Lea Salonga Bio: Husband, Parents, Songs, Movies, TV Shows, Awards, Net Worth, Albums, Age, Family, Wikipedia

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga is a talented artist from the Philippines. She is known for her work as a singer and actress. Maria has performed in many musicals on Broadway and in the West End. People highly respect her in the theatre world.

She has won important awards like a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. Maria has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards. Her skills and achievements make her a standout in the entertainment industry.

Profile

• Full Name: Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga
• Stage Name: Lea Salonga
• Born: February 22, 1971
• Age: 54 years old
• Birthplace: Ermita, Manila.
• Nationality: Filipino
• Occupation: famous actress, singer, and producer
• Height: 1.57m
• Parent: Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan
• Siblings: Gerard Salonga, Shiela Salonga, and Jeff Salonga.
• Spouse: Robert Charles Chien.
• Children: Nic Chien
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $18 million

Early Life And Education

Lea Salonga is a famous actress, singer, and producer from the Philippines. She was born on February 22, 1971, in Ermita, Manila. Lea grew up with her parents, Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan. She has three siblings: Gerard Salonga, Shiela Salonga, and Jeff Salonga.

Lea did very well in school. She was the salutatorian in primary school and the valedictorian in high school at Operation Brotherhood Montessori Center. After high school, she studied pre-medical track at Ateneo de Manila University. Lea is Filipino and identifies as Christian. She is 1.57 meters tall.

Career

Lea Salonga started performing when she was just seven years old. She made her debut in the musical The King and I with Repertory Philippines. She quickly became a child star. She appeared in popular shows like Annie, The Sound of Music, and The Rose Tattoo.

Lea also hosted a TV show called Love, Lea. She acted in Filipino movies like Tropang Bulilit in 1981 and Like Father, Like Son in 1985. By 1988, she released her first album, Small Voice, which became a gold record in the Philippines. She performed in concerts and even opened for famous groups like Menudo.

At 18, Lea got her big break. She was cast as Kim in the original West End production of Miss Saigon in 1989. Her performance was outstanding, and she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

When the show moved to Broadway in 1991, she won several awards. These included the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Theatre World Award. She became the first Asian actress to win a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. This role made her a musical theater icon.

Lea Salonga is famous for her singing. She was the voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin in 1992. She also voiced Mulan in the movies Mulan and Mulan II. Her songs “A Whole New World” and “Reflection” became very popular. These roles made her a Disney legend and helped her gain fans all over the world.

Salonga also had a successful theater career. She acted in Avenue Q in Manila in 2007. She toured Asia in Cinderella in 2010. In 2015 and 2016, she starred in Allegiance on Broadway with George Takei. This showed her pride in her Filipino heritage. In 2010, she returned to Les Misérables for its 25th-anniversary concert. She also played Grizabella in Cats in Manila that same year.

Awards and Nominations

Wins:

• Tony Award: Best Actress in a Musical, Miss Saigon (1991)
• Laurence Olivier Award: Best Actress in a Musical, Miss Saigon (1990)
• Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Miss Saigon (1991)
• Outer Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Miss Saigon (1991)
• Theatre World Award: Miss Saigon (1991)
• Ovation Award: Lead Actress in a Musical, Flower Drum Song (2002)
• Aliw Awards (14 wins):
• Best Child Performer (1980, 1981, 1982)
• Entertainer of the Year (2004, 2016)
• Best Major Concert (Female) (2008)
• Best Major Concert in a Foreign Venue (2016)
• Others (various years, including 2018, 2019)
• FAMAS Awards: Golden Artist Award (2005)
• Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Box Office Entertainment Awards: Female Concert Performer of the Year (2020)
• Time100 Impact Award (2022)
• Gold House Gold Legend Award (2023)
• Drama League Award: Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater (2025)

Nominations:

• Grammy Awards (2 nominations):
• Best Musical Theater Album, Flower Drum Song (2004)
• Best Musical Theater Album, Once on This Island (2019)
• FAMAS Awards (2 nominations):
• Best Child Actress (1981)
• Best Actress, Sana Maulit Muli (1995)
• Drama League Award: Distinguished Performance, Flower Drum Song (2003)
• Drama League Award: Distinguished Performance, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (2025)
• People’s Choice Award: Favorite TV Ensemble Cast, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022, shared with cast)
• Gawad Urian Award: Best Actress, Sana Maulit Muli (1995)

Honors:

• Presidential Medal of Merit (Philippines, 1990)
• Order of Lakandula, Rank of Commander (Philippines, 2007)
• Congressional Medal of Achievement (Philippines, 2007)
• Disney Legend Award (2011)
• Aliw Awards Hall of Fame (2019)

Social Media

• Instagram handle:@msleasalonga

Personal Life

Lea Salonga is a talented artist from the Philippines. She is an actress, singer, and producer. In 2004, she married Robert Charles Chien. They have a son named Nic Chien.

Salonga has won many awards for her performances. She is known as a global icon in entertainment. She continues to inspire and entertain people around the world with her passion for the arts.

Filmography

Films:

• Tropang Bulilit (1981) – Lisa
• Ninja Kids (1986)
• Captain Barbell (1986)
• Like Father, Like Son (1988)
• Dear Diary (1989)
• Aladdin (1992) – Jasmine (singing voice)
• Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992) – Sandy
• Sana Maulit Muli (1995) – Agnes
• Mulan (1998) – Mulan (singing voice)
• My Neighbor Totoro (2004) – Yasuko Kusakabe (English dub)
• Mulan II (2004) – Mulan (singing voice)
• Yellow Rose (2019)
• The Vale – Origins (upcoming, short film)

Television:

• Love, Lea (1983–1985) – Host
• That’s Entertainment (1986) – Thursday group member
• Olsen Twins Mother’s Day Special (1993) – Guest star
• Sesame Street (1993) – Guest star
• Reading Rainbow (1993) – Narrator
• Redwood Curtain (1995) – Geri Riorden
• ASAP (1997) – Guest performer/co-host
• As the World Turns (2001, 2003) – Lien Hughes
• ER (2001) – Amparo
• The Voice of the Philippines (2013–) – Coach
• The Voice Kids (Philippines) – Coach
• The Voice Teens (Philippines) – Coach
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2017) – Aunt Myrna
• Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022) – Elodie Honrada
• Centaurworld (2021) – Voice
• Little Demon (2022) – Voice
• Firebuds (2024) – Voice
• Finding Your Roots (2025) – Guest appearance
• The Cleaning Lady (2025) – Guest star

Theatre (Selected Roles):

• The King and I (1978) – Ensemble
• Annie (1980, 1984) – Annie
• The Sound of Music (1980)
• The Bad Seed (1981)
• The Goodbye Girl (1982)
• The Paper Moon (1983)
• The Fantasticks (1988)
• Miss Saigon (1989–1991, 1999–2001) – Kim
• Les Misérables (1993, 1995–1996, 2006) – Éponine, Fantine
• My Fair Lady (1994) – Eliza Doolittle
• Into the Woods (1994, 2025) – The Witch
• Grease (1995) – Sandy Dombrowski
• They’re Playing Our Song (1999–2000) – Sonia Walsk
• Flower Drum Song (2001–2002) – Mei-Li
• Proof (2002) – Catherine
• Allegiance (2015–2016) – Kei Kimura
• Once on This Island (2017–2019) – Erzulie
• Here Lies Love (2023) – Aurora
• Request sa Radyo (2024) – Ms. Reyes
• Old Friends (2025) – Various roles

Net Worth

Lea Salonga is a talented actress, singer, and producer. She has built a successful career in the entertainment industry. Her net worth is about $18 million.

She earned this money through her hard work and skills. Lea has taken on many roles and projects. These have helped her become a respected and influential figure in the Philippines and around the world.