Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1) — Having experienced the ups and downs in her career, award-winning actress Dolly de Leon said it is important to be kind to others no matter who they are.
Following the recognitions she received since her critically-acclaimed performance in Ruben Östlund’s Oscar-nominated “Triangle of Sadness,” de Leon said she saw how some people differently treated her and others, which saddened her.
“I think that the biggest revelation for me is that it’s really important to be kind to everyone you meet and everyone you work with, and you can’t be selective with who you’re kind to,” she told CNN Philippines’ New Day on Tuesday.
“It doesn’t matter what their position is in society or in your work,” she added. “You have to be just kind to everyone.”
De Leon also admitted feeling pressured at first as she gained more attention, especially from Filipinos.
She said she resisted at first as she felt like the country was relying on her to bag international awards.
“Pero ngayon, hindi naman kailangan manalo (But now, you do not have to win)….” the actress said. “This is like a journey that I’m going through as an actor that I just need to embrace and enjoy.”
Projects are currently lined up for De Leon, which she said she can’t complain about given her passion for the art.
She recently wrapped up filming the movie “A Very Good Girl,” which features her alongside young actress Kathryn Bernardo.
De Leon has nothing to say but praises for the Kapamilya star, adding that it was a great experience working with Bernardo, director Petersen Vargas, and the rest of the cast and crew.
“When we were filming, we were all taking it seriously,: she recalled. “We all knew we were doing something very important…We were all at the top of our game.”
De Leon also stars in two Cinemalaya films, namely “Iti Mapupukaw” and “Ang Duyan ng Magiting.”
In the international stage, the Filipina thespian said she is preparing to fly to Germany for “Nine Perfect Strangers” Season 2, top-billed by Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman.
“I’m really, really looking forward to creating a new character that I’ve never played before,” de Leon said.
Early this year, she completed filming “Grand Death Lotto” and “Between the Temples.”
De Leon also got a new role as she became the first Filipino actress to be invited to the Actors branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Her inclusion in the prestigious body means that Filipino talent has a voice, she said.
On what’s next for her, De Leon said there are still characters that she would like to portray in the future, like someone with a personality disorder as it is something she wants to dig deeper into.
Also part of her bucket list is to be part of a music video. De Leon said she would like to be in a music video of Filipino singer-songwriter Unique Salonga.
“I am a huge Unique Salonga fan. I love his music, he saved my life in 2020 because I went through something really heavy at that time…His music saved my life,” she shared.
