Filipino-American actresses Isa Briones, Kristin Villanueva, and Amielynn Abellera. Photos from Sthanlee B. Mirador/Facebook
LOS ANGELES — Four actresses with Filipino heritage were associated with award-winning productions at the 32nd Actor Awards, reflecting the continued visibility of Filipino and Filipino-American performers in major Hollywood film and television projects.
The ceremony, presented by SAG-AFTRA, took place on March 1, 2026 at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles and streamed globally on Netflix. The awards recognize outstanding acting achievements in film and television and are determined through voting by members of the actors’ union.
Three of the actresses — Isa Briones, Amielynn Abellera, and Kristin Villanueva — were members of the ensemble cast of the medical drama The Pitt, which won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, one of the ceremony’s top television honors.
The series centers on the fast-paced environment of a modern hospital emergency department and the personal and professional challenges faced by medical staff.
Briones portrays Dr. Trinity Santos, while Abellera appears as Nurse Perlah Alawi and Villanueva as Nurse Princess Dela Cruz. As part of the show’s ensemble cast, the three actresses shared in the guild’s recognition of the series’ collective performance.
Briones, the daughter of Filipino stage and television actor Jon Jon Briones, previously appeared in the science-fiction series Star Trek: Picard and has built a career across television, film and stage.
In the film categories, the ensemble cast of Sinners received Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the Actor Awards’ top ensemble honor for film.
The film stars Michael B. Jordan and features Hailee Steinfeld, whose maternal grandfather was Filipino. As a member of the film’s cast, Steinfeld shares in the ensemble award recognized by the guild.
The Actor Awards have long been regarded as a significant recognition within the entertainment industry because winners are selected by fellow actors rather than critics or journalists.
While ensemble awards recognize the achievements of entire casts rather than individual performers, the presence of four actresses with Filipino heritage among award-winning productions highlights the growing representation of Filipino and Filipino-American talent in international entertainment.
For Filipino audiences and the diaspora, the moment underscores how performers of Filipino descent continue to gain visibility in major studio films and prestige television series reaching global audiences.
