Talented stars who are proudly Filipino American
StarsInsider
07 August 2025
07 August 2025
Day by day, Hollywood becomes an increasingly diverse place, embracing stars from all sorts of different backgrounds. While Asian Americans are slowly taking center stage, a smaller group of Filipino Americans have been rising up the ranks of stardom, making the Philippines proud.
From singers to actors, TV hosts to comedians, see some incredibly talented Filipino-American celebrities.
H.E.R.
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Oscar and Grammy winner H.E.R. is a biracial Black and Filipina musician and singer-songwriter.
The singer, model, actress, and dancer, who dominated the '00s with R&B songs, was born to a Filipino father.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a father of Filipino descent and a Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian mother, Nicole Scherzinger is famously known as the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls.
The actor famous for his role on 'Glee' is actually half Filipino. His mother was born in Cebu City in the Philippines.
The actress, singer, and former model, who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera 'General Hospital,' and later in 'Wayne's World' (1992), is Hawaiian and Filipino, but the first time she played a Filipino role was in the 2022 comedy 'Easter Sunday.'
Famed stand-up comedian and actor Jo Koy, who was a frequent panelist on 'Chelsea Lately,' loves to crack jokes about his Filipina mother. He spearheaded the film 'Easter Sunday,' which was an all-too-rare Hollywood moment for Filipino people.
The actress, model, and reality TV show host, who happens to be married to Nick Lachey, was born in Angeles City, Philippines, to an American father and a Filipina mother to whom she's estranged.
The actor and retired professional wrestler, most widely known for his portrayal of Drax the Destroyer in the MCU since 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014), is part Filipino, as his father is the son of Filipino immigrants.
Apl.de.ap, real name Allan Pineda Lindo, is a founding member of the world-famous hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas and was born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and an African-American father before he was adopted and relocated to LA.
The world-famous singer, producer, musician, and dancer was born to a Filipina mother and a half Puerto-Rican, half Ashkenazi Jewish father.
The actress and singer's mother immigrated to the US from the Philippines—a story which Hudgens says she hopes to one day make a movie about.
The actor, comedian, and 'Saturday Night Live' veteran has a bit of Filipino in him. His grandmother was reportedly a Filipino who married his grandfather, an American Army private, while he was stationed in the Philippines, making his mother Pilar half Filipina.
The actress, who is known for films like 'A Knight's Tale' and '40 Days and 40 Nights,' was born in Honolulu and cites a mix of ethnicities as her heritage, Filipino among them.
The lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for Metallica, Kirk Hammett also happens to be Filipino American.
The famed drag queen (who appeared on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars') is, in addition to being Filipino American, also a recording artist and comedian.
The nonbinary actor who is best known for their roles in 'Knocked Up' and 'Paper Heart' was born to a mother who was a native of the Philippines and is of both Filipino and Spanish descent.
The actress, whose mother is Filipino and whose father was an American military policeman, is best known for her stunning part in 'Dreamgirls' and more recently could be seen on 'Supergirl.'
Lalaine Vergara-Paras found fame early as Hilary Duff's co-star on 'Lizzie McGuire,' but while Vergara-Paras' character was supposed to be of Mexican descent (Miranda Sanchez), her parents are actually Filipino.
The actor, martial artist, and television personality—best known as "The Chairman" on Food Network's 'Iron Chef America'—was born in Hawaii to a father of whose parents originated from the Philippines and were of Chinese, Filipino and Spanish ancestry, meanwhile his mother reportedly is of Irish and Japanese ancestry.
The famed bassist of rock band Alice in Chains was born to a Filipina mother who immigrated to the US from Manila.
Joey Santiago is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer best known for being the lead guitarist of the iconic alt-rock band the Pixies, whose signature style serves as a major influence in the evolution of alt-rock to this day.
Hailee Steinfeld
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The actress and singer has a maternal grandfather who was half Filipino (from Panglao, Bohol) and half African-American.
Lou Diamond Phillips
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The actor and director, who famously starred as Ritchie Valens in the biopic 'La Bamba,' was born to a Filipina mother, but he's played more roles in other ethnicities (Mexican, Native American, Chilean, Inuit) than Filipino American.
Cassie
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The singer, model, actress, and dancer, who dominated the '00s with R&B songs, was born to a Filipino father.
Dominic Fike
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The musician and actor, who made his acting debut on 'Euphoria,' is of African-American, Filipino, and Haitian descent.
Nicole Scherzinger
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Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a father of Filipino descent and a Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian mother, Nicole Scherzinger is famously known as the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls.
Darren Criss
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The actor famous for his role on 'Glee' is actually half Filipino. His mother was born in Cebu City in the Philippines.
Tia Carrere
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The actress, singer, and former model, who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera 'General Hospital,' and later in 'Wayne's World' (1992), is Hawaiian and Filipino, but the first time she played a Filipino role was in the 2022 comedy 'Easter Sunday.'
Jo Koy
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Famed stand-up comedian and actor Jo Koy, who was a frequent panelist on 'Chelsea Lately,' loves to crack jokes about his Filipina mother. He spearheaded the film 'Easter Sunday,' which was an all-too-rare Hollywood moment for Filipino people.
Vanessa Lachey
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The actress, model, and reality TV show host, who happens to be married to Nick Lachey, was born in Angeles City, Philippines, to an American father and a Filipina mother to whom she's estranged.
Dave Bautista
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The actor and retired professional wrestler, most widely known for his portrayal of Drax the Destroyer in the MCU since 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014), is part Filipino, as his father is the son of Filipino immigrants.
Olivia Rodrigo
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The young singer and actress, who got her start on Disney with 'Bizaardvark' and 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' and later took the world by storm with her angsty songs, has a Filipino father and a mother with German and Irish ancestry.
apl.de.ap
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Apl.de.ap, real name Allan Pineda Lindo, is a founding member of the world-famous hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas and was born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and an African-American father before he was adopted and relocated to LA.
Bruno Mars
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The world-famous singer, producer, musician, and dancer was born to a Filipina mother and a half Puerto-Rican, half Ashkenazi Jewish father.
Vanessa Hudgens
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The actress and singer's mother immigrated to the US from the Philippines—a story which Hudgens says she hopes to one day make a movie about.
Rob Schneider
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The actor, comedian, and 'Saturday Night Live' veteran has a bit of Filipino in him. His grandmother was reportedly a Filipino who married his grandfather, an American Army private, while he was stationed in the Philippines, making his mother Pilar half Filipina.
Shannyn Sossamon
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The actress, who is known for films like 'A Knight's Tale' and '40 Days and 40 Nights,' was born in Honolulu and cites a mix of ethnicities as her heritage, Filipino among them.
Kirk Hammett
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The lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for Metallica, Kirk Hammett also happens to be Filipino American.
Manila Luzon
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The famed drag queen (who appeared on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars') is, in addition to being Filipino American, also a recording artist and comedian.
Charlyne Yi
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The nonbinary actor who is best known for their roles in 'Knocked Up' and 'Paper Heart' was born to a mother who was a native of the Philippines and is of both Filipino and Spanish descent.
Sharon Leal
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The actress, whose mother is Filipino and whose father was an American military policeman, is best known for her stunning part in 'Dreamgirls' and more recently could be seen on 'Supergirl.'
Lalaine Vergara-Paras
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Lalaine Vergara-Paras found fame early as Hilary Duff's co-star on 'Lizzie McGuire,' but while Vergara-Paras' character was supposed to be of Mexican descent (Miranda Sanchez), her parents are actually Filipino.
Mark Dacascos
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The actor, martial artist, and television personality—best known as "The Chairman" on Food Network's 'Iron Chef America'—was born in Hawaii to a father of whose parents originated from the Philippines and were of Chinese, Filipino and Spanish ancestry, meanwhile his mother reportedly is of Irish and Japanese ancestry.
Mike Inez
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The famed bassist of rock band Alice in Chains was born to a Filipina mother who immigrated to the US from Manila.
Robert Lopez
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The songwriter who notably co-created 'The Book of Mormon' and 'Avenue Q,' and who's famed for co-writing the songs featured in 'Frozen' and 'Coco' with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, was born and raised in New York to Filipino-American parents.
Dean Devlin
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The screenwriter and producer of famous films including 'Independence Day' (1996) and 'Godzilla' (1998), Dean Devlin was born to a Jewish father and Filipina mother. His series 'Almost Paradise' in 2020 became the first-ever American TV series filmed entirely in the Philippines.
Joey Santiago
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Joey Santiago is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer best known for being the lead guitarist of the iconic alt-rock band the Pixies, whose signature style serves as a major influence in the evolution of alt-rock to this day.
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