Luck of the Irish, Heart of the Filipino | Our fave Filipino Irish Celebs
Written By Niko Del Rey
Who would ever think that the Irish people and Filipino people would produce such amazing collaborations? And I’m not talking about Leslie’s famous clover chips! I’m talking about the large Filipino population inhabiting Ireland that has grown exponentially since the 1990’s. Did you know the Filipino population in Ireland was recorded to be about 500 in total in 1999 and has since then expanded 3000% with a consensus of about 15,000 people in 2016. With Filipino / Irish roots, growing rapidly in recent years, I think it’s only appropriate to celebrate our Irish Filipino kaibigan on St. Patrick’s Day with 8 Filipinos you didn’t know were also Irish.
1 Vanessa Lachey
Born in the Philippines but tracing her Irish roots from her father’s side, Vanessa Lachey (Minillo) has been one of the biggest names in pop culture since the early 2000s after winning the title of Miss Teen USA in 1998. From hosting MTV, Entertainment Tonight, television and film acting, modeling, and most notably being married to 98 degrees member Nick Lachey, Vanessa Lachey has been one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry for as long as I can remember. And of course, like millions of viewers, now is a great time to catch her as a co-host on the viral netflix show, Love Is Blind.
2. Andi Eigenmann
Reportedly half Filipino and half European mixed (Irish included), Andi Eignemann is one of the most well known Filipina actresses. Working with some of the biggest names like Coco Martin, Iza Calzado, Jake Cuenca, and Anne Curtis, Eignemann has done it all while working under agencies like Star Magic, Viva Artists, and ABS-CBN. Although she retired in 2018, her online presence is still very much known as a social media influencer with her 4.1M following that likes to keep up to date on all things Andi Eigenmann.
3. Bela Padilla
Born to a Filipino mother and English/Irish father, Bela Padilla is one of the industry's most talented artists. She can act, produce, direct, screenwrite, sing, and host. As if that wasn’t enough, Padilla is also the CEO of Whiskey Marmalade, co-founder of AndRoll film (a web based platform for filmmakers and fans to learn about the production process), and UNICEF Ambassador. She is a real female powerhouse. No wonder she has a following of 7.8M on IG, her life is so inspiring.
4. Max Collins
A GMA Network artist born to an Italian-Irish Father and Filipina mother, Max Collins is best known for her work in acting and modeling. She started commercial acting at the young age of 10 years old where she was discovered and was announced as a member of Star Magic Batch 15 at the age of 13. Since then she has worked with both ABS-CBN and GMA Network, and has gained a following of 1.7M followers on IG.
5. Hannah Arnold
Hannah Consencino Arnold was born to a Filipina mother and Australian-Irish Father. Arnold is a beauty pageant title holder placing as a finalist in the 2019 Binibining Pilipinas Pageant to later return in 2019 to win the whole competition. Shortly after, Arnold went to represent the Philippines in the 2022 Miss International Pageant, finishing in the top 15 and also hitting a milestone for the Philippines as the 100th placement in Big Four International beauty pageants.
6. Sophie Albert
Famous Filipina Actress and TV Personality, Sophia Albert-Abrenica got her start with ABS-CBN’s star magic in 2007 but made the switch in 2017, signing with GMA Network where she is still rostered today. In addition to her successful career in television and film, Sophie creates Instagram (IG) reels with her husband and co-competitor on Artista Academy, Vin Abrenica, with videos garnering as many as 31.5M views.
7. Kelsey Merritt
Kelsey Merritt was born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and American soldier father of French, German, British and Irish descent. Kelsey is most known for being the first Filipino-American model to walk the runway during the 2018 Victoria Secret Fashion Show in New York. It was her first ever runway show and she was making history! She was also featured in Sports Illustrated in 2019 and has been signed to Viva Artists Agency since 2020.
8. Iza Calzado
Her father is choreographer and TV director Lito Calzado and her mother was the late Irish-Spanish-Filipina, Mary Ann Ussher. Iza Calzado is one of the most decorated actresses on this list, winning a Luna Award, a Gawan Urian Award, 2-Metro Manila Film Festival Award, 2 Star Awards, 3-Golden Screen Awards, and an Osaka Film Festival Award. In addition to acting, Calzado is an advocate and philanthropist for mental health, body positivity, self-acceptance and women empowerment. She is one of the co-founders of She Talks Asia, a non-profit organization which centers in "raising awareness of the importance of physical, emotional and mental well-being.
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