Lea Salonga
CountryPhilippines 
GenderFemale
BirthdayFeb 22, 1971
BiographyMaria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino actress, singer, producer, and columnist. Known as the "Pride of the Philippines," she is recognized for her vocal clarity, technical precision, and musicality. Over a career spanning more than four decades, she has featured on Broadway, the West End, and concert stages worldwide, becoming a prominent performer.
Salonga began performing in Philippine musical theatre as a child, making her professional debut at age seven. She achieved international recognition in 1989 when she originated the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon, later reprising the role on Broadway in 1991. She continued her Broadway career with performances in Les Misérables (1993, 2007), Flower Drum Song (2002–2003), Allegiance (2015–2016), Once on This Island (2017–2018, 2018–2019), Here Lies Love (2023), and Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends (2025). Beyond the stage, she was praised for her performances in the films Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992) and Sana Maulit Muli (1995), and provided the singing voices for Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). She has also appeared on television in That's Entertainment, As the World Turns, and Pretty Little Liars, and served as a coach on The Voice of the Philippines as well as its spin-off series The Voice Kids and The Voice Teens.
As a recording artist, Salonga began her career at age ten with the gold-certified album Small Voice (1981). She later signed with Atlantic Records and released her self-titled album (1993), which achieved platinum status, followed by I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (1997) and By Heart (1999). She has since performed concerts at international venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall, and the London Palladium.
Salonga's accolades include the Laurence Olivier Award (1990), Tony Award (1991), and two Grammy Award nominations (2004, 2019). In the Philippines, she has been recognized with the Presidential Merit Award (1990), the Order of Lakandula (2007), and the Congressional Medal of Achievement (2007). She is the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award, the first Filipino to sign with an international record label, and in 2026, she will become the first Filipino to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Biography from the Wikipedia article Lea Salonga. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Salonga began performing in Philippine musical theatre as a child, making her professional debut at age seven. She achieved international recognition in 1989 when she originated the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon, later reprising the role on Broadway in 1991. She continued her Broadway career with performances in Les Misérables (1993, 2007), Flower Drum Song (2002–2003), Allegiance (2015–2016), Once on This Island (2017–2018, 2018–2019), Here Lies Love (2023), and Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends (2025). Beyond the stage, she was praised for her performances in the films Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992) and Sana Maulit Muli (1995), and provided the singing voices for Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). She has also appeared on television in That's Entertainment, As the World Turns, and Pretty Little Liars, and served as a coach on The Voice of the Philippines as well as its spin-off series The Voice Kids and The Voice Teens.
As a recording artist, Salonga began her career at age ten with the gold-certified album Small Voice (1981). She later signed with Atlantic Records and released her self-titled album (1993), which achieved platinum status, followed by I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (1997) and By Heart (1999). She has since performed concerts at international venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall, and the London Palladium.
Salonga's accolades include the Laurence Olivier Award (1990), Tony Award (1991), and two Grammy Award nominations (2004, 2019). In the Philippines, she has been recognized with the Presidential Merit Award (1990), the Order of Lakandula (2007), and the Congressional Medal of Achievement (2007). She is the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award, the first Filipino to sign with an international record label, and in 2026, she will become the first Filipino to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Biography from the Wikipedia article Lea Salonga. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Recently Updated Shows
Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
