Dolly de Leon makes history with Golden Globe nomination
Dolly de Leon brings pride to Filipinos as she bags awards and nominations for her performance in ‘Triangle of Sadness’.
Actress Dolly de Leon made history as the first Filipina to get a Golden Globe nomination.
Her notable performance in the film Triangle of Sadness caught the eye of critics, granting her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the Motion Picture category for the 80th Golden Globe Awards. Vying for the same award are Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Kerry Condon for The Banshees of Inisherin, Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Carey Mulligan for She Said.
Triangle of Sadness is a satirical black comedy film by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund. It had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the coveted Palme d’Or and an seven – minute standing ovation. This is one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry and the highest prize given at Cannes.
In the film, Dolly played the role of Abigail who is part of the cleaning crew aboard a luxury yacht that gets stranded on an island. As the only one with survival skills, she quickly establishes herself as the group’s leader.
“I love Abigail so much! I loved playing this woman who is faced with so many challenges in life, but comes out a strong fighter,” shared the seasoned actress. “Despite all the odds, she persevered and kept going, and did her best to navigate this crazy world she’s living in. I wish I was more like her. Ang galing ni Abigail! I wish the Filipino audience would get to meet Abigail.”
In a previous interview, Dolly shared how she got the role as Abigail.
“The producers flew to Manila to see me audition. They asked me to act out three important scenes in the film. Back then, they only made me read portions of the script so I really couldn’t tell what the story was about,” she recalled.
Dolly got a lot of positive reviews on her performance. She revealed that she doesn’t usually make it a habit to pore over reviews, good or bad.
“If it were me, I don’t like reading movie reviews. This is because if the review is good, you’d feel happy. If it was negative, then you’d feel sad. It’s like what you read is controlling your feelings. I avoid them as much as possible,” she admitted. “This time, I indulged. I read them because they’re all good words.”
Proud family and friends have been sharing the reviews with her, and she couldn’t help but read them.
“My children, that’s all they do! They send me all these reviews. My friends on Facebook, they’re always reposting articles,” she shared.
“They’re so sweet! Of course, I got to read a lot of them,” she added. “I felt really flattered. It feels good that the project you’ve worked so hard on gets appreciated, especially by the foreign press. Nakakataba ng puso. Sobrang sarap.”
US media company Variety called Dolly “a breakout star” and “a scene-stealing Filipina actor.” During Cannes, she even got stopped in the street by fans. What she truly appreciated about the experience, though, was being with fellow Filipinos.
Dolly also joined the roster of nominees for Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 Satellite Awards. This is an award given annually by the International Press Academy, a global media association of domestic and foreign entertainment journalists in print, TV, radio, broadcast, and online outlets; including critics, interviewers, reviewers, bloggers, and photographers.
She is the only Filipino nominated for the said awards. Winners for the 27th Satellite Awards will be announced on February 11, 2023.
Dolly has been making the rounds of various international festivals, learning a lot about their culture and creative processes.
“The great thing about this whole thing is that I get to experience different cultures and witness how differently they approach these things—the festivals and the films. It’s refreshing to meet all of them,” she shared.
Earlier this month, Dolly won the award for Best Supporting Performance at the 48th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be recognized by critics who think outside the box and recognize the artistry of film-making. I’m proud to represent every individual who is struggling in their chosen industry — much like Abigail. Every single soul who’s watched the film would know what I’m talking about,” said Dolly in her statement.
Furthermore, Dolly dedicated her win to her fellow Filipinos and OFWs.
“Sa buong bayan, sa bawat Pilipino dito at overseas na lumalaban araw-araw, sa mga nawawalan ng pag-asa. Hindi ako mag-isa dito. Magkakasama tayo,” declared Dolly.
Dolly studied theater in college and has been part of the industry for over three decades already. She was part of the HBO Asia anthology series 7 Days of Hell. She has also been part of several local productions such as Historya ni Ha and Hintayan ng Langit, among many others.
“I’ve been part of all the teleseryes you know. I already worked for all the local networks and production companies,” she shared. “They all became my training grounds in order for me to be able to do what you’ve just seen on the screen now.”
Dolly is also part of the Dirty Linen, the new Kapamilya series headlined by Zanjoe Marudo, Janine Gutierrez, Francine Diaz, and Seth Fedelin. She is currently home in the Philippines for the holidays, but will soon return abroad to fulfill her international commitments. She signed up with a US talent agency last June and is expected to explore more international projects.
With a lot of experience under her belt, she gives this sage advice.
“An actor should be firm and stable. Hindi pwedeng pusong mamon,” stated Dolly firmly. “This is because, in the world of entertainment, we’re being judged by the work we put out. We can’t be weak. Every day, we open ourselves up for judgment. We have to be strong, resilient, adaptable, and loving at the same time. That’s what everybody needs in any kind of job — you have to have a strong and deep love for what you do.”
