Dolly de Leon on why acting doesn’t define her
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino audiences may see Dolly de Leon as an internationally acclaimed actress, but she would rather not be placed on a pedestal.
Despite an expanding résumé that spans not just Philippine cinema, but also Hollywood productions, streaming series and animation, Dolly, who has spent the past six months in the Philippines before leaving again for overseas projects, stressed that acting represents only one side of her life.
“Beyond talent for me is all about your character,” she said during the intimate “Beyond Talent” gathering with media friends, including The STAR, organized by her local talent agency, CreaZion Studios Artists or CSA.
“For example, ngayon pinag-uusapan natin ako as an actor. That’s a very, very small part of who I am.
“There are many aspects to me. I’m a mother, I’m a homemaker. I’m a very crafty person. I crochet, I do sashiko, I cook, I do all sorts of things. I’m a friend.”
She also believes that people sometimes forget that actors, despite the “extraordinary” nature of their work, live ordinary lives.
“Minsan kasi, lalo na sa industriya natin, masyado nating nilalagay sa pedestal ang mga celebrities. Akala nila perfect sila, na hindi sila gumagamit ng banyo, di ba?” she said.
“Parang maraming aspects to every person, and not just ordinary people. Pati kaming actors, who are actually ordinary people. Kung tutuusin, extraordinary lang yung trabaho namin, but there are many facets to us.”
During the conversation, Dolly recalled anew the opportunities that opened up for her following the international success of “Triangle of Sadness” in 2022, including how it helped launch her Hollywood journey through a surprisingly casual Instagram message.
“A gentleman named Adam Kersh DMed me on Instagram and said, ‘Hi, I’m a manager. I watched your film. If you want representation, I would love to meet you,’” she recalled.
Initially suspicious of the invitation, Dolly joked that she wondered whether the stranger might kidnap her.
“So sabi ko, teka muna, hindi ko ’to kilala. Baka kung anong gawin, baka kidnapin ako or whatever. Pero sabi ko, ba’t ako iki-kidnap? Wala naman akong worth,” she said, laughing.
They eventually met, and Fusion Entertainment signed her for management, helping connect her with projects abroad.
While her international career may appear glamorous from the outside — from walking the red carpet with Nicole Kidman and her “Nine Perfect Strangers” co-stars to attending major international film events — Dolly was quick to clarify that working overseas involves long days, early call times and periods of loneliness.
“It’s not what I imagined it to be at all, and it’s not as glamorous as you think,” she said.
“It’s hard work. Gising ka pa rin nang maaga. Gigising ka ng alas-singko ng madaling araw dahil susunduin ka ng alas-sais. Tapos uuwi kang mag-isa sa apartment mo.”
Being away from her children can be especially difficult because the time difference sometimes prevents her from calling them after work.
“Hindi ka na pwedeng tumawag sa bahay kasi hatinggabi na nun and tulog yung mga anak mo. Som it can be lonely sometimes,” she admitted.
Nevertheless, Dolly reminds herself that she is fortunate to be doing the work she loves.
“Iniisip ko, ginusto ko ’to, di ba? And I’m doing what I love. I mean, how many people can proudly say that they’re doing something that they love?
“At the end of the day, for me, ’yun ang importante, na meron akong trabaho. As in, happy ako that I’m working.”
What makes the experience even more rewarding is that she no longer has to choose between building a career in the Philippines and accepting opportunities abroad.
“I’m happy that I get to meet brilliant minds and creative people and work with them, and that I can do that on both sides of the world, not just in one,” she said.
“I have the best of both worlds. For me, ’yun yung maganda doon kasi may natututunan ako sa kanila at may natututunan din ako dito sa atin.”
Dolly starred as Detective Sofia Gonzalez in Apple TV+’s “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” and joined Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers” Season 2. The veteran actress also appeared in Paul Feig’s action-comedy “Jackpot!” and played most recently the live-action roles of Lo and Li in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender” Season 2. Up next, de Leon voices Lola Fatima in the Filipino mythology-inspired DreamWorks animated feature, “Forgotten Island.”
Despite the scale, prestige and diversity of her projects, Dolly also cherishes those moments away from film sets and red carpets. During this downtime in the Philippines, she rediscovered the pleasure of just staying home.
“Na-miss ko yung nakatunganga lang ako sa bahay at walang ginagawa. Sobrang na-miss ko ’yon,” she shared.
“Nagluto ako, namalengke ako. Nag-grocery kami, nagtanim ako ng halaman, nag-alaga ako ng pusa… Nag-try akong mag-yoga, tapos nag-try ako ng choir singing.”
She’s also into video games. In fact, the “biggest reward” she bought for herself after her back-to-back international projects was a PlayStation 5.
She treasures these periods knowing they become rare whenever work resumes.
“Ang saya-saya. Ang sarap. Chine-cherish ko yung mga ganyan kasi once na nagtrabaho na ako, wala na ulit ’yan,” she said.
“Ang sarap talaga nung nakaupo ka lang sa bahay at wala kang ginagawa.”
Besides being a proud mother and homemaker, Dolly also offered a glimpse into the “state of her heart.”
“Mahal na mahal ko ang sarili ko. Happy, happy ako na mag-isa at walang iniisip na ibang tao,” she said, in response to a media question.
She then recalled something comedy legend Carol Burnett had said about enjoying the freedom of being single.
“Alam mo, sinabi ni Carol Burnett? Tinanong siya kung mag-aasawa pa siya ulit. Sabi niya, enjoy na enjoy na siya sa pagbabasa niya ng libro, sa panonood ng sine, sa pagtulog niya sa gabi. ‘Pag nagkaroon siya ng jowa, kailangan titira siya sa ibang bahay,” Dolly said.
“Walang (nagpaparamdam). Buti na lang! Happy ako, happy ako, as is!”
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