Lea Salonga was taken by surprise during the Finding Your Roots season 11 premiere on January 7, where host Henry Louis Gates Jr. explored her family history. Salonga, known for her roles in Les Misérables and Aladdin, had a complex relationship with her father, Feliciano Genuino Salonga Jr., who was described as emotionally distant at home but playful around others. Gates uncovered the reasons behind this distance, revealing that Salonga’s father had a tumultuous past, including a Navy incident in which he missed his boat in Honolulu, which was later documented in a newspaper.
The family history took an even more unexpected turn when Gates revealed that Salonga’s grandfather, Feliciano P. Salonga, had served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He survived the Japanese attack on the Philippines, but was listed as missing in action from 1942 to 1945. Salonga expressed that she had never heard of this part of her grandfather’s story and reflected on the emotional toll it may have had on her father, especially since he was only 12 at the time.
Salonga shared her thoughts on how this traumatic history might have influenced her father’s behavior, explaining that being the oldest son may have placed an unspoken responsibility on him to be the man of the house. She speculated that this could have contributed to his emotional reserve, adding, “Life is short. I better take advantage of what it has to offer.” This revelation shed light on a deeper, generational impact of history and emotional resilience within her family.