Ever since Lea Salonga left her native Philippines, she's been thrilling audiences on stage and screen. In 1991, she made history as the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award in a musical, playing Kim in “Miss Saigon.”
She's also known for the singing voices of two Disney heroines: the protagonist in "Mulan" and Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin.” She also sings in another hit film, “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
Last month, when Salonga was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she reflected on her journey.
"When I began my career, I didn't see many people who looked like me doing the things I dreamed of doing on the world's biggest stages and screens… And over the years, I have watched that world begin to change. Not enough, not completely, but it has changed. There are so many extraordinary Filipino and Asian artists working today," she said.
The longtime champion for representation in showbiz continues to inspire performers worldwide.
"Lea really opened the door for Filipino actors and singers. She put us on the map," said Hawaiʻi singer and actress Loretta Ables Sayre. "She made, especially the Broadway community and the London theatre community, aware of the talent of Filipinos. And because of that, a lot of them have made their way onto stage — and they all recognize that she was the one that opened the door for all of us to enter this world of performing."
Ables Sayre made her own debut on Broadway in 2008 and was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the revival of "South Pacific."
Lea Salonga is now starring as the voice of the villain in “Forgotten Island,” a DreamWorks Animation film rooted in Filipino folklore. She also sang on the soundtrack. This weekend she will perform live with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra.
