inspiration for him as well for other Asian American performing artists.

He highlighted her fierce work ethic and dedication to her craft before bringing down the house with a joke, noting that this historic sidewalk tribute is likely the only time anyone will ever get to "walk all over her."

Sharing the Sidewalk

Taking the microphone, a reflective Salonga looked back on her legendary 45-year career. She reminded everyone that while only one name is etched into the stone, her historic win belongs to the entire community. 

“There’s something funny about a star like this because there’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,” she said.

Salonga shared that she never started out with a grand plan — just a pure love for performing. Ultimately, she hopes this star serves as a visible beacon of what is possible for the next generation of young Filipino and Asian American artists trying to make it in Hollywood.

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

On Sept. 6, Salonga received yet another honor. 

The Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) honored Broadway and Disney legend Lea Salonga with its inaugural Icon Award during the festival's Closing Night Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. celebrating her career, global artisitc impact and as an ambassador of Filipino excellence..

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Lea Salonga cements her place in history with a sidewalk star

Lea Salonga honored with another "first.''

Lea Salonga is officially cementing her spot on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is making history as the very first Filipina artist to receive this iconic sidewalk honor.

“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Lea Salonga to the Hollywood Walk of Fame," stated Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer.

Upon learning of her latest honor, Salonga was expressed disbelief. "I still don’t believe it happened. I thought, ‘Is somebody pranking me?'" she  told ABS-CBN.com.

"It’s just one of those things that you think you’re not gonna get. Wala lang, and also given that my work is mostly in New York and in Manila, it’s not something that I expect. ... I’m not actually a Hollywood person,” she said. 

The historic moment is locked in for early September 2026. The timing lines up perfectly with the Manila International Film Festival, which takes place in Los Angeles from Sept, 3 to Sept. 6. 

The official ceremony will take place right on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard on Sept. 4 at 11:30 am PDT at 6255 Hollywood Boulevard. Salonga, will receive her star in the category of Live Performance. 

Joining emcee Sibley Scoles will be Ming-Na Wen. Wen and Salonga both lent their voices in the hit animated film as the lead character “Mulan.”

Following her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, Salonga will also be honored with the Icon Award at the third annual Manila International Film Festival’s (MIFF) Closing Night Awards Gala on Sunday, Sept. 6 at the Beverly Hilton.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the legendary Walk of Fame for the City of Los Angeles and has proudly hosted the globally iconic star ceremonies for decades. Millions of people from here and around the world have visited this landmark.

Salonga will be the only Asian in this year's sidewalk dedication. As the first artist of Filipino descent to get her star, she joins 20 other Asian American artists who had earned the honor starting with pioneer actress Anna May Wong who got her star in 1960.  

Nicole Scherzinger, another Filipino American Tony winner and a former member of the girl group, The Pussycat Dolls, is slated to have a Walk of Fame star in 2027. A date for her ceremony has not been announced yet.

Many fans of all ages recognize Salonga as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend.”

Besides her Disney connection, Salonga first gained fame on Broadway.  At just 20 years old, she became the first actress of Asian descent to win a Tony Award in 1991 or her portrayal of Kim in Miss Saigon opening the door for recognition of Asian performers on the Broadway stages.

Since then she has won Tony nominations for her roles in  Les Miserable, Once on this Island and had prominent roles in Here Lies Love, Allegiance, and Flower Drum Song. Most recently, she starred on Broadway in Old Friends (alongside Bernadette Peters) after headlining the Los Angeles and London productions.

The 55-year old artist has kept busy with concert tours and numerous roles on US and Philippine television series. Most recently, she stars as the lead villain in Dreamworks Animation’s upcoming fantasy film Forgotten Island premiering September 26th.

“Lea Salonga is a true trailblazer whose extraordinary talent and decades-long career have inspired audiences around the world," said Martinez, of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

"We are thrilled to honor her with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and especially proud that she will be the first Filipina to receive this iconic recognition. Her achievement is a milestone, not only for Lea, but for the Filipino community and for generations of artists who will follow in her footsteps” 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost. Earlier versions if this post did not have the information about Nicole Scherzinger.

Lea Salonga will get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Lea Salonga will be honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Lea Salonga is making history again as the first Filipino to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Nominated by the Manila International Filmfest, she reacted with surprise upon hearing the news of her latest honor. On her Instagram account, she posted: “Just now 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!.”

Salonga, 54, who just finished a Broadway stint in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, will receive her sidewalk star as part of the class of 2026 honorees. The date for the ceremony has yet to be announced.

Salonga is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theater World Awards, Time100 Impact Award from Time Magazine, and the Gold Legend Award from Gold House.

The Filipino singer made history as the first Asian to win a Tony and Olivier for her role in Miss Saigon, opening the door for a string of Filipino artists in the musical, including Jon Jon Briones, Rachelle Ann Go, Joanna Ampil, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Eva Noblezada, Abigail Adriano, Seann Miley Moore, and Kiara Dario.  

Salonga also was the first Asian performer to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway, and returned to the show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. She was also deemed as a Disney Legend for being the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan from Mulan and Mulan II.

A new generation of fans can hear Salonga's singing voice in Netflix's genre-bending animated movie "KPop Demon Hunters."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.

Lucy Liu's star next to Anna May Wong's on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Actress Lucy Liu touches her newly unveiled star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

By Mimi Chen

ASAM NEWS

Lucy Liu received her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony Wednesday (May 1). She noted that when she first arrived in Hollywood, she lived not too far from the vicinity of the ceremony.

During her speech, Liu said that many people have described her “mainstream successes” as “groundbreaking for an Asian.” However, she noted that many have come before her.

“Asians have been making movies for a long time.” she said, “They just weren’t making them (in Hollywood) because we weren’t yet invited to the table. If my body of work somehow helped bridge the gap between the stereotypical roles first given to Anna May and mainstream success today, I am thrilled to be part of that process.”

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Lucy Liu points to her sidewalk star of Anna May Wong next to her star.

Now, her star is next to the star of Anna May Wong, the first Asian American actress to be honored with a star.

Several people came to honor Liu. Her brother and sister were in attendance as well as her three-year-old son Rockwell who entertained the crowd with his presence. Other notable attendees included David Kelly, the creator of Ally McBeal who cast Liu as Ling Woo in the series and actress Rhea Perlman. Perlman said she considered Liu not only a close friend but also a part of her ‘family.’

Fans were especially pleased to see a reunion of fellow co-stars from her the Charlie’s Angels’ movie, Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, and Drew Barrymore. Moore described Liu as not only a “smart badass” but also a “deep loving soul with a damned good sense of humor.”

Watch the entire ceremony below:

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Lucy Liu to get sidewalk star

CBS

Lucy Liu stars in Elementary, which will launch its final season next month

ASAM NEWS

Actress Lucy Liu will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame May 1, launching Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Resonate reports Liu’s star will be only the second Asian American actress to receive the honor. Her star will be alongside the star of pioneer Chinese American actress Anna May Wong at Hollywood and Vine. Wong is the first Chinese American actress on the silver screen.

According to the Calgary Herald, Liu is the 2662nd star to be honored on the Walk of Fame. Liu stars in the long-running CBS series Elementary which will debut its final season in four weeks.

Liu, 50, was first introduced to American audiences as the beautiful, but ruthless attorney in Ally McBeal. She is also known for such hit films as Kill Bill, Charlie’s Angels and Kung Fu Panda.

The Hollywood Reporter says Liu will also star in Why Women Kill on CBS All Access in September. It is produced by Marc Cherry of Desperate Housewives fame. It is described as a dark comedic drama about three women from different eras-a 1960’s housewife, a 1980s socialite and a lawyer in 2018. Each has to deal with infidelity in their marriage.

Actresses Demi Moore and Rhea Perlman will also take part in the May 1 ceremonies to honor their friend.

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