Reza Rahadian

Reza Rahadian, born in Bogor in '87, didn’t exactly stroll into the Indonesian film scene with a glittering modeling career—he just used it as a stepping stone. Honestly, the guy started out in high school, chasing acting gigs while everyone else was worrying about exams. By 2004, he’d already snagged the Top Guest title from Aneka magazine, but modeling? Not really his thing. He wanted to act, and that little bit of limelight helped him get roles in soap operas like Culunnya Pacarku and Idola. Fast forward to 2007, he’s pulling off horror-comedy in Film Horor, and then another spooky flick, Ghost Island 2. But he didn’t stick with the horror lane for long. 2009 turned out to be a game-changer. He landed a serious role in Woman with a Turban, ditching the scary stuff for a gritty part as Samsuddin—a guy you probably wouldn’t want to meet, honestly. That same year, he cranked out four more films—mostly comedies, just to keep things fresh. The next year? He jumped into movies like 3 Hati Dua Dunia, Satu Cinta (which, by the way, bagged a Citra Award), and How Funny (This Country Is), Indonesia’s Oscar hopeful. He kept the momentum going in 2011, even playing a dolphin expert in The Mirror Never Lies (yeah, he actually studied dolphins for that). On top of that, he directed a short film called Sebelah. Then in 2012, he really pushed it—lost 10 kilos for BrokenHearts, played a romantic businessman in Perahu Kertas, and absolutely nailed his role as B.J. Habibie in Habibie & Ainun. Critics couldn’t stop raving; the dude just owned every character.