MANILA — Award-winning actress Dolly de Leon reflected on the audition that transformed her career, revealing she had planned to quit acting if she had not landed her breakthrough role in the 2022 film Triangle of Sadness.
In an Instagram post, De Leon shared a throwback photo from Jan. 7, 2019, when she interviewed with Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund for the role of Abigail, the performance that would earn her international acclaim.
De Leon said she initially believed the meeting was simply a callback after auditioning three months earlier. She later learned from fellow actor Jake Macapagal, who encouraged her to audition, that she remained in contention for the role.
At the time, De Leon said she was living with her children in a friend’s rent-free apartment in Cainta and viewed the audition as her final opportunity to pursue an acting career.
“I made a deal with my Creator. ‘If I don’t get this job, I will quit being an actor,'” she wrote.
With the help of her daughter, Luccia, the family converted their living room into a makeshift studio for the interview using an iPad, a donated lamp and a small collection of personal items.
Looking back, De Leon said every rejection, disappointment and hardship she experienced became part of the journey that led to her success.
“It was all worth it,” she wrote, encouraging others to persevere through difficult times. “Whatever it is you’re going through, whatever it is you’re pursuing, keep at it. It gets better. I promise.”
De Leon became the first Filipino actor to receive Golden Globe and British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Triangle of Sadness.
Speaking with Lea Salonga in a 2024 interview on the State of the Arts YouTube channel, De Leon said she turned to longtime friends in the theater industry for guidance as she adjusted to her newfound international recognition.
She admitted it took more than a year to fully embrace the attention that followed the film’s success and to understand that an actor’s responsibilities extend beyond performing on set.
De Leon said she eventually realized the recognition gave her something she had rarely experienced throughout her career — the ability to choose projects that are meaningful and relevant.
“Sometimes with success, you get to choose what to do, which I never had a choice ever on anything that I did. But now I do,” she said.
