BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

On the night of January 24, 9:30pm Philippine time, people waited with bated breath whether we would have our very first Oscar nominee.

Unfortunately, even though Dolly de Leon was a really strong contender, she did not make it. However, it was still a good run for Neon, the producer of ‘Triangle of Sadness’, the critically acclaimed film which received the 2022 Palme d’Or (Cannes Film Festival 2022 Best Picture), and Dolly, who bested all the other contenders to win the Best Supporting Actress Award in one of the most prestigious award-giving bodies in Sweden, the Guldbaggen.

“Most of all, thank you to the great nation of Sweden for shaping Ruben [Ostlund] and his wicked sense of humour,” the seasoned actress texted as part of her acceptance speech, which was read out by one of the film’s executive who accepted the award on her behalf.

The film itself got nominated for the Best Picture Category at the 95th Academy Awards, that is why some, who considered Abigail/Dolly to be the best part of the film, is questioning why she was not given due recognition by The Academy.

Photo source: @biancaparkes (Instagram)

Overall, she scored over 20 international nominations including Golden Globe and BAFTA, making her the first Filipina to be nominated in those prestigious Hollywood recognized award-giving bodies. 

She won as the Best Supporting Actress of North Dakota Film Society, as well as the Best Supporting Performer of Los Angeles Film Critics Association. She was the Best Supporting Actress Runner-up of the National Society Film Critics.

The satirical film about capitalism put Dolly in the role of Abigail, a toilet cleaner who goes on to become the “captain” of the group when they get marooned on an island and she’s the only person who has survival skills.

The 53-year-old actress graduated BA Theatre Arts in UP Diliman and considers the late Ogie Juliano, the late Tony Mabesa, and Prof. Jose Estrella as her mentors. She figured in many Dulaang UP and UP Playwrights Theatre productions in almost three decades, essaying roles in classics such as: Noli (Maria Clara), Fili (Paulita Gomez), Merchant of Venice (Portia), Oryang (Gregoria de Jesus), The Tempest (Stephania), Three Sisters (Olga), and many more. New theater audiences were awed by her performance as Lady Fidget in Dulaang UP’s ‘The Country Wife’ as well as Cariola in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ produced by the same theater company. “She exuded the appropriate status of her role. Her every movement and action has meaning and reason,” wrote Laarni Lopez, a constant theater reviewer.

Her significant local television and film performances include: 7 Days of Hell episode for HBO series ‘Folklore’; On the Job; Historiya ni Ha; The Kangks Show; Kitty K7; and Verdict, a Philippine crime drama film which gave her the Best Supporting Actress recognition in FAMAS 2020.

What does the future hold for her now? She is currently playing the role of Olivia Salvacion in the highly-anticipated mystery thriller of ABS-CBN titled ‘Dirty Linen’. Her role is very significant to the plot since it is her sudden disappearance that set things into motion for the two families. She’s also managed by Ferdy Lapuz, a down-to-earth powerhouse industry veteran whose roster of artists almost always brings home awards. 

Her Hollywood future is bright despite the Oscars setback, as acclaimed filmmaker of ‘Baby Driver’ and ‘Last Night in Soho’ Edgard Howard Wright tweeted, “I’m still writing Dolly de Leon on my ballot,” even though she wasn’t included in the official list of nominees. His tweet reached 609k people as of writing, with some netizens asking Edgar to cast Dolly in his next project. The director also clarified that directors can’t vote in acting categories that is why he was not able to vote for her in the final round.

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo from Instagram (@dollydeleon)