Reza Rahadian Matulessy, born on March 5, 1987, is a renowned Indonesian actor who gained widespread recognition after his role in Perempuan Berkalung Sorban. Raised in Bogor, he developed a passion for acting during his senior high school years and made his feature film debut in 2004.
Initially, Rahadian was crowned Top Guest, an award for models, by Aneka magazine in 2004, although he never pursued a professional modeling career. Instead, he used modeling as a means to gain exposure and eventually land acting roles. This strategy paid off as he was cast in several sinetron, including Culunnya Pacarku and Idola.
Rahadian's film debut came in 2007 with the horror-comedy Film Horor, followed by another horror film, Ghost Island 2, in 2008. However, he soon grew tired of acting in horror films and sought new challenges.
In 2009, Rahadian made his critically acclaimed film debut in Hanung Bramantyo's Woman with a Turban, where he played the role of Samsuddin, the abusive and polygamous husband of Anissa. This marked a significant turning point in his career, as he began to receive recognition for his acting skills.
The following year, Rahadian acted in four films, including the comedy 3 Hati Dua Dunia, Satu Cinta, and How Funny (This Country Is). The former film won the Citra Award for Best Film at the 2010 Indonesian Film Festival, while the latter was Indonesia's nomination to the 83rd Academy Awards.
In 2011, Rahadian acted in four films, including Kamila Andini's directorial debut The Mirror Never Lies, where he played the role of Tudo, a dolphin expert. He also directed a short film, Sebelah (A Side).
Rahadian's filmography in 2012 consisted of six films, including BrokenHearts, where he lost 10 kilograms to prepare for his role as an anorexic. He also starred in Perahu Kertas and its sequel, adapted from Dewi Lestari's novel of the same name. Rahadian's performance in Perahu Kertas was praised by Niken Prathivi of The Jakarta Post, who noted that he had shown a mental struggle between love and business.
Towards the end of the year, Rahadian played the role of former president B.J. Habibie in Faozan Rizal's biopic Habibie & Ainun, which told the romance between Habibie and his future wife Ainun. Rahadian's portrayal of Habibie was widely praised, with Prathivi describing it as "flawless" and capturing the former president's mannerisms accurately.
