Lea Salonga

Award-winning theatre actor and singer Lea Salonga is a trailblazer, having famously originated the role of Kim in Miss Saigon on London’s West End in 1989. She became one of the youngest winners of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance, followed by a Tony Award when she brought the role to Broadway in 1991, becoming the first Asian performer to win the prestigious honour. These historic wins dramatically opened the door for more Asian artists on the international stage.

After her breakthrough, her distinguished career included becoming the first Asian woman to play both Éponine and Fantine in Les Misérables on Broadway, and lending her voice to the iconic Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan. Decades after the Tony and the Olivier, she has amassed other significant recognitions, including the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

A life-long model for children of colour, Salonga is living proof that anyone can make it to the big leagues—if you have the skill. Her 2024 saw her starring in the Filipino adaptation of Request sa Radyo, and her illustrious 2025 further raised the bar. The year began with a celebrated return to Broadway, reprising her role in the critically acclaimed Stephen Sondheim revue, Old Friends. Later, she garnered the Drama League’s Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater award in May, a profound recognition of her sustained excellence in the field. But the jewel in the crown came in July with the stunning announcement that she would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the Class of 2025-2026—a monumental first for a Filipina. Furthermore, she thrilled her home audience by headlining a new Philippine staging of Into the Woods as The Witch, marking a joyous, familial return to the local musical stage alongside her child. Salonga’s passion and dedication to the craft continue to be an inspiration and a global cultural force.