As the second season of “Nine Perfect Strangers” draws near, Filipina actress Dolly de Leon, who stars alongside Nicole Kidman, reflects on her new role as Agnes. She also shares insights into her breakout performance in “Triangle of Sadness“, her experiences on international movie sets, and her approach to choosing roles—where relatability takes precedence over complexity.
In the 1969 film Hello, Dolly!, there’s a scene where Barbra Streisand’s titular character, Dolly Levi, descends the red-carpeted grand staircase of the Harmonia Gardens. It’s an iconic cinematic entrance, preserved in celluloid. As the music swells, she walks down the steps slowly—Dolly has returned, reclaiming the fame and glory she once held as the restaurant’s star client.
I imagine Dolly de Leon’s introduction to Hollywood to be nearly identical. In 2022, the Filipina character actress walked the red-carpeted staircase alongside director Ruben Östlund and the star-studded cast of Triangle of Sadness during its premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. When the credits rolled, a star had emerged. Hello, Dolly!, the press seemed to say. Though she had worked in the entertainment industry for decades, the then-53-year-old was finally having her moment. Like Dolly Levi, Dolly de Leon had arrived—and no one was going to stop her.
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Justice Is Served
The success of Triangle of Sadness brought Dolly de Leon a wave of rave reviews from top critics, as well as nominations for Best Supporting Actress at both the BAFTA Awards and the Golden Globes. While De Leon famously missed out on an Oscar nomination (justice for Dolly!—and I’m not just saying that as a Filipino cinephile, because she was excellent in the film), her role as Abigail, a luxury yacht cleaning lady who upends the social hierarchy when the ship sinks and the survivors are stranded on an island, reinvigorated her career.
Dolly has been a working actress in the Philippines for decades, yet never truly found her place among the stars. She persevered, taking on any role she could, gradually honing her craft into something serious and remarkably skilled. The hardships paid off. After landing the role of Abigail—with all the critical acclaim that followed—Dolly’s reach extended beyond the Philippine entertainment industry and into Hollywood.
“It makes me believe in justice—that justice can be served, and that it was worth all the hard work,” Dolly tells me, speaking over a Zoom call as she reflects on finally breaking out after years of relentless effort. “It was worth the blood, sweat, and tears. It was all worth the wait. Nothing really beats hard work to make dreams come true.”
The Complexities Of A Filipina
After Triangle of Sadness, Dolly’s international film resume began to reflect the many shades and complexities of Filipina womanhood. Her 2024 was a banner year, marked by the release of three international projects: Paul Feig’s comedy Jackpot!, where she plays the spiritual Grandma Tala; Between the Temples, in which she plays Jason Schwartzman’s lesbian stepmom who has converted to Judaism; and finally, the criminally underrated Ghostlight, a triumph of ensemble storytelling, where Dolly brings rawness and heart as a struggling working actress cast as Juliet in a small-town theater production.
“It means everything to me. I’m so proud to be a Filipino,” she says when asked what it means to her to represent Philippine talent on a global scale. “In fact, my team asked me if I’m open to playing other nationalities, like Latina roles. I said, ‘No, I want to play a Filipina every single time. If ever I play a Hispanic or Latina, dapat may halo na (there should be a mix of) Filipino blood. But there are many Hispanic actors out there, and they are all talented and they should cast them. I want to continue playing Filipinas because it’s important to me.”
While many of her recent characters feel like complex women, Dolly explains that she doesn’t actually look for complexity in her roles but instead seeks characters she can relate to. In Triangle of Sadness, she saw Abigail, an underdog who faces constant bullying but later discovers her own leadership potential. Dolly identifies with that journey, reflecting on how, at the start of her career, she, too, lacked the industry advantages many others had. However, she recognized the leader within herself—someone with agency, just like Abigail. If she can relate to a character or see herself in them, Dolly says she would be interested in playing them.
“Every single person is complicated,” she explains. “Even if someone has a simple job or a simple life. That’s what humanity is—we’re very complicated. I don’t try to make my characters complicated, but the turmoil people naturally have inside brings out that complexity.”
That’s what makes Dolly such a compelling actress—she brings emotional depth to every role, turning even the quietest characters into unforgettable portraits of real human experience.
READ ALSO: Liberating Cinema: 4 Historical Filipino Films To Watch This Independence Day
An Unconventional “Habit”
In 2025, Dolly de Leon adds another remarkable entry to her growing resume, starring in the upcoming second season of Nine Perfect Strangers for Hulu. The new season drops locally on Prime Video on May 22, with two episodes released at launch, followed by weekly single-episode drops. The season marks the return of Nicole Kidman as Masha Dmitrichenko, the mysterious wellness guru who invites a group of guests to experience a transformational retreat in the Alps. Dolly plays Agnes, an ex-nun with unconventional habits (pun not intended), who loves using inappropriate language and surrounding herself with the wrong crowd.
As mentioned earlier, Dolly always looks for a way to relate to her characters—but she admits that Agnes was a bit of a stretch, especially since she didn’t know much about the life of a nun. What she did connect with, however, was Agnes’ identity as a minority.
“Agnes is the only one that’s not moneyed in the series,” she shares. “It’s a very expensive spa, but she was the only one invited by Masha to join the center for free. So I guess you can say if there’s a similarity between Nine Perfect Strangers and Triangle of Sadness, it’s in how a minority is able to penetrate into that privileged world of wealth and hobnobbing with rich people, and effecting change. Agnes and Abigail are both minorities with agency and strength. I relate to that.”
To truly embody Agnes, Dolly went deep into research. First, she spoke to Sister Mary John of St. Scholastica’s College, where she went to school. She shared Agnes’ story arc and asked how someone with her background might behave given the circumstances.
Dolly also tapped her friend Rita, a psychiatrist based in Long Island. “She gave me certain insights on how Agnes would behave. She isn’t your typical nun or human being. She doesn’t do things that are traditionally Christian or Catholic. I needed to look for a reason on why she would act this way. Rita helped with the psychology of it all,” she says.
No Egos On Set
The result was a truly enriching experience—one where Dolly had the opportunity to craft a character from scratch for a hit television series she’s excited for the world to finally meet. A key part of this process, she admits, was the generosity of her co-stars and the thoughtful approach of the production team.
Dolly shares that while Nicole Kidman is undoubtedly a big star, she was incredibly friendly, warm, and kind on set. “She’s also a very generous actor who was very in the moment during our scenes together,” Dolly says of the Oscar winner. “She would give me so much to play with, and that’s what I look for in other actors.”
Dolly also describes how much of a dream it was to work alongside the rest of the Nine Perfect Strangers cast—Christine Baranski, Annie Murphy, Mark Strong, and especially Murray Bartlett, with whom she shares the most screen time. “He’s such a wonderful human being. So kind, so gracious, so gentle, so selfless. I enjoy him very much,” she expresses. “But everyone in the cast was there for the work. We love our jobs, and there were no egos.”
Beyond her co-stars, Dolly shares how the production team behind Nine Perfect Strangers went above and beyond to ensure her comfort. “Everything was very organized,” she explains, noting the thorough preparation, like look tests and makeup trials, that took place well before filming began. She appreciates the attention to detail, which includes receiving a rack of clothes to choose from and getting the scripts well in advance, allowing plenty of time to prepare.
“They spare no expense, and you can ask for anything, and they give it to you. For example, I didn’t want to go to the gym, so I asked for a treadmill, and they provided it. When I mentioned I was into games, they offered to get me a PlayStation. I didn’t accept it, but they were incredibly thoughtful and accommodating.” Dolly also shares how the team arranged for her to visit neighboring European countries during breaks, and covered the cost for her two daughters to visit as well. “It was amazing how much care they put into making us feel comfortable.”
What’s Next For Dolly de Leon?
So, as the subhead reads: What’s next for Dolly de Leon? Well, it’s a secret, she says, before teasing that she recently filmed for a popular television series being revamped, one that will instantly be recognizable to millennials. For now, it’s hush-hush. But I asked if it was Scooby-Doo. “I wish,” she replies. “My dream is to do more voice-over work one day.” (Although, she already did it once, for the wonderful Cinemalaya film Iti Mapukpukaw in 2023.)
After a few more shameless guesses, including me showing off that a bit of sleuthing on Variety might reveal some answers, Dolly kept her lips sealed. She smiled and said, “You’ll find out soon.” Knowing I probably wouldn’t get it out of her, it was my cue to go. I had taken up almost an hour of Dolly de Leon’s time, yet it felt like no time at all, thanks to how unfiltered and welcoming she was, despite her fame and hobnobbing alongside screen legends like Nicole Kidman and Carol Kane.
It was my last opportunity to ask her something, so I thought maybe an inspirational pull quote would do the trick. “What advice would you give to young actors looking to pursue a career in film and television?” I asked.
She replied: “Keep studying. Know the craft. Do workshops. Study Stella Adler. Study Stanislavksi. Read the classics from the great acting teachers. Read with your friends. Have reading parties. The only way to learn the craft is to do it. Say yes to everything. Whatever the role is. That’s what I did when I was in my 20s until my mid-40s. I would say yes and kept working and working, and that’s how I got my training—by being on shoots, observing, seeing how directors work, how they block characters. It’s all about doing. Just keep doing.”
And knowing Dolly de Leon’s history and slow rise to stardom, I believed her—something that can’t always be said for stars who offer up quotes just to sound humble. “Goodbye, Dolly!” I said to the woman the whole world said hello to in 2022, and still can’t get enough of today.
Season 2 of “Nine Perfect Strangers” premieres on Prime Video on May 22, 2025. Two episodes drop at launch, followed by weekly releases.
Banner photo portrait by Jewel Aguilar
