The Hong Kong branch of Madame Tussauds has tapped actress Kathryn Bernardo to join its hall of celebrity statues, with Bernardo becoming the latest Filipino to get a wax figure.
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong hosts the wax replicas of Filipinos Manny Pacquiao, Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray. A wax figure of Lea Salonga, meanwhile, can be viewed at the Singapore branch on Sentosa island.
Having a statue in Hong Kong hits close to Kathryn’s heart as her 2019 blockbuster “Hello, Love, Goodbye” withh Alden Richards was shot there while its 2024 sequel “Hello, Love, Again”, is currently the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time.
The company also took note of Kathryn’s rise in star power since her start as a child actress, going on to appear in projects like “Mara Clara”, “Got to Believe”, “Pangako Sa ‘Yo”, “The Hows of Us” and “A Very Good Girl”, many of them opposite ex-boyfriend Daniel Padilla.
Forbes Asia recognized Kathryn as one of the most influential celebrities on social media in the Asia-Pacific region in 2020, with her fan base reaching Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea.
In a statement, Kathryn shared that having her own wax figure was a dream come true and expressed her gratitude to the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong team for their trust.
“I’m excited for my fans worldwide to visit and interact with my twin, especially in Hong Kong since it’s such a meaningful milestone for me,” added Kathryn, who had her measurements taken last August.
Wade Chang, General Manager of Merlin Entertainments Hong Kong, noted the value of the Filipino market and praised Kathryn as “an inspiring artist who has worked tirelessly to achieve her success.”
Kathryn’s statue is currently being sculpted and is slated to be unveiled next year, joining the likes of Rihanna, Timothée Chalamet, Chris Hemsworth, Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Soo-hyun, Bae Suzy and Hyun Bin.