WRITTEN BY FRANCESA JANA SANTIAGO

From having nameless roles to becoming the first Filipina ever to be nominated for a Golden Globe award, actress Dolly de Leon has come a long way and it’s only just the beginning for her. Graduated with a bachelor of arts in theater at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Dolly spent decades performing in stage plays like The Merchant of Venice and Three Sisters but it was in 1991 when she found her first on-screen project in the cult classic Pinoy horror Shake Rattle and Roll III. She went on to feature in films but with what she calls “little roles no one will remember”. Dolly struggled booking gigs in the Philippines, “no one ever chooses me” she shares with The Hollywood Reporter. Fortunately, that wasn’t enough to make her give up and before the actress knew it, this year would not only grant her first international production but would also catapult her into global recognition!

Even after winning the supporting actress prize at the 2020 FAMAS (the Filipino Oscars) for her role in Verdict (2019), Dolly still lived through the complexity of the Philippine entertainment industry and knew that you couldn’t simply make a living from just acting. So the single mother of four had to work part-time as a team building facilitator while juggling auditions she would already expect the worst from. At one point, Dolly even considered quitting but thanks to her children’s encouragement she didn’t and in 2018, she was presented the opportunity to audition for the part of Abigail, a Filipino cleaning lady who transforms into the leader of shipwrecked survivors in the Cannes Filmfest Palme d’Or best film Triangle of Sadness. Dolly had to prepare herself physically and mentally in order to embody Abigail perfectly and to endure the strenuous tapings in Greece.

Dolly didn’t have to research as much for Abigail but worked on her backstory instead, such as her childhood spent by the water and her horrible experiences with men. She even referenced the Filipino women in her life to build Abigail’s values and personality. Filming the actual movie however, was something new for Dolly.  Aside from having to swim a 40-foot distance with rocks in her pocket, director Ruben Östlund had her shoot multiple takes, which the actress admits took a toll on her but eventually served her well in getting more in character. All these are proven worth it as Dolly would later win the Best Supporting Performer category at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) and of course, a nomination at the 2023 Golden Globes.

It’s not all the time you get to see an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) portrayed on the big screen and the way Abigail plays into this satirical black comedy is genius and meaningful. She starts off as someone not impactful enough for you to remember, before progressing into a force to be reckoned with in the next sequences. Dolly tells Entertainment Weekly that this character development “is a huge statement on what a certain amount of power can do to a person regardless of their status in life”. In addition to that, seeing a familiar face like Abigail opens the door for representation wider and even proves to the rest of the industry that Filipinos will always have compelling stories to tell, regardless if they’re shown as a millionaire, a parent, a warrior or in this case, a cruise ship worker.