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Dolly de Leon looks back on life-changing interview with Ruben Östlund for 'Triangle of Sadness' role

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E. Kristhoff Cagape

Dolly de Leon reflected on her journey in the entertainment industry, recalling the pivotal moment that led to her breakthrough role in the acclaimed film Triangle of Sadness.In an Instagram post, the actress shared a throwback photo and looked back on her interview with award-winning Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund for the role of Abigail, the character who would eventually change her life.&quot;Jan 7, 2019. What I thought was a callback was, in fact, an interview with legendary screenwriter and director Ruben Ostlünd for the role of underdog-turned-powerhouse Abigail for his feature film Triangle of Sadness. I had auditioned three months prior and was convinced I wasn’t going to get it. Only to learn from my friend Jake Macapagal, who convinced me to audition in the first place, that I had a chance to book the job,&quot; she recalled.Dolly revealed that, at the time, landing the role felt like her last shot at pursuing an acting career.&quot;On this night in Cainta, where I was living with my children in my friend Harlene’s rent-free unit, I had washed my crystals in salt and laid them out on my windowsill under the light of the moon and made a deal with my Creator. &#x27;If I don’t get this job I will quit being an actor,&#x27;&quot; she relayed.<div> </div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DauPyOrxqiG/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A61824.79999999702%2C%22ls%22%3A61380.39999999106%2C%22le%22%3A61674.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="612" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div> </div>The actress also recounted how her family and friends helped transform their living room into a makeshift studio for the interview.&quot;With the help of my daughter, Luccia (who took this photo), we set up our living room as a makeshift studio with my iPad sandwiched between my LEAP award, Bette Davis’s autobio, and Stanislavsky’s Building a Character. (Today I wonder if I placed these on purpose for luck.) My face was lit by a second-hand lamp donated by one of my best friends when I decided to leave a toxic relationship. Water and coffee sat on a chair with no backrest,&quot; she shared.Looking back on the struggles she endured, Dolly said she now sees every setback as part of a greater journey.&quot;I look at this long-haired hopeful and remember what she went through seven years ago and think to myself - it was all worth it. All the rejections, the heartache, the letdowns, mistakes, disappointments, bad choices, failures - they all happened for a reason,&quot; she remarked.She ended her post with a message of encouragement for those facing their own challenges.&quot;For you who is reading this til the end: whatever it is you’re going through, whatever it is you’re pursuing, keep at it. IT GETS BETTER. I promise,&quot; she remarked.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/5/22/dolly-de-leon-on-joining-the-cast-of-avatar-the-last-airbender-season-2-0843">READ: Dolly De Leon on joining the cast of &#x27;Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2&#x27;: ‘It’s a dream come true’</a></div>Dolly made history as the first Filipino actor to earn nominations for both the Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in Triangle of Sadness (2022).During a one-on-one conversation with fellow Request sa Radyo headliner Lea Salonga, which was uploaded to the State of the Arts YouTube channel in 2024, Dolly reflected on how she dealt with the sudden rise in attention that came after the film&#x27;s success.She shared that she leaned on friends who had already established themselves in the industry for guidance and support.&quot;I think one way of coping that I did was I called and got in touch with my friends who were already very successful at that point because in my batch of theater students, all of them were flying high. All of them were successful. I was the only one still struggling so by the time that was happening to me, everyone already knew what I was feeling so it was easy to just call them and say, &#x27;Uy ano ba &#x27;to guys? It&#x27;s crazy what&#x27;s happening,&quot; she said.Dolly admitted that it took time for her to fully process the impact of Triangle of Sadness and the opportunities that came with it. Over time, she realized that an actor&#x27;s responsibilities go beyond performing on set.&quot;It took me about a year and a half to finally just come to terms with okay, this is really how it works. This is the business. The job doesn&#x27;t end on set. After that, you have to do a lot of other things,&quot; she said.The actress added that she eventually began to see the spotlight as something to embrace rather than resist.&quot;I realized I shouldn&#x27;t be resisting it. This is actually a gift, but kasi it happened to me in my 50s, so I was not accustomed to that,&quot; she stated.She continued: &quot;It was only now that I&#x27;m more comfortable in my own skin and I&#x27;m just accepting. [Sabi nila], &#x27;Di ba Dolly ito &#x27;yung gusto mo to do more meaningful and relevant work?&#x27; And 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 so now I&#x27;ve come to terms with it.”

Dolly de Leon recalls the pivotal moment that led to her breakthrough role in the acclaimed film 'Triangle of Sadness.'

Dolly de Leon recalls the pivotal moment that led to her breakthrough role in the acclaimed film 'Triangle of Sadness.'

Dolly de Leon looks back on life-changing interview with Ruben Östlund for 'Triangle of Sadness' role

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Dolly de Leon looks back on life-changing interview with Ruben Östlund for 'Triangle of Sadness' role

Toff C.

Published July 17, 2026 08:19 AM PHT

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