Award-winning Filipino actress Dolly de Leon, the first from the Philippines to be nominated for both a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) and a Golden Globe, recently discussed her meticulous preparations for her role in the internationally acclaimed film “Triangle of Sadness.” In a talk held at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati, de Leon shared insights into how she approached her character while ensuring she did not offend Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
De Leon revealed that she had two years to prepare for her role due to delays caused by the pandemic. During this period, she took the opportunity to engage with various OFWs based in Sweden, a neighboring country of Denmark, where the film originates.
“I met some Filipinas and not just domestic helpers, but also those in telecom, teachers, nurses, physical therapists… So I was able to meet them and talk to them,” de Leon shared.
The connection was deeply personal for de Leon, who is the daughter of an OFW herself. However, she noted a key difference between her mother’s experience and that of her character, Abigail. “My mom was an OFW so I know what it was like but ibang perspective ‘yung nanay ko… Si Abigail hindi naman s’ya donya na naging OFW, talagang grassroots ang start n’ya,” she explained.
One of the biggest challenges, according to de Leon, was finding an appropriate accent and voice for Abigail that would not fall into the typical stereotypes often portrayed by foreign media. “I didn’t like her to sound like the usual tropes that Americans make about Filipinos who live abroad… So that was the biggest challenge for me to find a voice for her that would not be offensive to our workers abroad,” de Leon emphasized.
In addition to perfecting the character’s voice, de Leon also underwent physical preparation, including daily treadmill workouts to build stamina for the demanding role, which included a scene requiring her to swim multiple times.
Reflecting on the entire experience, de Leon highlighted the importance of relying on her training and experience to overcome the challenges she faced in portraying a character that resonates authentically with the OFW community.