Award-winning actress Dolly De Leon in Venice Grand Canal mall Taguig for the 'Project Hulmahan' exhibit

As someone who gained international acclaim in her 50s, award-winning actress Dolly De Leon said mature women like her shouldn't be typecast to certain roles. At the same time, she expressed excitement about her forthcoming movie with box office star Kathryn Bernardo which is going to tug at the hearts of many.

The plot of Dolly's movie with Kathryn, titled "A Very Good Girl," is kept under wraps, but she assures it won't be typical.

"Women, especially at our age...we have many roles in life and not all of us are mothers. Being a mom is not the be-all and end-all of a woman. I hope more stories are created about women who come from all walks of life, not necessarily a mother," she commented.

When asked what character she still dreams of portraying after three decades in showbiz, Dolly replied: " Maybe someone who goes through a crisis with her sexuality or oneself, because sometimes even late in life, hinahanap mo pa rin ang sarili mo. It doesn't have to be a mother or a sister or an aunt as long as tao. Just being a person basically."

Dolly De Leon with participating artist Roben Nacion

Dolly has wrapped up work on her next Hollywood movie "Grand Death Lotto" but she hinted that there's another international project she's looking at sometime in August.

When asked who among the local actors she would like to work with, Dolly mentioned the name of Jericho Rosales.

"I would love to work with Jericho kasi never ever ko pa sya nakatrabaho. So far yun pa lang kasi halos lahat nakatrabaho ko na. Pakalat-kalat ako eh," she quipped.

Now that she is in the Philippines and waiting for her next shoot, the humanitarian side of Dolly is kept busy being the face of the cause-oriented "Project Hulmahan" exhibit which is currently doing the rounds of several Megaworld lifestyle malls.

Shoe molds turned into art pieces are on showcase in 'Project Hulmahan'

"Project Hulmahan" is a brainchild of Dolly and her friends who belong to the social enterprise organization Ladies Who Launch. When most of the shoe factories in Marikina closed because of the pandemic, they bought the shoe molds used during the production process. The group then invited artists to turn the molds into works of art.

So far, more than 700 molds have been turned into eye-catching artistic pieces. No less than the organizers of the Venice Biennale have invited "Project Hulmahan" to be showcased in Italy to a more international audience. The exhibit will be at the Ponte De Amore Lobby of the Venice Grand Canal mall  in McKinley Hill, Taguig City until April 23.

"It's such a good feeling to see the artists, and the people who want to help, come together for this project. I can vouch that this is for a good cause and this is really something to be proud of," Dolly stated.