ONTD Original: Filipina actresses, musicians, and celebs
Follow up to this post.
To celebrate Filipino History Month, I put together a list of Filipina actresses, musicians, and other celebs. There are far fewer surprises on this list than the previous one (the roller coaster of Enrique Iglesias is a tough act to follow). Let's celebrate these talented Filipinas!
Lea Salonga
How you probably know her: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Aladdin, Mulan
How Filipina is she? 100%
Lea was born in the Philippines. She was only 17 when she auditioned for Miss Saigon, 18 when the show opened on the West End, 19 when she won an Olivier, and 20 when the show opened on Broadway. She was the first actress of Asian descent to win a Tony Award. She was also the first Asian actress to play Éponine in Les Misérables.
Olivia Rodrigo
How you probably know her: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Drivers License
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is Filipino while her mother has German and Irish ancestry. Her great grandfather emigrated from the Philippines to the United States when he was a teenager.
Nicole Scherzinger
How you probably know her: Popstars, Eden's Crush, the Pussycat Dolls
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is Filipino and her mother is Native Hawaiian, Ukrainian, and Polish. When she was dating the lead singer of 311, will.i.am wanted her to join the Black Eyed Peas but allegedly the 311 guy told her not to do it, so the BEP eventually added Fergie instead. Nicole later dated Lewis Hamilton.
Tia Carrere
How you probably know her: Wayne's World, True Lies, Relic Hunter, Lilo & Stitch
How Filipina is she? 50%
She is of Filipina, Chinese, and some Spanish descent. Both of her maternal grandparents are Filipinos who were born in Hawaii. Although she is most known for her movie roles, she has also won two Grammys.
Ginger Gonzaga
How you probably know her: She Hulk
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Dutch and her father is Filipino. She dated Jim Carrey in 2018-2019.
Malia Pyles
How you probably know her: Baskets, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
How Filipina is she? 100%
Malia is Filipina-American. She said she was excited to be cast as Mouse in PLL because as a queer Asian actress, seeing Shay Mitchell play a similar role on the original show had a huge impact.
Isa Briones
How you probably know her: Hamilton, Star Trek: Picard
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father Jon Jon Briones is a Filipino actor known for starring in several different productions of Miss Saigon (original 1989 West End, several tours, 2014 West End revival, 2017 Broadway revival). Her mother Megan Johnson Briones is an American actress of Swedish and Irish ancestry. Jon Jon and Megan met while auditioning for a production of Miss Saigon in Stuttgart, Germany. Isa was born a few months before the original West End production of Miss Saigon closed in 1999 (where Jon Jon was working at the time). When she joined the national tour of Hamilton at the age of 19, she became the youngest cast member in the show. Her next project is the upcoming Disney+ adaptation of Goosebumps.
Pam Grier
How you probably know her: Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown
How Filipina is she? unknown/unclear
She has said that her ancestry is African American, Hispanic, Chinese, Filipina, and Cheyenne. She dated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but they broke up because she refused to convert to Islam. She also dated Freddie Prinze, Don Cornelius, Wilt Chamberlain, and Richard Pryor (Pam said he refused to wear a condom and then he married his third wife while he was still dating Pam).
Ali Ewoldt
How you probably know her: Phantom of the Opera
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is Euro-American. In 2016, she became the first (and to date, still the only) Asian-American actress to play the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Previous to that, she played Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Misérables.
Nia Peeples
How you probably know her: Fame, Walker, Texas Ranger, Pretty Little Liars
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines. Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry. In the 90s, she hosted a tv show called The Party Machine which was created by Arsenio Hall to follow his late night talk show.
Vanessa Minnillo
How you probably know her:MTV VJ, NCIS: Hawaii
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is an American citizen of Italian and Irish descent, while her mother, Helen Ramos Bercero, is from the Philippines. Vanessa was the first Miss Teen USA from South Carolina. She married Nick Lachey on Richard Branson's private island.
Shay Mitchell
How you probably know her: Pretty Little Liars
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is of Scottish and Irish descent. Shay's mom is Lea Salonga's first cousin.
Lena Hall
How you probably know her: Kinky Boots, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Snowpiercer
How Filipina is she? 25%
She has Filipino, Spanish, and Swedish ancestry through her father. Her paternal grandfather emigrated from the Philippines to San Francisco in 1926, and her paternal grandmother is Swedish. Before winning a Tony award for her role in Hedwig, she competed on the MTV reality show Legally Blonde: The Musical - The Search for Elle Woods.
Sarah Ramos
How you probably know her: American Dreams, Parenthood
How Filipina is she? 1/8
Her father is one quarter Filipino and her mother is Jewish.
Eva Noblezada
How you probably know her: Miss Saigon, Hadestown
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is Filipino and her mother is Mexican. Her paternal grandparents are from the Philippines. She was only 18 when she made her West End debut in the Miss Saigon revival. She played the same role in the Broadway revival, which earned her a Tony nomination. She also played Eponine in the West End production of Les Mis.
Vanessa Hudgens
How you probably know her: High School Musical, Spring Breakers
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father was of Irish, French and Native American descent, and her mother is Filipina.
Phoebe Cates
How you probably know her: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins, Drop Dead Fred
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
Both her father and maternal grandmother were of Russian Jewish descent and her maternal grandfather was Chinese-Filipino. Her mother was born in Shanghai, China. She is married to actor Kevin Kline.
Hailee Steinfeld
How you probably know her: True Grit, Pitch Perfect 3, Hawkeye
How Filipina is she? 1/8
Her maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African-American. Her uncle is Body by Jake.
True O'Brien
How you probably know her: Days of Our Lives
How Filipina is she? 1/8
Her maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African-American. She appeared in the Girlfriend perfume campaign with Justin Bieber, and played his second girlfriend in his music video, "One Time." She is Hailee Steinfeld's cousin.
Zelda Williams
How you probably know her: Teen Wolf
How Filipina is she? 25%
Zelda is the daughter of Robin Williams and his second wife Marsha, who has a Filipino father and a Finnish mother. She was named after The Legends of Zelda.
Liza Lapira
How you probably know her: Dollhouse, Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23, Nancy Drew, The Equalizer
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
She is Filipina, Spanish, and Chinese.
Sharon Leal
How you probably know her: Boston Public, Dreamgirls, Hellcats, Supergirl, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father was African-American. She played Mimi in Rent on Broadway.
Shannyn Sossamon
How you probably know her: A Knight's Tale, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Rules of Attraction
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
Her maternal grandmother is of Hawaiian and Filipina descent, while the rest of her ancestry is English, German, Dutch, French, and Irish. Before becoming an actress, she was a DJ.
Malaya Drew
How you probably know her: The L Word, ER, The Vampire Diaries/The Originals, Las Vegas, Good Trouble
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
She is of English, Native American, Polish, Spanish, and Filipina descent.
Leslie-Anne Huff
How you probably know her: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is of English descent.
Arielle Jacobs
How you probably know her: Wicked, Aladdin
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is Jewish. Her brother Adam has also starred in Aladdin.
Nayah Damasen
How you probably know her: Grey's Anatomy, Monster High
How Filipina is she? 100%
She is Filipina-American. As a kid, she was considered the Golden State Warriors' good luck charm because they won each time she sang the pre-game Star Spangled Banner.
Rachelle Ann Go
How you probably know her: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Hamilton
How Filipina is she? 100%
Rachelle was born in the Philippines. She has played Gigi in Miss Saigon on the West End and on Broadway. Other West End roles include Fantine in Les Mis and Eliza in Hamilton.
source: my brain, google image search, and youtube
To celebrate Filipino History Month, I put together a list of Filipina actresses, musicians, and other celebs. There are far fewer surprises on this list than the previous one (the roller coaster of Enrique Iglesias is a tough act to follow). Let's celebrate these talented Filipinas!
Lea Salonga
How you probably know her: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Aladdin, Mulan
How Filipina is she? 100%
Lea was born in the Philippines. She was only 17 when she auditioned for Miss Saigon, 18 when the show opened on the West End, 19 when she won an Olivier, and 20 when the show opened on Broadway. She was the first actress of Asian descent to win a Tony Award. She was also the first Asian actress to play Éponine in Les Misérables.
Olivia Rodrigo
How you probably know her: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Drivers License
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is Filipino while her mother has German and Irish ancestry. Her great grandfather emigrated from the Philippines to the United States when he was a teenager.
Nicole Scherzinger
How you probably know her: Popstars, Eden's Crush, the Pussycat Dolls
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is Filipino and her mother is Native Hawaiian, Ukrainian, and Polish. When she was dating the lead singer of 311, will.i.am wanted her to join the Black Eyed Peas but allegedly the 311 guy told her not to do it, so the BEP eventually added Fergie instead. Nicole later dated Lewis Hamilton.
Tia Carrere
How you probably know her: Wayne's World, True Lies, Relic Hunter, Lilo & Stitch
How Filipina is she? 50%
She is of Filipina, Chinese, and some Spanish descent. Both of her maternal grandparents are Filipinos who were born in Hawaii. Although she is most known for her movie roles, she has also won two Grammys.
Ginger Gonzaga
How you probably know her: She Hulk
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Dutch and her father is Filipino. She dated Jim Carrey in 2018-2019.
Malia Pyles
How you probably know her: Baskets, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
How Filipina is she? 100%
Malia is Filipina-American. She said she was excited to be cast as Mouse in PLL because as a queer Asian actress, seeing Shay Mitchell play a similar role on the original show had a huge impact.
Isa Briones
How you probably know her: Hamilton, Star Trek: Picard
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father Jon Jon Briones is a Filipino actor known for starring in several different productions of Miss Saigon (original 1989 West End, several tours, 2014 West End revival, 2017 Broadway revival). Her mother Megan Johnson Briones is an American actress of Swedish and Irish ancestry. Jon Jon and Megan met while auditioning for a production of Miss Saigon in Stuttgart, Germany. Isa was born a few months before the original West End production of Miss Saigon closed in 1999 (where Jon Jon was working at the time). When she joined the national tour of Hamilton at the age of 19, she became the youngest cast member in the show. Her next project is the upcoming Disney+ adaptation of Goosebumps.
Pam Grier
How you probably know her: Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown
How Filipina is she? unknown/unclear
She has said that her ancestry is African American, Hispanic, Chinese, Filipina, and Cheyenne. She dated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but they broke up because she refused to convert to Islam. She also dated Freddie Prinze, Don Cornelius, Wilt Chamberlain, and Richard Pryor (Pam said he refused to wear a condom and then he married his third wife while he was still dating Pam).
Ali Ewoldt
How you probably know her: Phantom of the Opera
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is Euro-American. In 2016, she became the first (and to date, still the only) Asian-American actress to play the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Previous to that, she played Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Misérables.
Nia Peeples
How you probably know her: Fame, Walker, Texas Ranger, Pretty Little Liars
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines. Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry. In the 90s, she hosted a tv show called The Party Machine which was created by Arsenio Hall to follow his late night talk show.
Vanessa Minnillo
How you probably know her:MTV VJ, NCIS: Hawaii
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is an American citizen of Italian and Irish descent, while her mother, Helen Ramos Bercero, is from the Philippines. Vanessa was the first Miss Teen USA from South Carolina. She married Nick Lachey on Richard Branson's private island.
Shay Mitchell
How you probably know her: Pretty Little Liars
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is of Scottish and Irish descent. Shay's mom is Lea Salonga's first cousin.
Lena Hall
How you probably know her: Kinky Boots, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Snowpiercer
How Filipina is she? 25%
She has Filipino, Spanish, and Swedish ancestry through her father. Her paternal grandfather emigrated from the Philippines to San Francisco in 1926, and her paternal grandmother is Swedish. Before winning a Tony award for her role in Hedwig, she competed on the MTV reality show Legally Blonde: The Musical - The Search for Elle Woods.
Sarah Ramos
How you probably know her: American Dreams, Parenthood
How Filipina is she? 1/8
Her father is one quarter Filipino and her mother is Jewish.
Eva Noblezada
How you probably know her: Miss Saigon, Hadestown
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father is Filipino and her mother is Mexican. Her paternal grandparents are from the Philippines. She was only 18 when she made her West End debut in the Miss Saigon revival. She played the same role in the Broadway revival, which earned her a Tony nomination. She also played Eponine in the West End production of Les Mis.
Vanessa Hudgens
How you probably know her: High School Musical, Spring Breakers
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her father was of Irish, French and Native American descent, and her mother is Filipina.
Phoebe Cates
How you probably know her: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins, Drop Dead Fred
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
Both her father and maternal grandmother were of Russian Jewish descent and her maternal grandfather was Chinese-Filipino. Her mother was born in Shanghai, China. She is married to actor Kevin Kline.
Hailee Steinfeld
How you probably know her: True Grit, Pitch Perfect 3, Hawkeye
How Filipina is she? 1/8
Her maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African-American. Her uncle is Body by Jake.
True O'Brien
How you probably know her: Days of Our Lives
How Filipina is she? 1/8
Her maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African-American. She appeared in the Girlfriend perfume campaign with Justin Bieber, and played his second girlfriend in his music video, "One Time." She is Hailee Steinfeld's cousin.
Zelda Williams
How you probably know her: Teen Wolf
How Filipina is she? 25%
Zelda is the daughter of Robin Williams and his second wife Marsha, who has a Filipino father and a Finnish mother. She was named after The Legends of Zelda.
Liza Lapira
How you probably know her: Dollhouse, Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23, Nancy Drew, The Equalizer
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
She is Filipina, Spanish, and Chinese.
Sharon Leal
How you probably know her: Boston Public, Dreamgirls, Hellcats, Supergirl, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father was African-American. She played Mimi in Rent on Broadway.
Shannyn Sossamon
How you probably know her: A Knight's Tale, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Rules of Attraction
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
Her maternal grandmother is of Hawaiian and Filipina descent, while the rest of her ancestry is English, German, Dutch, French, and Irish. Before becoming an actress, she was a DJ.
Malaya Drew
How you probably know her: The L Word, ER, The Vampire Diaries/The Originals, Las Vegas, Good Trouble
How Filipina is she? unclear/unknown
She is of English, Native American, Polish, Spanish, and Filipina descent.
Leslie-Anne Huff
How you probably know her: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is of English descent.
Arielle Jacobs
How you probably know her: Wicked, Aladdin
How Filipina is she? 50%
Her mother is Filipina and her father is Jewish. Her brother Adam has also starred in Aladdin.
Nayah Damasen
How you probably know her: Grey's Anatomy, Monster High
How Filipina is she? 100%
She is Filipina-American. As a kid, she was considered the Golden State Warriors' good luck charm because they won each time she sang the pre-game Star Spangled Banner.
Rachelle Ann Go
How you probably know her: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Hamilton
How Filipina is she? 100%
Rachelle was born in the Philippines. She has played Gigi in Miss Saigon on the West End and on Broadway. Other West End roles include Fantine in Les Mis and Eliza in Hamilton.
source: my brain, google image search, and youtube
Click to view