Dolly de Leon attributes success to hard work and timing

Before Dolly de Leon became famous that she is today, she went through many failures, rejections and hardships that could easily weaken one’s spirit. Dolly was first to admit that her life’s obstacles were then too tough for her to handle but she chose not to give up.

Dolly created a lot of buzz in Hollywood for her brilliant acting performance in Triangle of Sadness. She’s the first-ever Filipino actress to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes and at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in the same category. Film critics also showered Dolly with praise for her effective acting. Moreover, Dolly received more nominations from international award-giving bodies.

“I’ve become a happier person. I was really down in the dumps before any of this happened. I was really in a bad, dark place before,” Dolly disclosed when we had our one-on-one interview in Fast Talk With Boy Abunda.

As she looked back on what she had been through, the actress cited the importance of treating everyone with kindness.

“What I also learned about this whole thing is that we always have to be kind to everyone we encounter, and that’s basically it,” she said.

“You’re right about that gap between what happened before and who I am now. There is a gap there and there is a transition that happens. And through that transition, the biggest thing I learned is that, buti na lang I was kind to everyone I had known before,” she added.

Dolly also noticed the big change in the way she’s being treated by people. “The big difference is people who have not been so kind suddenly are so kind now.”

Nevertheless, Dolly assured that nothing has ever changed in the way she deals with people.

“I treat them with kindness. Kung pinili nilang maging mean or snubbish before, hindi ko sila gagayahin,” she shared. “The only way to lead is by example di ba it’s walking the talk. I can’t say, ‘Treat people with kindness,’ tapos hindi ako kind.”

She continued, “So, it doesn’t matter who you are, kahit nga sinong taong talagang badtrip na badtrip ako or hindi ko talaga type, I still treat them with kindness.”

Her moments of frustration and rejection can serve as motivation for young actors not to lose hope and to just keep on working hard until they succeed.

“Naranasan ko na pong mag-audition (sa) cattle call. ‘Pag sinabing cattle call, lahat ng artista nandun, 300 actors nandun. Ibig sabihin nun maraming roles ang kailangan kaya maraming pinapapunta na hindi ako pumasa,” Dolly recalled.

She, too, had been rejected many times during auditions for theater plays and “I also experienced auditioning for local film festivals and I didn’t pass.”

“But it didn’t mean that I gave up. Of course, I felt sad but that didn’t stop me. It should never stop you. And don’t be discouraged. Don’t ever think na, ‘Ay, hindi ako pumasa sa audition na ito, wala na akong pag-asa. No. We must go on and on. Laban lang ng laban and keep going to every audition,” she remarked.

In the life of an actor, rejections are inevitable. One must learn how to accept failures because “the success rate in auditions is really low. Rejection is part of our job. That’s the sad thing of being an actor. We have to learn to accept it and live with it,” stressed Dolly, who apart from being an actress, is also an acting coach.

In the midst of her hardships, Dolly was supported by fellow actress and dear friend Eugene Domingo, especially when she experienced some financial struggles.

“Uge (Eugene) and I have known each other since we were young, teenagers pa kami. We were together in UP theater arts so barkada na kami n’yan,” she recalled.

“At the time when I was going through really hard times, Kuya Boy, because there were really times when I had no way to pay for the electric bill, when my child had to stop schooling because I could not pay for the tuition, a lot of friends came to support me and Uge (was) one of them.”

She went on to tell that Eugene provided for her son’s educational needs and it all the more made their friendship stronger.

“She paid for my son’s tuition for three years. She never left even if she reached that superstardom level already,” she said. “She was always a friend. She was always Uge, as we know her.

“So, totoong kaibigan ang tingin ko talaga sa kanya at ang laking tulong n’ya sa akin nito, itong buong thing na nangyayari sa akin kasi kumbaga dinaanan na n’ya ito kaya binigyan n’ya ko ng tips,” Dolly shared, referring to the accolades she received for her performance in Triangle of Sadness.

I asked Dolly how much of who she is today is luck? How much of that is timing and how much of that is talent and hard work?

“I would say that hard work is 90 percent, timing is probably 10 percent. Luck has nothing to do with it. I worked really hard to become the actor that I am today,” she replied.

“It was a lot of hard work and timing also. Timing in terms of ‘yung mga bata, they are now more conscious of being more inclusive and accepting of all kinds of stories,” she added.