1991–2018: Early work De Leon made her film debut as a
background actor in
Peque Gallaga's horror anthology
Shake, Rattle & Roll III (1991), a part she later described as one during which she had "the spotlight for a few seconds". Although she had not aspired to become a film actor, De Leon was cast in several screen roles but also acted in plays, calling it her "true love". During the next decade, De Leon appeared predominantly in small and uncredited roles, playing characters which she described as "a device to get the story moving or a sounding board for the lead". De Leon's career prospects improved when she was cast in
Jerrold Tarog's horror thriller
Aswang (2011), playing the mother of
Paulo Avelino's character. An abridged retelling of
Peque Gallaga's
1992 film of the same name, it was nominated for Movie of the Year at the
2012 Star Awards for Movies. She then played supporting roles in the television series
Pintada (2012),
Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real (2014),
Yagit (2014),
Mirabella (2014), and
Pusong Ligaw (2017). The
coming-of-age drama
Billie and Emma (2018), directed by Samantha Lee, saw De Leon portray a stern principal nun of an all-girls
Catholic school.
Frameline Film Festival,
Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, and
Inside Out Film and Video Festival. In the last of these, it won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film.
2019–2021: Career expansion Lav Diaz's science fiction drama
The Halt (2019) featured De Leon as an
education minister in a
post-apocalyptic Manila, where people are fighting an oppressive regime headed by
Joel Lamangan's character. The film premiered at the
2019 Cannes Film Festival during the
Directors' Fortnight showcase. She next starred in Raymund Ribay Gutierrez's crime drama
Verdict (2019). In the film, De Leon played the abusive husband's mother, who is conflicted in paying for her son's legal fees and was generally well received by critics. It was also screened as part of the
Orizzonti section at the
2019 Venice International Film Festival, where it garnered the Special Jury Prize.
The Philippine Star Oquiza thought her portrayal was "visceral and stirring".
Verdict was
the Philippine's official entry for
Best International Feature Film at the
92nd Academy Awards. In
Midnight in a Perfect World (2020), a horror thriller about unexplained disappearances caused by
rolling blackouts, starring
Glaiza de Castro,
Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Dino Pastrano, and Anthony Falcon, De Leon played the supporting role of Pastrano's mother, in a performance described by Oquiza as unorthodox and "hard to categorize". De Leon portrayed Inday Arcega, a criminal from an organized syndicate that carries out
political executions. Oquiza took note of how well she "blends comic relief with a commanding presence through bluntness and candor", adding that: "Her true brilliance lies in portraying her character's silent vulnerability, facing the reality of aging and lost beauty."
2022–present: International recognition De Leon's international breakthrough came in 2022 when she starred in
Ruben Östlund's satirical black comedy
Triangle of Sadness. The film follows a celebrity couple on a luxury cruise with wealthy guests that end up stranded on an island and fighting for survival. The part of Abigail, a toilet cleaner who usurps command over the survivors, was written by Östlund with a Filipino in mind. The casting director auditioned a number of actors in the Philippines. Impressed by her improvization, Östlund cast De Leon after doing a
read-through. De Leon, whose mother is an
overseas migrant worker, believed that the role mirrored certain aspects of her life. Drawing from experiences of family members employed within the
service industry, ' Honor of Arts in 2023 |alt=An image of a woman wearing a sheer top looking away from the camera
Triangle of Sadness premiered at the
2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the
Palme d'Or. De Leon's performance received critical acclaim; Esther Zuckerman of
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that she "balances deft comedy, visceral anger and potent sensuality", De Leon received significant awards attention for her role in
Triangle of Sadness. She won the
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award and
Guldbagge Award for Best Supporting Actress, and received nominations for the
Golden Globe Award and
BAFTA Award in the same category. After a brief appearance in the revenge drama series
Dirty Linen (2023), De Leon voiced Rosalinda in the
adult animated drama
The Missing (2023). She played the mother of
Carlo Aquino's character who prompts her son to track his uncle's disappearance. The film was notable for its use of
rotoscoping, a technique in which scenes are first shot in
live-action, then traced onto animation
cels. In his review for
Rappler, Oquiza remarked that De Leon "emanates a caring and supportive presence" and highlighted her "understated bravura". Similar sentiments were echoed by ABS-CBNnews.com's Fred Hawson, who commended her "sweet maternal interaction".
The Missing was submitted for consideration at the
96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. De Leon served as jury president of the
2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival. The
Petersen Vargas-directed black comedy
A Very Good Girl, opposite
Kathryn Bernardo, was De Leon's next release of the year. Playing the character of a powerful and demanding retail mogul was a departure from De Leon's previous "gritty roles" and an experience she found enjoyable.
MovieWebs Greg Archer called the film a "quirky and fun ride", and considered De Leon to be "deliciously savage and thoroughly fun to experience".
A Very Good Girl was a commercial success, earning over million (US$million), making it one of the
highest-grossing Filipino films of 2023. De Leon began 2024 with two releases that premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival. She executive produced and starred in
Ghostlight, a comedy drama directed by
Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Set in Chicago, the film casts De Leon as a community theater performer who encourages a dejected construction worker (played by Keith Kupferer) to take part in their production of
Romeo and Juliet. The critic Adrian Horton of
The Guardian said De Leon "blazes in every scene, not missing a single ego-deflating punchline", while
The Hollywood Reporters Jon Frosch found her portrayal of the "bossy, chain-smoking, F-bomb-dropping actress" to have the "right balance of absurdity and pathos". De Leon received an
honorable mention in
Gold House's Gold List: Film 2025 for Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Rita) for this performance. In
Nathan Silver's comedy film
Between the Temples, she played an overbearing stepmother to
Jason Schwartzman's character. She next appeared in
Paul Feig's action comedy
Jackpot! for
Amazon Prime Video. In October of the same year, she began starring in a Filipino production of the
Franz Xaver Kroetz wordless solo play
Wunschkonzert (or Request Program), retitled
Request sa Radyo, at the
Samsung Performing Arts Center in
Makati. She alternates the lead role of Ms. Reyes with Filipino actress
Lea Salonga. De Leon will next star, alongside
Nicole Kidman, in the second season of the
Hulu thriller drama series
Nine Perfect Strangers, based on the 2018
novel by
Liane Moriarty. She will also appear in the television series
Severino, a biopic on the Filipino priest
Juan Severino Mallari.{{Cite news|last=Mallorca|first=Hannah|url=https://entertainment.inquirer.net/574482/dolly-de-leon-chai-fonacier-meryll-soriano-join-dennis-trillo-in-severino|title=Dolly de Leon, Chai Fonacier, Meryll Soriano join Dennis Trillo in
Severino|newspaper=
Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=September 2, 2024 ==Personal life==