Joan Almedilla

Joan Richelle C. Almedilla, born September 19, 1973, is a Filipino-American actress, singer, and composer whose Broadway career spans from 1988 to 2016. The daughter of Agapito and Rosario Almedilla, whose family roots trace to Bohol and Cebu in the Philippines, she demonstrated an early affinity for singing rather than acting, competing in vocal talent contests in the Philippines as a child. She relocated to the United States in 1993 to pursue a college education and study voice.

Almedilla made her Broadway debut as Kim in Miss Saigon, a role she performed from 1995 to 1997. She subsequently earned the distinction of becoming the first Filipino actress to portray Fantine, taking on the role in the Third National Tour of Les Misérables during two separate runs, from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2006. Between those engagements, she performed the role of Soul Girl in the Broadway National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar from 2002 to 2004. In 2005, she appeared as Woman in Songs for a New World at the Rubicon Theater, a production nominated for several Ovation Awards including Best Ensemble Cast.

In 2007, Almedilla portrayed Imelda Marcos in Here Lies Love opposite David Byrne at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, performing before an audience of nearly 3,000. That same period saw her take on the lead role of Himiko Hamilton in Tea, with Music at East West Players. She also recited two poems composed by Pope John Paul II to the United Nations, titled "Wonderment" and "A Hill in the Land of Moriah."

In 2016, Almedilla joined Lincoln Center's North American tour of The King and I as Lady Thiang, a production directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher. Her son, CJ Uy, appeared alongside her in the same tour, playing one of the Royal Children.

Beyond her stage work, Almedilla has appeared in films including Commencement, Ramona, and The Speed Walker, and has been featured on the recording Stage 3: True Colors as well as her solo album Joan A. She has given solo concerts under the titles Journeys of My Heart, September Songs, and Simply Joan. Her theater credits extend to productions including Criers for Hire, Krunk Fu Battle Battle, It's Only Life, and several plays including Que Platon, PeregriNasyon, Making Tracks, and Seer from Saigon.

Almedilla has directed fundraising events including Hope for a New World, which benefited victims of tsunami disasters in South Asia, and Give a Child Hope, organized with Places Please and World Vision to benefit children in Rwanda. She supports Broadway Cares: Equity Fights AIDS and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Her honors include the Perlas Awards from the Philippine Foundation in Cebu City, a Certificate of Recognition in the field of Performing Arts from the Bohol Circle of Eastern USA in 1998 and 2000, and the Apollo Awards for Best of Apollo Nights in 1994. She is married to Filipino-American film director Charles Uy.