Dolly De Leon on BAFTA nomination: ‘It’s a huge honor for me’ 

MANILA, Philippines – Dolly De Leon fell short of winning the supporting actress award at the 2023 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), but the Triangle of Sadness star said that being nominated is already an achievement for her. 

“They say I’m the first Filipina to be nominated [for a BAFTA], so it’s a huge honor for me,” she said in a red carpet interview ahead of the awarding ceremony in Royal Albert Hall, London on Sunday, February 19 (early Monday morning, February 20 in Manila.)

The Filipina actress added that working with Ruben Ostlund was an “eye-opening experience” that helped her “grow as an actress.”

“To be able to be part of a monumental film like Triangle of Sadness, I’m so proud to be here because it was such a great production,” she said. 

'It's very important that the voices of independent filmmakers are also heard because they have plenty of important stories to tell.'

Triangle of Sadness was supported through production with BFI #NationalLottery funding. pic.twitter.com/YSp9vvb8TT

— BFI (@BFI) February 19, 2023

Kerry Condon won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Banshees of Inisherin, beating nominees De Leon, Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Hong Chau (The Whale), Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and Carey Mulligan (She Said). 

The German remake of the anti-war classic All Quiet on the Western Front was the night’s big winner, taking home a total of seven awards. 

In Triangle of Sadness, Dolly plays a toilet cleaner who ends up stranded on an island with rich strangers after they survive the sinking of a luxury cruise ship. 

The satirical feature premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022 and later won the festival’s highest prize, the Palme d’Or,  putting the Filipina actress on the international spotlight. 

Aside from her BAFTA nod, Dolly also made history as the first Filipina to earn a Golden Globe nomination. Bassett ended up winning the award. 

She won  Best Supporting Performance prize at the LA Film Critics Association Awards and Sweden’s Guldbagge Awards. 

After Triangle of Sadness, Dolly will star in a Hollywood comedy opposite Jason Schwartzman. She also has a number of local projects lined up – a film called Keys to the Heart and two Cinemalaya entries, Iti Mapukpukaw and Duyan ng Magiting. – Rappler.com