A New Generation of Filipino Talent

I am completely fascinated at the fact that Filipinos and Fil-Americans (Americans with Filipino descent) have been getting a lot of media attention in pop culture in the past decade. Here are some that come to mind.

apl.de.ap - member of The Black Eyed Peas

Arnel Pineda - lead vocalist of Journey

Brilliante Mendoza - best director at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival

Cristeta Comerford - White House executive chef since 2005

JabbaWockeez - the first winning group of America's Best Dance Crew

Manny Pacquiao - the best fighter of this generation

Monique Lhuillier - fashion designer known for her bridal and red carpet gowns

Nicole Scherzinger - lead vocalist of Pussycat Dolls

Vanessa Hudgens - lead actress/singer in High School Musical

They continue to be great at what they do -- giving the world a glimpse of how Filipinos are naturally talented in sports and in the arts.

This new decade shows a lot of promise for a new generation of Filipinos and Fil-Americans. Here is a list of exciting, young talent that I believe will only continue to shine brighter.

Ali Ewoldt - was cast as Maria in the traveling Broadway tour of the 'West Side Story.' I personally saw her performance and she was spectacular.

Bruno Mars - popular singer-songwriter and producer. Famous for his hit song 'Just The Way You Are.' His vocals are also featured on songs like 'Nothin' On You' and "Billionaire.'

Charice - a Filipino singer who got recognition because of a YouTube video showcasing her extraordinary vocal talent. Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey saw the beauty of the voice and the story behind it. Today, she is the first Asian singer to have a song on a Billboard top ten chart. She also has a current guest role in the television show 'Glee.'

Danica Magpantay - the first Filipino model to win the prestigious Ford Supermodel of the World 2011. This sweet, young lady is also part of the youth group that Robert used to serve in Victory Fort.

Darren Criss - plays Blaine in the popular television series Glee. Definitely my favorite character on the show. He sang the cover of Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' and became the bestselling Glee song on iTunes.

Hailee Steinfeld - a young actress who played the character of Mattie Ross in the critically-acclaimed remake of 'True Grit.' She also recently received an Academy Award nomination.

Shay Mitchell - plays Emily on the popular ABC Family show 'Pretty Little Liars.' Incidentally, the actress who plays her mother, Nia Peeples, is also part-Filipino.

Steven R. McQueen - best known for his role as Jeremy Gilbert on the CW show 'The Vampire Diaries.' I found it really interesting that his grandfather is Steve McQueen, who was first married to a Filipino-born actress before being known for his second marriage -- to Ali McGraw.

I am so excited to see them succeed! There is no doubt that there is still a whole lot of young Filipinos out there that are yet to be discovered. Our country is filled with untapped talent!

Tell Me:

Are there any rising Filipino stars that I missed out on?