Much is being made of Dolly de Leon’s inroads into global TV and movie productions. The veteran Filipino actress has been landing meaty, award-winning roles in international projects, such as "Triangle of Sadness" and "Nine Perfect Strangers" (opposite Nicole Kidman), among others.

De Leon’s penetrating the inner circle of mainstream foreign productions speaks so very well of Filipinos’ creative talent, our ability to compete globally, and our ability to adapt to international work environments.

Yet, Ms. De Leon isn’t the only Filipino actor shining on the global stage at this time. I have just caught, maybe rather belatedly, a 2025 TV mini-series on Netflix showcasing the acting chops of several Filipinas, two of them in major roles, in a drama called Secrets We Keep.

Filmed entirely in Copenhagen, Denmark’s northern upscale neighborhoods, the six-part series reveals the story of two very wealthy families who hire Filipino girls as nannies and housemaids in a government-sponsored program called au pair.

The disturbing yet engrossing Danish series with its original title, Reservatet, is currently enjoying top viewing on Netflix Philippines. Its plot right away thickens in the first episode with the unexplained disappearance of a Filipina au pair.

Ruby’s mysterious disappearance marks the unraveling of two neighboring families in the same enclave, who were once the closest of friends. Their men thus become the subjects of an investigation that has references to rape and murder.

According to the Danish government, an au pair is not categorized as an overseas Filipino worker. It is a term used for individuals between 18 and 30, unmarried and without children, who are placed under a cultural exchange arrangement with a European host family, typically for a maximum stay of two years.

The Filipino cast in "Secrets We Keep" isn’t limited to two main characters, namely Excel Busano, who plays Angel, and Donna Levkovski, who plays Ruby. A few other Filipino girls form a coterie of au pairs, playing their support system. There were likely around 15 or 20 other Filipinas in the church and crowd scenes.

Although Excel Busano, from Bohol, and Donna Levkovski, from Mindanao, confess that they have had no previous acting experience, they acquit themselves quite well in their scenes.

The girls are uniformly relaxed in their alone scenes, as well as competent in those showing them with their masters, played by Danish stars Marie Bach Hansen, Simon Sears, Lukas Zuperka, Danica Curci, Lars Ranthe, and Frode Bilde Rønsholt.

Two other Filipinas, Gel Andersen and Nilda Aclon Stehr, are featured with speaking roles in the mystery-drama. It may have helped that both Excel and Donna were former au pairs themselves. That probably closed the deal for them to be in the series.

There are strong touches of Filipino culture in Secrets, beginning with a smattering of Tagalog conversations between and among the au pairs. One of the supporting characters is even called Darna. At a certain point in the church scene, the au pairs sing an acapella rendition of the song, Paglisan, by Color It Red.

The scene reduces the girls to tears while capturing the beautiful sense of Filipino community in that part of Europe.Neither Excel nor Donna ever imagined their experience as au pairs could one day lead them to become screen actors. With a renewed confidence boost, Donna is now looking at an acting career in Europe. She has started auditioning for another project in Denmark, according to Metro Style.

Sounding like a pro this time, Donna said, “When you audition for a character, and if you didn’t get the main part, that doesn’t mean you’re not good. It just means the character doesn’t fit you.”

“Secrets We Keep’’ is directed by Per Fly, while its creator is Ingeborg Topsøe.