Dolly de Leon is enjoying newfound fame following her landmark performance in the critically-acclaimed film “Triangle Of Sadness.”
She is, in fact, quite in demand nowadays, with multiple work offers here and abroad.
It is a far cry from when she was just starting.
In an appearance in “Magandang Buhay,” the actress recalled how she accepted anything and everything thrown at her just so she could earn.
These include work as mascot.
She shared, “Naging mascot ako bilang baka. Pero dalawa kami, ako ‘yung nasa likuran, tapos ‘yung kasama ko siya yung nasa harapan…tapos sumasayaw kami. Masaya…”
Dolly also tried being a nanny, relating, “Pamangkin ko naman bineybysit ko pero may bayad yon, trabaho siya.”
She started acting aeons ago while she was still in college.
“Sophomore pa lang ako lumalabas na ako sa mga sitcom, drama anthology at kasabayan ko sina Uge (Eugene Domingo) at sina Candy (Pangilinan). Doon ako nag-start sa mga sitcom,” she related.
“Acting talaga ang gusto ko nu’ng bata pa ako pero never ko talaga siya pinursue nung una, lalo na nung pag-graduate ko ng college kasi matumal ang trabaho konti lang ang pumapasok na trabaho…Kaya ako nag-cashier, kaya ako nag-mascot at lahat.”
Her first film appearance was in “Shake Rattle and Roll III” in 1991.
It was for an episode directed by the late, great Peque Gallaga titled “Undin.”
“Isa ako roon sa boarders na barkada ni Ai Ai delas Alas dahil siya ‘yung kontrabida roon, kami ‘yung mean girls, inaapi-api namin si Mane (Manilyn Reynes). Isa kami sa pinatay ng undin,” she fondly recollected.
Among those she considers her biggest achievement at that point was her performance in “Precious Hearts Romances: Pintada.”
“Parang feeling ko ‘wow breakthrough ko na ito’ kasi kontrabida. Kapag kontrabida ka parang big deal ‘yon, eh. Ang kaeksena ko roon si Denise Laurel,” she said.
Dolly never thought of giving up despite the hardships, believing her destiny is to become an actor.
“Para sa akin for as long as kinukuha ako para magtrabaho, hindi na importante ang role na gagampanan ko. Basta may trabaho, go ako. Saka ‘di ko iniisip ‘yon na walang linya. Para sa akin hindi naman ‘yon problema, para sa akin okay nga ‘yon at least nagtatrabaho pa rin at ‘yun naman ang importante.”
