H.E.R.: 'Filipinos go hard for their people'
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-American singer-actress H.E.R. reiterated the "bayanihan" spirit of Filipinos and even shared her local favorite dessert to munch on.
The Oscar- and Grammy-winner, whose real name is Gabrielle Sarmiento Wilson, appeared on the Sept. 16, 2026 episode of the talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote her upcoming movie "Forgotten Island."
The DreamWorks Animation film is inspired by Filipino culture, mythology, and folklore, and its cast and crew are mostly composed of individuals with a Filipino background.
H.E.R. voices one of two best friends stranded on the titular island Nakali, which is filled with aswangs and other mystical Philippine creatures.
The artist confirmed to Kimmel that the backdrop of the movie was "right up her alley," getting the chance to speak Tagalog and celebrate her culture in a project of this scale.
She recalled first visiting the Philippines as a young girl then only went back in 2019 with her whole family so that her mother Agnes — who was born in the Philippines — could reunite with her sister after a decade.
Since then, the family has been trying to visit more often, with H.E.R.'s last visit just a month ago for "Forgotten Island" promos with co-star Liza Soberano and directors Januel Mercado (also a Filipino-American) and Joel Crawford.
Kimmel noted that whenever someone from the Philippines makes it big, they are pretty much treated as a national hero, and H.E.R. nodded in agreement, "Totally, totally, they go hard for their people."
"It's been a beautiful reunion, I think they needed that. I'm just so glad to be kind of responsible for it," the artist added about her mom reuniting with her sister.
H.E.R. also shared that one of her favorite local dishes was halo-halo, which she tried explaining to Kimmel and the studio audience, even quipping that she herself was halo-halo or a Filipino mix.
The interview ended with H.E.R. teasing that she was finishing up working on her next album, which would be her first since 2021.
"Forgotten Island" goes wide in Philippine cinemas on September 23. — Video from Jimmy Kimmel Live's YouTube channel
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