Exploring roles across borders

Dolly de Leon talks about Nine Perfect Strangers and more

�ᱫ����’S Nine Perfect Strangers, an American drama series about nine people who go to a wellness resort to be healed and transformed, has released its second season on Prime Video.

Set in a secluded resort in the Austrian Alps, the show welcomes back Nicole Kidman as the mysterious wellness guru Masha Dmitrichenko. Here, she leads the transformational retreat for nine new characters, one of whom is played by Filipino actress Dolly de Leon.

Her role in the show is that of Sister Agnes, marking Ms. De Leon’s first time to delve into the psyche of a nun. ����ý spoke to the actress before the Philippine premiere of the first two episodes, commemorated by a watch party at Circuit, Makati.

“I really dug deep to play Sister Agnes, and I tried to find out what makes her tick by talking to a psychiatrist friend, and also a nun friend of mine, Sister Mary John,” she said.

Ms. De Leon describes the character as “earthy, constantly searching for answers, and always wanting to help, with a very broad view of the world.”

Nine Perfect Strangers is her first foray into non-Philippine television, and her second has just been announced — she will be playing firebender mentor twins Lo and Li for season two of Netflix’s live-action show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

“Maybe people think I’m doing great now that I’m in these two shows, but it’s not easy getting work. It’s been a struggle,” she said. “I’ve been auditioning a lot, and my team has been working hard to get me jobs.”

She said that Netflix’s Avatar show will be another milestone for her, as it will be her first time playing twins. It is more proof of her approach to “trying new things in the projects that come along.”

NO REST FOR THE WEARY
Ms. De Leon was handpicked by Nicole Kidman for Nine Perfect Strangers, which she also leads as executive producer.

“It’s really special. It’s very humbling,” Ms. De Leon said of the honor. “I’ve been fortunate that Nicole chose me to join their team, which is already quite established. I love my job and I get to work with talented actors and filmmakers.”

The character-driven drama follows different treatments in the world of health and wellness, from psychedelic to immersive therapy. Aside from Ms. Kidman, her co-stars are Henry Golding, Lena Olin, Annie Murphy, Christine Baranski, Lucas Englander, King Princess, Murray Bartlett, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Mark Strong, and Aras Aydin.

Ms. De Leon added that the project ticked three boxes: “a script that I love, a creative I want to work with, and a character I want to play.”

As for the rest of her Hollywood career, she hopes to work with more of her idols, like big stars Meryl Streep, Olivia Colman, and Daniel Day-Lewis, and indie directors like Sean Baker and Cooper Raiff.

“I’m not getting any younger and I want to make the most of my time here on earth and work while I’m still healthy. For me, there’s no rest for the weary,” Ms. De Leon said.

Her first love, theater, is also something her fans can expect her to return to every now and then. “This place is special to me,” she said, referring to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit where the interview was being held, “This is where Lea [Salonga] and I did Request sa Radyo last year. Theater will always be part of my DNA.”

Ms. De Leon also told ����ý that her choice of projects, be it in the Philippines or in Hollywood, in films, TV, or theater, is no longer “under the pressure of external forces.”

“I used to be like that,” she said. “Right now, I feel like I’d be doing myself a great disservice if I stay that way. At the end of the day, I only have myself to depend on, so I do things for my own enjoyment.”

Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 has premiered the first two of 10 episodes on Prime Video. One new episode will be released each week. — Brontë H. Lacsamana