International stars: Celebs with Pinoy blood who made it big abroad

Over the past 125 years, it has been the Manila Bulletin’s distinct honor to follow the rise of talented Filipinos to world fame. Here are some of them

From Broadway singers to drag queens, these stars have proven that Filipino talent can thrive everywhere. With the rise of social media and the shift in the culture, individuals from all backgrounds have been given a platform, something that rings true even beyond the entertainment industry.

Here are some of celebrities who have made their mark in their respective creative industries.

Lea Salonga

She is best known for her performance as Kim in the award-winning stage play Miss Saigon and playing the voice of Princess Jasmine and Mulan.

Theater actress Lea Salonga started her career on the Repertory stage when she debuted in The King and I in 1978.

Since then, Lea has made her way to the top of the theater world, where she has received many awards, including a Tony Award and the Laurence Olivier Award. She also won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards.

Aside from Theater, Lea has also appeared in international TV series, such as Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

Rachelle Ann Go

Another well-known Filipino talent is Rachelle Ann Go. Since she made her debut on the stage at the age of 11, Rachel has joined different singing competitions, released albums, and become a staple name on the music scene.

In 2010, Rachelle landed her early roles in the theater scene, where she played Jane for a local theater production of Tarzan and Ariel in The Little Mermaid. In 2014, she got the part of Gigi for the West End revival of Miss Saigon.

Her international career took off quickly as she went on to take roles in productions of Les Misérables, Jesus the Rock Opera, and the West End production of Hamilton, for which she played the role of Eliza Hamilton.

Manny Jacinto

Manny was born in Quezon City, Philippines, but moved to Vancouver, Canada when he was three years old. Although he was raised in a different country, Manny practices Pinoy culture.

After his breakthrough role as Jason Mendoza in the hit sitcom The Good Place, the Filipino-Canadian actor is now on everyone’s radar as Star Wars’ latest dark-sider, Qimir (a.k.a. The Stranger) in The Acolyte series.

Olivia Rodrigo

She made waves in the music industry when she debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with her song Driver’s License in January 2021.

The 21-year-old Grammy winner also did acting stints when she was cast in the Disney television programs Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Olivia’s father is a Filipino American, while her mother is American of Irish and German descent. 

She headlined her first concert in Manila last October 5 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. During her visit, Olivia visited some local tourist spots and donated the proceeds to a women’s health charity called “Jhpiego”.

Nico Santos

Nico Santos is a Filipino-American actor known for portraying the sales associate Mateo Liwanag in N.B.C.’s Superstore and the fabulously gay Oliver T’sien in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians.

He also appeared in the latest MCU film Guardians of The Galaxy: Volume 3, where he played the role of Recorder Theel. 

Nico was born in Manila and moved to the US when he was 16.

Marina Summers

Marina skyrocketed to fame when she participated in Drag Race Philippines, the first Filipino franchise of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which aired in 2022.

After gaining fans in the Philippine audience, Marina competed in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World Season 2, where she was the first Filipina drag queen to compete in the international franchise.

Raising the Filipino flag in the competition, Marina was landed the fourth place during the finals.

Dave Bautista

After his professional wrestling stint, Fil-am actor Dave Bautista made his mark on Hollywood.

After countless auditions and rejections, Dave eventually landed the role of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, which became one of the biggest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Since then, Dave has appeared in several films including Knives Out 2 with Daniel Craig and in Dune with Timothee Chalamet where he played the role of the villain Glossu Rabban.

Jacob Batalon

Jacob Batalon is another actor based in Hawaii. He is best known for his performance as Ned in the 2017 superhero movie Spider-Man: Homecoming and the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War. 

His Filipino mother, who has always supported his dreams, is Eva Andres, originally from Pangasinan in the Philippines. 

Jacob also appeared in several movies like Bloodfest (2018) and Let It Snow (2019)

Bruno Mars

Born in Hawaii in 1985 to a Filipina mother and a Puerto Rican-Jewish father, Bruno Mars, whose real name is Peter Jean Hernandez, started his career in music writing songs for other artists.

In 2010, Bruno began making waves in the music scenes with his hit songs The Lazy Song, Grenade, and Marry You. He received several awards including Grammy Best Song of The Year, Album of the Year, Record of The Year, and more.

Since then, Bruno has made a name in the music industry. In 2024, he collaborated with Lady Gaga for the song Die with a Smile and Rose from Blackpink for APT. 

H.E.R

Another Filipino-American singer/actress who is making headlines in Hollywood is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, also known as H.E.R. 

Debuting as the first Filipina Disney princess after portraying Belle on the special TV presentation of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, the Grammy-award-winning singer is a proud Filipino herself. Her mother is Filipino and her father, African-American, which made her grow up with both Filipino and black culture. 

During her visit to the Philippines, H.E.R. revealed that she took her family on a yacht vacation in Palawan. She also shared that she likes to cook kare-kare for her family. 

Dolly de Leon

Dolly started as a supporting character in the Philippine cinema, but things took a turn after Dolly was offered to play the role of Abigail in the film Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or award during the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.

She is the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for Best Supporting Actress.

Dolly continues to represent Filipino talent after joining the second season of the series Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman, Murray Bartlett, Liv Ullmann, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Aras Aydin.

Jo Koy  

Jo Koy is a popular Filipino-American stand-up comedian who was a frequent panelist for the late-night show Chelsea Lately. He is of Filipino, European, and American descent. He was also the first Filipino-American personality who hosted the 2024 Golden Globes Awards.

Aside from his top-rating comedy specials, JoKoy highlighted the Filipino culture through his 2022 film “Easter Sunday.” 

Manila Luzon

Manila Luzon rose to prominence after finishing as the runner-up of the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Manila Luzon is also famous for her campy twist on glamour, silly cross-eyed expressions, and signature black and blonde wigs.

She also won the Asian Academy Creative Award 2023 winner for Best Host during her stint on the show Drag Den with Manila Luzon on Prime Video.

Manila was also nominated as Best Host for the 28th annual Asian Television Awards (2024).

Bretman Rock

Dubbed the “Baddest Content Creator,” Bretman Rock Sacayanan is a Filipino-American internet star based in Hawaii. Originally famous for his make tutorials, Bretman has come a long way, fcollaborating with big brands like Nike to launching his book entitled You’re That B*tch: & Other Cute Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself. 

He even became the first gay cover for Playboy Magazine in 2021. Bretman also did a cover for Vogue Philippines in June to celebrate Pride Month. 

Bretman has garnered 18 million followers on Instagram, 13 million followers on TikTok, and almost 9 million on YouTube.

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa is an actress and a singer who gained fame after playing Gabriela Montez in High School Musical. Her mom Gina Guanco is from Manila, while her father is of Irish, French, and Native American descent. She has always been proud of her Filipino roots as well.

Visiting the Philippines for the first time in March, the 34-year-old actress also took the time to shoot a travel documentary film entitled The Awakening. Directed by  Paul Soriano, the film was shot in Palawan and Manila.

During her visit, she was also named the Global Tourism Ambassador for the Philippines, receiving the title from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at Malacañang Palace on March 30.