THE GOLDEN GIRL

Dolly de Leon has always fought for the right of small, no-name actors; now, with a Golden Globe nomination, her name carries even more weight as she advocates for the underdog

- Jove Moya

Her 2023 Golden Globe nomination made her country proud and put Filipino talent on the global map. And while she lost out on the best supporting actress win to Angela Bassett’s turn in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dolly de Leon is making use of all the new attention and awareness, and using it for the greater good.

Tatler arrived an hour and a half early for our shoot at the actor’s home in Quezon City, in Manila, concerned both about being stuck in traffic, and the potential for a diva-like fit if we held up her schedule. We need not have worried: de Leon greeted us with a warm smile, a “good morning”, and “I’m so sorry I made you wait.”

The actress was dressed in a hoodie and jeans combo, in contrast to the dazzling outfits she has been photographed wearing in the previous few weeks. We had been briefed that she had only arrived at home at 5am that day, yet there were no signs of crankiness about her, and she received us cordially. And, in spite of groundbreaking achievement, throughout the conversation that followed, there was never a hint of arrogance, only humility.

De Leon is the breakout star of Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning film Triangle of Sadness, and the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe. In December 2022, she won the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for best supporting performance, and in January, she was nominated for a supporting actress Bafta, Britain’s equivalent of an Academy Award.