Acclaimed Filipino actress Dolly de Leon reflected on the evolving meaning of representation and expressed pride in seeing Filipino talent increasingly recognized in international productions.
During the July 8 press conference presented by Creazion Studios Artists, Beyond Talent: Dolly De Leon on Craft, Career and What’s Next, the actress reflected on her career, growing international recognition, and her evolving perspective on representation.
The actress admitted that, in the past, being asked about representing the Philippines abroad felt like carrying an enormous responsibility.
“Alam mo yang tanong na yan, that’s a very loaded question. Kasi if you had asked me that question 3 [or] 4 years ago, iba iyung sagot ko,” she said.
Rather than allowing that pressure to define her, de Leon said she learned to relax and enjoy the opportunities that came her way.
“4 years ago, para sa akin, it was a burden na to carry that kasi parang feeling ko, bakit ko responsibility na i-represent ang Philippines? Hindi naman to beauty pageant, ‘di ba. So I learned to just relax and to just enjoy it.”
The actress, who gained global acclaim for her performance in Triangle of Sadness, which earned her landmark nominations at the BAFTA Awards and the Golden Globe Awards—making her the first Filipino actress to receive acting nominations from both prestigious award-giving bodies—said she has since come to view representation in a broader, more inclusive way.
“And for me, I’m representing not just Filipinos. I’m representing women. I’m representing Asians. I’m representing women of age. And I’m representing every struggling artist in our country,” she added.
De Leon also spoke about her experience joining the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, where she was cast in the role of Lo and Li. She recalled being pleasantly surprised by the number of Filipinos involved in the production.
“I was lucky enough to be offered the role of Lo and Li. And pagdating ko doon talagang gulat na gulat ako na ang dami naming Pinoy,” she shared.
“Yung double ko Pinoy, yung isang servant na actress Pinay, yung director namin sa episode 7 Pinay, [at] yung nagtatrabaho sa craft services Pinay… Madami tayong Pinoy.”
She expressed pride in seeing Filipinos increasingly recognized and included in international entertainment, both behind the scenes and as performers.
“So nakaka-proud na umabot na tayo sa ganon, na hindi lang tayo as in a certain aspect of the industry. Nando’n na rin tayo sa performance aspect ng industry. So, ang sarap ng feeling,” she said.
“At kung tutuusin, ang dami na nating mga Pinoy all over the world na umaarte. Hindi lang ako.”
Dolly De Leon continues to expand her international career through a diverse slate of projects. She stars as Detective Gonzalez in Apple TV+’s Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, plays Lo and Li in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2, and joins the voice cast of DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island, an original feature inspired by Philippine mythology.
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