Dolly de Leon addresses Fil-Am portrayal in 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed'

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MANILA, Philippines — Actress Dolly de Leon welcomed the positive feedback for her performance as a Filipino-American detective in the new Apple TV show "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed."

The series stars Tatiana Maslany as Paula, a newly divorced mother who works as a fact checker but ends up in a rabbit hole of blackmail and dead bodies.

De Leon's Detective Sofia Gonzalez is the main investigator revolving around Paula's issues, and in her first few scenes, managed to capture the attention of Filipinos with how she portrayed our countrymen now based in the United States.

In fact, making the rounds online is a scene from the show's second episode where Gonzalez offers Paula a pack of cashew nuts or kasoy she's munching on.

Philstar.com spoke to De Leon about how she approached Gonzalez in comparison to past depictions of Filipino-Americans onscreen.

The actress admitted it was her children that relayed to her the reception of her portrayal, mostly reactions from X, as she herself avoids looking up such things in case there are bad comments that could dampen her mood.

"'Yan naman talaga yung naging main concern ko ever since, representing [Filipinos] the appropriate way," said de Leon, who gained international attention for her scene-stealing role in Palme d'Or winner "Triangle of Sadness."

She acknowledged that Filipino-Americans have different accents depending on how long a Filipino has lived in America as well as if they grew up in Manila or the provinces.

"Ang sarap lang ng feeling pag alam mong meron kang seal of approval ng kababayan mo," De Leon continued. "Ewan ko, para sa akin, mas importante 'yun kaysa sa kung anong sinasabi ng mga banyaga."

De Leon reiterated that in representing Filipinos onscreen, she wants to ensure they are viewed as Filipinos do and not as caricatures or someone to be made of.

The actress did point out that the Filipino-American accent often mimicked in public does exist in real life, acknowledging those who speak that way, as well as Filipinos trying to adopt the American way of speaking in order to be understood.

For de Leon, all Filipino-American manners of speech are valid, matter, and should be respected.

"Iba-iba — depende nga kung galing kang Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao yung accent mo," she continued. "Depende kung nasa East Coast or West Coast [ka], college ka ba lumipat [sa US] or high school? Doon ka ba lumaki? Doon ka pinanganak? There's so many factors."

Philstar.com did ask if the kasoy was her idea; however, De Leon attributed it to showrunner David J. Rosen, who penned all of the show's episodes.

"That was in the script! Kumakain talaga ako ng kasoy, I don't know why naisip niya yung kasoy. Nagkataon lang..." the actress exclaimed, quipping that kasoy in the Philippines tasted much better especially from Batangas.

One thing she did contribute to was changing her character's surname to Gonzalez rather than Gonzales since Filipinos are more accustomed to the former.

Still a minority

Since "Triangle of Sadness," de Leon's international projects have included "Between the Temples," "Ghostlight," and "Jackpot!" — all in 2024 — as well as the second season of "Nine Perfect Strangers" which also included "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed" co-star Murray Bartlett.

Still to come this year are the second season of Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and a voice role in "Forgotten Island," an animated film inspired by Filipino folklore.

Philstar.com asked de Leon how her latest performance improves how the world views Filipino actors and where she hopes that perception leads.

"I think that our presence on the global stage is evidence that we can represent different characters, regardless of our ethnicity," she said. "That stories can be told regardless of where we come from or the color of our skin. And I hope that more of us more of us come out there."

De Leon cited the presence of three actresses with Filipino heritage in "The Pitt" as well as other shows like "St. Denis Medical" and "Superstore," both of which starred Nico Santos, as proof that Filipinos can succeed once given the opportunity.

In her opinon it only makes sense that there should be at least two Filipino nurses in either medical series given the abundance of Filipino healthcare workers around the world.

"We are a minority among the minorities," De Leon reiterated something she had mentioned in the past. "I hope that that changes, that more of us come out, more of us are heard and cast in these stories."

The actress ended by pointing out what a big deal it was to have a Filipina play a detective in a large and patriarchal city like New York, "Ang exciting lang para sa atin!"

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