Hopes for a Filipino to get an Oscar nomination were once again heightened after a Twitter account posted a still of Pinay veteran actress Dolly de Leon in a dark comedy film by a Swedish filmmaker.
Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) on Wednesday shared a picture of the actress with hands on her hips in Ruben Östlund‘s “Triangle of Sadness.” Dolly plays Abigail, a toilet manager on a luxury cruise ship.
The post has earned over 380 likes as of this writing.
Dolly De Leon in Ruben Östlund’s ‘Triangle of Sadness’ pic.twitter.com/HWR3hW2Vyx
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 9, 2022
“Triangle of Sadness” tells the story of celebrity couple named Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) who were invited to a yacht for a luxury cruise after Fashion Week.
Things take a turn for the worse when a storm occurs and they get shipwrecked on a desert island with several other billionaires who joined the cruise.
Mild-mannered Abigail, who ends up being the most capable of them, becomes a ruthless survivalist and leader figure among the privileged passengers as they deal with their situation.
The film has earned the Palme d’Or for Best Picture, the top award, at the prestigious 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Dolly’s performance in the Cannes-winning movie was also lauded by the foreign press, with Variety saying that “her every line has so far prompted cheers in press and public screenings alike.”
“Her story is just one part of Östlund’s searing commentary on privilege, greed and power — but Abigail’s power play, exquisitely brought to life by de Leon’s deadpan delivery, is what audiences will remember,” the entertainment magazine said.
It also remarked that the Filipina “doesn’t get very far in Cannes without being stopped in the street by enthusiastic fans.”
Variety awards guru Clayton Davis said that Dolly “could be the frontrunner walking into awards season,” referring to the prestigious Academy Awards or the Oscars.
“Her committed turn not only makes her the defining supporting performance of the year thus far, but also, if enough Academy members make a note to focus on quality (and not simply name recognition as they can often do),” he predicted.
Variety has released its Oscar predictions for 2023 and ranked Dolly third among the possible Best Supporting Actress contenders.
Meanwhile, following Film Updates’ Twitter post, Filipinos expressed hopes that Dolly could get recognized for her acting chops in the acclaimed satire.
“Manifesting Dolly De Leon Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination,” a Pinoy wrote with candle emojis.
“SHE BETTER GET HER OSCAR,” another Twitter user said.
“You mean soon to be Academy Award Nominee Dolly De Leon?” wrote a different user in response to the account’s caption.
“A Filipino pride,” another Twitter user commented with the Philippine flag emoji.
Dolly is a classically-trained theater actress who has starred in more than 30 stage productions, from Shakespeare to Harold Pinter to Samuel Beckett.
She has also worked with highly regarded directors like Lav Diaz for “Historya ni Ha” and Erik Matti for the HBO anthology series “Folklore.”
The Oscars is an awards ceremony in the United States that annually honors the best technical and artistic achievements in the American and international film industry.
Winners are selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a professional honorary organization composed of distinguished cinematographers, directors, actors, musicians, writers, editors and such.
So far, Hailee Steinfield is the only actor with Filipino lineage to be nominated for an acting category at the Oscars.
