The Story Behind Dolly de Leon's Bathroom Pic With Cate Blanchett + More Fangirl Moments

(SPOT.ph) She might be critically acclaimed and newly minted Hollywood actress Dolly de Leon but that isn't going to stop the Triangle of Sadness star from doing what any of us would do in her position: gush about Hollywood A-listers and low-key plan how to take photos with her idols during award shows—where she just so happens to be a nominee. 

Case in point: her brief restroom encounter with award-winning actress Cate Blanchett at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards held on January 15, where they gushed about each others' work and talked about wearing diapers beneath their power suits during awards season. De Leon and Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress at the LA Film Critics Awards, respectively.

Read:
MOVIE REVIEW: Triangle of Sadness Is a Topsy-Turvy Boat Ride That Will Rightfully Haunt You
Dolly de Leon Gets a Shoutout From Edgar Wright After Oscar Snub

What went down when Dolly de Leon met Cate Blanchett

A giggling De Leon said she was at the restroom, needing her agent's help to unzip her jumpsuit so she could pee when she heard Blanchett's voice. That's when her agent said out loud that Dolly's there, too.

"Grabe, 'yun na nga, when she started calling my name nag-panic na ako, nung sinabi n'ya 'Dolly, Dolly, Dolly' sabi ko 'I'm coming, I'm coming!' Nataranta ako e so paglabas ko ng cubicle door, nakaabang na siya e nakabukas pa zipper ko, sabi ko 'Teka muna, wait, I'm naked, I'm naked'," she told ANC on Monday, February 6.

"Sabi n'ya sa akin, 'Have you ever considered pull-ups?' 'Yung diaper. Sabi ko, 'I don't think so, it's gonna bulge."

De Leon admitted she was too "starstruck", she couldn't remember everything the Tar actress said.

"She started gushing, she started saying I watched you in your... wala na, wala na akong maintindihan kasi sobra akong starstruck. Hindi na nag-register lahat ng sinabi n'ya but I knew she was saying positive things because she was smiling, she looked very positive."

It was her agent who took their photo after De Leon asked Blanchett for one. It's a fangirl moment for De Leon who told Blanchett she had been following her career for a long time.

She also shared a snap with Ke Huy Quan, who won the Best Supporting Actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once, on her way to the restroom. Before that, she also met with Marvel actor Sebastian Stan and White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge. De Leon said she is planning her next fangirl moment, a.k.a. how to take a photo with The Woman King star Viola Davis, who recently achieved the coveted EGOT for winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.

Dolly de Leon on the Oscars snub, Philippine representation in Hollywood

It was an honor for De Leon to be nominated for her role as Abigail, a character in the satirical black comedy Triangle of Sadness who started as a toilet cleaner on a luxury cruise ship and ended up leading a group of ultra-wealthy, clueless passengers stranded on an island. She didn't feel bad when she didn't win the Golden Globes; it was enough for her name to be listed alongside other Hollywood stars, she said.

However, she admitted she cried three times—with her brother, on the plane ride home, and with her kids—when she was snubbed at the Oscars, a surprise for fans and critics who lauded her performance. She found out via text from her daughter, whom she instructed to call her if she gets nominated. A text meant she didn't get the nomination. 

"It was a bit painful, I admit it, it was painful pero okay na ako ngayon," said De Leon, adding she would still be at the Academy Awards ceremony to represent the film, which got three nods for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay.

Real talk from De Leon: It would be difficult for Filipinos to win major awards as minority representation remains a challenge in the entertainment industry.

"There is a minority group and we are part of that minority group but within that minority group itself, there are also hierarchies. And unfortunately nasa pinakababa talaga tayo. I hate being negative but it's gonna take a long time for us to really get there to the top, to find representation in the international stage," she said.

"The key is just to keep going out there, keep auditioning, keep looking for that job and keep working, never giving up. Aabot din tayo don. Sana in our lifetime umabot pero if not, the point is we have to work towards that." 

On a brighter note, De Leon said she is grateful for all the nominations. After all, she made history for being the first Filipino actor to snag nominations from prestigious award-giving bodies like Golden Globes and British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA), which opened doors for other opportunities in Hollywood. After Triangle of Sadness, she's looking at three "exciting" international projects, including a cameo role she will be filming this March. 

"It really feels good to be validated after so many years. I've been used to just coasting along, taking job after job after job and just going home after work and going to sleep, then going back to work but now this. Parang it's a message from the universe telling me na 'you're doing the right thing, ituloy mo lang 'yan.'"