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The world slept on Dolly De Leon for far too long. But at 56, the trailblazing Filipina actress is owning her global spotlight, and she's only just begun.
DOLLY DE LEON HAS COME A LONG WAY since 2022's "Triangle of Sadness.”
The film, which premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and won the prestigious Palme d'Or, allowed Dolly to make "herstory" in the Philippines as the first Filipina to be nominated for both the Golden Globes and BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress.
Despite not winning either nomination, Dolly graced both events looking like a true blue A-lister in ensembles by Filipino designers: Norman De Vera for the Golden Globes and Rajo Laurel for the BAFTA Awards.
“Triangle of Sadness” not only gave Dolly the spotlight she has long deserved, it also won her the Los Angeles Critics Awards for best supporting actress, and has packed her schedule tight.
Since then, Dolly has been booked and busy. She starred in the Filipino film "A Very Good Girl" with Kathryn Bernardo in 2023 and in 2024 Dolly appeared in series and films, including "Ghostlight," "Between the Temples," and "Jackpot!" to name a few.
She also returned to her theater roots with the limited-run Philippine production "Request sa Radyo" where she alternated with Lea Salonga.
Dolly De Leon sits down for an interview with GMA Integrated News reporter Hermes Joy Tunac. JAYZEE TEOFISTO
According to Dolly, theater is and will always be her first love, and she owes it to her experience as a college student at the University of the Philippines.
"'Yung development ko as a human being sumabay sa development ko as an actor," Dolly recollected, saying that sharing theater experiences with her batchmates Eugene Domingo, Frances Ignacio, Candy Pangilinan, and Lanie Sumalinog helped shape her as an actress.
[My growth as a human being went hand in hand with my growth as an actor.]
"To be honest, I do film and TV shows so that I can do plays, and I still do plays until now," she expressed. "Theater is my first love."
With theater, Dolly said it's the process she has fallen in love with.
Photos courtesy of Dolly De Leon
"It's rehearsing every day, building rapport with your castmates, building a relationship with your director and your castmates, doing the same thing over and over again, and discovering new things every single time," she described.
Comparing the theater life to being a TV and film actress, Dolly said the latter doesn't allow her time to explore the character further.
"You explore on your own, then sabak ka na, and then tapos na," she said.
[You explore independently, then dive in, and before you know it, it's over.]
“Pero ang play, hindi. It's a long process of discovery and finding out what else you could bring into the character," she expounded. "So, para sa akin, priceless 'yun and very rewarding 'yung feeling."
[But with theater, it's different. It's a long process of discovering what else you can bring to the character. So, for me, that's priceless, and the feeling is gratifying.]
At this point, however, Dolly wants to have fun as a Filipina actress on an international stage instead of looking at it as a responsibility.
She says she'd love to do something camp or films of the sort that Jack Black stars in, like "A Minecraft Movie."
"There's still a lot of me that hasn't been seen, and there's still a lot of things that I would love to do," she said, adding she’s up to take on a role in a "comedy film that is out of this world, ridiculous, and crazy."
Because “I used to feel a sense of responsibility from two years ago,” she said. “But now, I just enjoy it.”
While she didn’t pinpoint the exact moment her mindset shifted, it’s worth recalling how, in early 2023, she candidly expressed sadness over not being included in the Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress.
"Kasi if I'm gonna burden myself with that kind of responsibility, I'm gonna forget just how to enjoy the ride," she explained. So no, I've let go of that."
[Because if I'm going to burden myself with that kind of responsibility, I'm going to forget how to enjoy the ride. So, no, I've let go of that.]
Despite not being nominated for the Oscars, recognition came in a different form for Dolly. By June of the same year, she was invited to become a member of the 2023 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, alongside the likes of Ke Huy Quan, Austin Butler, and Selma Blair.
In January 2024, Dolly flew to Munich to film her first-ever American TV series, "Nine Perfect Strangers." She stars alongside Hollywood's biggest names for the series's second season, including Nicole Kidman, Christine Baranski, Murray Bartlett, Mark Strong, and Henry Golding, among others.
For six months in Germany, the Filipina actress embodied her role as Agnes, a former nun who turns to a wellness retreat for healing and transformation, in a secluded resort called Zauberwald in the Austrian Alps.
Dolly admitted that she has never played such a complex role in her 35 years of acting.
"This is the first time I've ever done this," she said.
Dolly De Leon as Mary John Manazan on "Nine Perfect Strangers." HULU
To fully enter the role, Dolly underwent extensive research by talking to a retired nun, Mary John Manazan, formerly the president of Saint Scholastica's College.
"Agnes is a complicated character," she said. "She's not a cut-and-dry nun, so I had to talk to Sister Mary John about it."
In addition, Dolly said that to enhance her preparation further, she read Mary John's book about a nun's life in Europe.
She also consulted her psychiatrist friend to understand the mental complexities of her character.
"I talked to a psychiatrist to know the psychological makeup of the character I'm playing because there are psychedelics involved. It's pretty complicated," she said.
Photos courtesy of Dolly De Leon
Despite the intensity of the role, Dolly's drive hasn't dulled. In fact, just the thought of being included in the project has fueled her even more. She was announced to be part of the cast in 2023.
"I was so excited kasi, for me, ang laking accomplishment nito. It's my first American series ever, in my whole life," she said.
[I was so excited because this was a significant accomplishment. It's my first American series ever in my whole life.]
"It was really a big deal for me. It was groundbreaking for my career to be a part of the series," she expounded.
For Dolly, the role of Agnes landing at the palms of her hands wasn't a coincidence. It was fate.
"This role is for me," she said confidently. "Everything I've done in my whole career as an actress led me to this moment."
While keeping mum about specific scenes on "Nine Perfect Strangers," Dolly recalled one scene in the show where she felt that Agnes' role had her name written all over it.
"My whole 35 years of being an actress have led me to this moment, have prepared me for this moment," she said.
Academy Award-winning actress Nicole and the rest of the star-studded cast made life on set feel effortless for Dolly. Nevertheless, she admitted to feeling starstruck, even after spending six months working alongside them.
Reflecting on her first encounter with Henry, best known for playing Nick Young in "Crazy Rich Asians," Dolly recalled being nervous to introduce herself. But to her surprise, the feeling was mutual.
Stills of "Nine Perfect Stranger." HULU
“Noong nilapitan ko siya para magpakilala, siya rin, pareho kaming nag-gush towards each other, so ang sarap lang sa feeling to meet someone like him who's so down to earth,” she reminisced.
[When I finally approached him to introduce myself, he was just as giddy. We were both gushing over each other. It felt so good to meet someone like him who's so down to earth.]
"He's one of those people in the cast whom I really bonded with a lot," she said. "He's so cool."
Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, "Nine Perfect Strangers follows the story of nine stressed strangers who gather for a 10-day retreat for transformation and healing at a wellness resort. However, the retreat is not how they imagined it would be. Nicole, who also produces the series, plays Masha, the resort's director.
Now in her mid-50s, there is still so much more to Dolly than what we've seen. She echoes Michelle Yeoh who, upon becoming the first Asian to win the Best Actress Award at the Oscars 2023, said "Ladies, don't let anybody tell you — you are ever past your prime. Never give up."
Dolly wants to impart the same message to her fellow women, especially Filipinas. It took her over three decades to earn recognition on the global stage, an inspiring testament that it will never be too late to reach for your dreams.
"It's hard work," she said. "Even for people who get it easy and who succeed easily, it takes a lot of hard work from them, too. Let's not discount that."
"Everything is hard work. Nothing comes easy. Just work hard for it. That's it," she advised.
A shot taken on the set of "Nine Perfect Strangers." DOLLY DE LEON
When asked what she hopes young talents take away from her experience, Dolly didn't hesitate to bring the focus back to the heart of the work.
"I hope they learn that at the end of the day, we're trying to create something that people can relate to and resonate with," she said.
"We're imitating life. Our job is to imitate life and present the audience with a mirror. And that's what it's all about," she added.
While her rise to international acclaim has brought her into the spotlight, Dolly emphasized that show business's glitz and glamour should never be the goal.
For young talents, Dolly wishes for them to "ignore the glitz and glamour."
"Because that's a very superficial façade," she said. "That's very temporary, and it does not define who we are."
Outside the spotlight, Dolly's life is as simple as it can get: she's a single mother of four who likes to binge-watch "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
"I've been binge-watching it all day, every day for the past week. As in, paggising ko, bubuksan ko na ‘yung TV,” she said, grinning.
"While I'm doing stuff, naka-on lang siya, nagp-play in the background. I love that show so much," she added.
And just like that, the woman who brought honor to the Philippines, who brought critics to their feet, and who still dreams of playing wild, ridiculous roles à la Jack Black becomes someone relatable who knows how to lose herself in a good binge-watch, just like the rest of us.
Our quick and easy shoot with Dolly wrapped up on one April afternoon, a front row experience to her effortless command of the camera.
Between poses, we joked about her current favorite show, calling her “The Real Housewives of Cubao.” Dolly burst into laughter, yet never once breaking her magnetic presence.
She may have felt starstruck working alongside Hollywood names in "Nine Perfect Strangers," but in the Philippines, Dolly is the star. A beacon of hope. A woman entirely in a league of her own. —LA, GMA Integrated News
