Film & TV

Dolly De Leon Deserved An Oscar Nomination, Says ‘New Yorker’ Film Critic

The Filipino actress has garnered critical acclaim for her performance in ‘Between the Temples,’ including one from Richard Brody, film critic of the ‘New Yorker’, who said she should have been nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

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dolly de leon in the film between the temples
Dolly De Leon stars as Judith Gottlieb in the comedy film, Between the Temples. Screenshot from Sony Pictures Classics/YouTube

Golden Globes-nominated Filipino actress Dolly De Leon should have been up for an Academy Award nomination this year, says The New Yorker film critic Richard Brody in a piece published as a reaction to the nominations announced January 23.

In the New Yorker article detailing his thoughts on the 2025 Oscar nominations, the film critic argued that De Leon deserved an Academy nomination for her supporting role in the American comedy-drama Between the Temples. “Dolly De Leon, who rose to international stardom in Triangle of Sadness with a tone of stern earnestness, raises it to a ferociously sardonic pitch,” wrote Brody, “and catches her character’s singular sense of living in a spotlight on the stage of daily life.”

Between the Temples centers around Ben (Jason Schwartzman), a middle-aged rabbi going through a crisis of faith. Caught between the pressures of meeting his congregation’s expectations and the expectations of his mothers Meira and Judith (Caroline Aaron and De Leon), Ben’s world is shaken even more when his former grade school teacher Carla (Carol Kane) returns to his life as an adult bat mitzvah student.

Since the film’s release in August 2024, De Leon has been widely praised for her portrayal of a caring mother who manages to both uplift and smother her forty-year-old son. She infuses the role with a perfect mix of wit, charm, and a distinctly Filipino snark. Together with Aaron, their performances as two caring Jewish mothers provide a sharp contrast to the melancholy and struggles of Schwartzman’s character.

This is not the first time De Leon has received award buzz for her performance. The black comedy Triangle of Sadness earned the actress her first Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations. 

This year’s nominees for Best Actress in a Supporting Role are Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown, Ariana Grande for Wicked, Felicity Jones for The Brutalist, Isabella Rossellini for Conclave, and Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez. 

Brody writes, “It’s inevitably the acting categories that are emblematic of the Oscars’ built-in nonpolitical prejudices — the ideas of professionalism and technique that only occasionally intersect with exemplary artistry,” disclaiming in the end that “all of the selected actors are admirable, almost all in familiar modes.” But if he were to pick, his Best Actress in a Supporting Role from his roster would be Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor for Nickel Boys.

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