Be it on stage, in small screens, the silver screen, sports or beauty pageants—the Philippine flag continues to fly. The Filipino is making waves and are trailblazers, especially in the entertainment field.

Some might not make it and some might just become the next buzzmaker jewel like Dolly de Leon. Now, her name sure rings a bell, but in case you are locked up in a cellar, she is the Triangle of Sadness star who rose from—oops, flash spoiler—literally the toilet seat to cruise captaincy.

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Helmed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, the satirical tragicomedy Triangle of Sadness tackles the hierarchal lives of socialite luminaries and the commoner crew aboard a megayacht. Amping up its story with status and class collisions, a social-equalizer storm struck the cruise ship, leaving the passengers limping for survival. Conferred the Palme d’Or for Best Picture trophy at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, the comic tale shepherded Dolly de Leon’s sleeping career to exponential acclaim.

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With the sporadic successes that Dolly is blessing her homeland with, she is bound for a crusade elevating the ambient capabilities of Filipinos. Clutching the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards last December, Dolly is again rubbing elbows with entertainment forerunners at the prestigious 80th Golden Globe Awards set to happen on January 10, 2023.

The first Filipina to have fetched a nomination from such a sought-after award-giving body, Dolly graces Tinseltown to aim at the Best Supporting Actress title. At 53, Dolly is running for another Best Supporting Actress accolade at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ (BAFTA) 2023 British Academy Film Awards after ascending to its longlist. The Metro-Manila-raised PH representative is also an aspiring laureate in the same category at the 43rd London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.

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Before catapulting to stardom, Dolly de Leon was as well recognized at the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards in 2020 as Best Supporting Actress for Verdict, and received the Best Breakthrough Performance at the 10th Middleburg Film Festival in 2022 for her role as Abigail in Triangle of Sadness.

The Tony-Mabesa-mentored University of the Philippines Diliman Theater Arts major has truly paddled through for long prior to her leap to Triangle-of-Sadness popularity. Best prized for her big screen stints in Verdict (2019) and History ni Ha (2021), the acting stalwart also made it to the Erik-Matti-led HBO Max miniseries On the Job, Netflix series Unconditional, and HBO Asia’s Asian horror anthology Folklore. A symbol of pride and sheer excellence, Dolly de Leon has really evolved into a breakout-superstar.

All aboard the Dollywood ark!

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Lead photos from @dollyedeleon

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