Lea Salonga on getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: 'I'm still in a daze and bleary-eyed'

World-renowned singer-actress Lea Salonga got the surprise of her life when she woke up to the news that she is going to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year.

The Filipino musical legend, the recipient of a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award in addition to her nominations for two Grammy Awards, told us by email in an exclusive interview, "Okay, first of all, as I'm battling jet lag (currently in Manila rehearsing for 'Into the Woods'), I woke up at 5:46 a.m. and headed straight to social media. I started seeing that I was going to get my own star, and thought, this can't be real. Then I checked texts coming from my manager, and his message was, 'Call me before you look at any social media.'

"He had sent the Billboard article naming me as one of the recipients, so at the moment, I'm still in a daze and bleary-eyed, but in utter disbelief!

"Thanks to the MIFF (Manila International Film Festival) for nominating me! This is one of those honors that you don't ever foresee getting, and getting one feels so unreal! It's amazing!"

Salonga, fresh from her successful run in Stephen Sondheim's "Old Friends" which brought her back to London's West End, Broadway and Los Angeles, is now in Manila rehearsing for "Into the Woods." It will be her first musical in the Philippines in six years. She will be playing The Witch, the iconic role which she played before when she was only 23 years old. Salonga's last musical in the Philippines was "Sweeney Todd" in 2019.

She will be part of the Class of 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame awardees, which include the Australian pop group Air Supply, Josh Groban, Miley Cyrus, Lyle Lovett, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, Timothee Chalamet, Rami Malek, Emily Blunt, Gordon Ramsey, Rachel McAdams, Franco Nero, Marion Cotillard, Shaquille O'Neal, Brazilian musician Paulinho da Costa, Indian actress Deepika Padukone, Mexican entertainer Lucero, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, The Clark Sisters, Intocable, Angelique Kidjo, ABC's "Good Morning America" co-hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, among others.

Salonga and comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias are the only representatives in the Live Theatre/Live Performance category.

The announcement of the 35 awardees was held on Wednesday, July 2, at a press conference at Ovation Hollywood. Peter Roth, former CEO of Warner Bros. Television and chairman of the Walk of Fame selection committee, said in a statement, "We are excited to announce the newest selection of 35 esteemed individuals who will be enshrined onto the Walk of Fame as part of the prestigious Class of 2026. These talented individuals have made significant contributions to the world of entertainment, and we are thrilled to honor them with this well-deserved recognition."

The honorees were selected by the Walk of Fame selection panel of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce from hundreds of nominations at a meeting on June 20. The selections were ratified by the Chamber's board of directors on June 25. —MGP, GMA Integrated News