Dolly de Leon ecstatic about playing twins in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ series
Dolly de Leon during the INQUIRER.net’s sit-down interview.
Now that the word is out that Dolly de Leon will be part of the new “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series, she can finally heave a sigh of relief.
It was, after all, a little surprise that she’s been keeping close to her chest for some time.
When De Leon sat down with INQUIRER.net for a one-on-one on Wednesday night, she gamely let on how excited she was about her role in the series, that of the twins Li and Lo, counsels and mentors to Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation.
“I play twins. So that’s very special to me. I have never played the role of twins, so I’m very excited about that,” said the multi-awarded Filipino actress.
De Leon said the role of Li and Lo posed a challenge for her as this would require her to explore the twin’s characters with two separate attributes and distinct personalities. It’s not so much about switching looks or costumes, but in making each role feel different despite their identical appearance — that’s the tall order that she had to contend with.
And she loved a good challenge.
“Sometimes if it’s the kind of challenge that’s fun, like with these twins, that’s very energizing. So ako, I love a good challenge, as long as it’s not the kind that’s gonna cause me stress. And for me playing twins sounds like a lot of fun because I can play two different characters who look the same,” she said.
De Leon’s participation in the series adaptation’s second and third seasons was announced by show runners on its Instagram page on Tuesday, May 20. She would be acting alongside Filipino-American thespian, Jon Jon Briones, who will play the role of Piandao.
Briones, however, is said to be introduced in season 3. He is best known for his role as the Engineer in the West End staging of the musical Miss Saigon in 2014, then later reprising his role on Broadway in 2017.
Filipino-Canadian actor Gordon Cormier plays the lead role as Aang.
The live-action adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series follows the story of Aang, the young Avatar, as he aims to masters the four elements — Earth, Fire, Air, and Water — in order to restore world balance.
Previously, Miya Cech, Chin Han, Hoa Xuande, Justin Chien, Amanda Zhou, Crystal Yu, Kelemete Misipeka, Lourdes Faberes and Rekha Sharma were announced as members of the cast.
The series premiered on Netflix in February 2024.
Prior to her role in the “Avatar” series, de Leon is part of the stellar cast of “Nine Perfect Strangers,” led by Nicole Kidman.
De Leon became known worldwide for her breakout role as Abigail in the critically acclaimed movie, “Triangle of Sadness,” for which earned a nomination for best actress at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards — a historic feat as she was the first Filipino actress to have done so.
