On Filipino social media, a certain kind of pride spreads quickly, and this week it did so once more. When Dolly de Leon, the actress who gained international recognition for her role in Triangle of Sadness, appeared in the season premiere of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, the comment sections were filled with exclamation points in a matter of hours.
She is portraying the elderly twin advisors who prepare Princess Azula for public life, Lo and Li. It’s an odd, particular kind of role, more akin to those who stand just behind power, influencing its appearance and sound, rather than being a hero or villain. Although neither twin has the ability to bend fire, they both have significant influence within the Fire Nation’s inner circle, and it appears that this paradox contributes to the characters’ appeal.
De Leon portrays both of them. The idea of one actress wearing two different versions of the same face in a single scene was the detail that people kept bringing up online. In contrast to work, which merely adds stress, she has described it as a kind of enjoyable, almost playful challenge that energizes her rather than wears her down. It’s a minor remark, but it reveals something about her approach to a role that might have been dismissed as a gimmick.
Leaning into the moment, Netflix Philippines transformed a clip of her scenes into memes centered around the notion of meddling, gossiping “tita” energy, a very particular and identifiable kind of older relative in Filipino culture. It was successful. Comments poured in, praising her performance as witty, perceptive, and somehow perfect for two characters who are primarily there to criticize and correct.
The speed at which de Leon has advanced throughout the industry since 2022 is easy to overlook in the clutter. There was the critically acclaimed Cannes film, followed by a recurring role in Nine Perfect Strangers and a voice part in an animated DreamWorks film. She is immersed in one of Netflix’s most popular ongoing series, Avatar, which received back-to-back season renewals nearly immediately after its 2024 premiere. It’s difficult to ignore the pattern—a series of increasingly important roles in increasingly significant locations.
In this universe, she is not the only Filipino talent representative. In addition to Jon Jon Briones’s portrayal of the swordsman Piandao, the show’s main character, Aang, has Filipino ancestry, which fans on forums quickly brought up as a source of pride.
This doesn’t seem like a one-time event. De Leon has already stated that Lo and Li will be back for season three, so whatever impression she made in the first few episodes will have a follow-up. It’s still unclear if the role develops into something with more screen time or remains a sharp, supporting presence.
As of right now, the response speaks for itself. Audiences took notice of a Filipino actress returning to a global franchise and doing something lighthearted with a role that most people would have missed.
