Who's That Girl?
I, Kimi Galang Villegas, am a New York City-based, Filipina-American actress, singer, dancer, and teaching artist originally from Fresno, CA. Now you may be wondering where on earth Fresno is, but it is actually one of the top agricultural producing counties in the nation and is hometown to icons like Audra McDonald, Chris Colfer, and Heidi Blickenstaff!
I was bitten by the performance bug when I was 3. At my first ballet/tap recital, my tap shoe flew into the audience during an impressive rendition of “The Chicken Dance.” Half-barefoot, I sauntered into the crowd to pick up my tap shoe and slipped it back on my foot. Since then, the unexpectedness and electricity of live performance have propelled me to pursue my vocation in the arts.
In an effort to please my Filipino family, I entered college at UC Berkeley with plans of pursuing pre-med (an experience that I’m sure many children of immigrants can relate to). I found myself miserable attending 3-hour Chemistry Labs on Zoom due to the pandemic and soon realized I wasn’t being true to myself. I decided to study Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies full time and graduated a year early with Summa cum Laude Honors and the Mask and Dagger Memorial Prize.
While in university, I continued to create my own opportunities, which enabled me to perform on both sides of the country as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Adult Lead Vocalist in Brand New Day: A Celebration of Unity, Ilse in Spring Awakening, and as Marcy Park in two regional productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, most recently with The Link Theatre, directed by Broadway veteran, Joe Langworth. I am blessed to be signed with Firestarter Entertainment for representation in their Musical Theatre Division with Chondra Profit as my agent. I am currently in rehearsals, gearing up to set sail on the Island Princess with Princess Cruises, where I will be traveling through the Caribbean, Canada, and Greenland as a Lead Vocalist!
My dream is to tell important stories in any and every medium possible, whether onstage in musicals and plays or on screen in film and television. I wish to use my experiences as a Filipina to elevate AAPI voices, which are often underrepresented in the media. Since my flying tap shoe incident, I have always been in awe of the magic and endless possibilities of live performance. I believe it is this magic that can unite us all in our shared humanity. Mabuhay!
I had to dress up as a clown for one of my scenes in acting class--I definitely scared some people on the street
me with my lovely mom! <3
Kimi Fun Facts
Likes: Thai food, iced lattes, afternoon naps, reformer pilates, espresso martinis, coffee ice cream, rom-coms (especially with Meg Rtab), journaling, modern jazz
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Dislikes: Escargot.
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Inspirations: Liza Minnelli, Phillipa Soo, Audra McDonald, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, Eva Noblezada, Michelle Yeoh, Krysta Rodriguez, Joy Woods, Stephanie J. Block