In an interview with PeopleAsia at yesterday’s viewing party organized by Theatre Group Asia held at Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Dolly de Leon describes her role in the second season of Nine Perfect Strangers, working alongside Hollywood star and producer Nicole Kidman and other gripping performances that fans can expect from the Golden Globe-nominated Filipino talent.
By ANNE STEPHANIE NILO
She broke the ceiling as the first Filipino to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 80th Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). But for Dolly de Leon — who proved that Filipino actors can proudly stand alongside their foreign peers — the hard work of showcasing Filipino talent has only begun.
And she continues to impress global audiences in the second season of Nine Perfect Strangers, a story of nine city dwellers who join a ten-day wellness retreat at the strange and eerie Tranquillum House operated by Russian wellness guru Masha Dmitrichenko, played by Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman.
De Leon plays Agnes Romero, a former nun whose faith is shaken by a spiritual crisis, and searches for answers by joining Masha’s retreat.
She describes this intriguing role as a challenge that not only further propelled her on the global stage, but also enriched her acting portfolio. “This role is super different. First of all, she’s a nun. I played a nun before but not in this extent. She’s really a very, very unique character. She’s kind of introverted but kind of finds her place in the world, starts to discover more about herself and keeps an open mind about how the world works and how she views God,” de Leon says.
Her fans are also raring to know about her experience working with Nicole, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. And she only has kind words for her fellow actress who made this experience memorable.
“I was able to share one scene with her, just the two of us, and that for me was very special because she really made me feel comfortable on the set, especially a set that is hers and has been hers since Season 1. But she really made me feel good, feel welcome, and I think that matters a lot,” de Leon recalls.
How has de Leon transformed as an actor and as a person in the wake of the attendant global acclaim and adulation?
“It [the stardom] didn’t really change me much, I think. Well, in every job that I take, I always learn something new from the people I work with and a lot about myself so it has changed me in a way that it’s, I guess, I got in a lot more knowledge about the craft. As far as me as a person, more or less, my basic self is still there. Maybe I’ve changed in certain ways — now I have higher expectations of everyone, of how we are treated on set because I’ve experienced working abroad, so more of that kind of awareness,” she muses.
And after the second season of Nine Perfect Strangers comes the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, where de Leon plays twins Lo and Li. With one major role after another, what’s next for this homegrown talent who has been taking the foreign film scene by storm?
For one, she comes back in August — after a series of roadshows abroad — to star in two local movies. She has not forgotten her roots, and this makes her more endearing to her Filipino fans.
“There is Nilamon ng Kasaysayan ng Hydra, which is for Cinemalaya in August, directed by Dustin Celestino. We’re working on another Filipino film and an American film which I’ll be shooting in August,” she reveals.
Whether here or in Hollywood, Dolly de Leon — who first shone on the theater stage after graduating with a degree in Theater Arts from the University of the Philippines — can only shine brighter in the coming seasons.
