Reza Rahadian

Reza Rahadian Matulessy (born 5 March 1987) is an Indonesian actor, model, singer, director, and radio announcer of Persian and Ambonese descent. He was Chair of the Indonesian Film Festival for the period 2021 to 2023.

He was born to an Iranian father and a Moluccan Indonesian mother whose love for film influenced him as a youth.

In 2004, Reza Rahadian was named Top Guest by the Indonesian variety magazine Aneka,^[1] an award recognizing emerging models, despite not pursuing modelling professionally. He regarded modelling primarily as a pathway into acting. The exposure he received^[2] led to roles in several Indonesian television soap operas, including Culunnya Pacarku and Idola. Rahadian made his feature film debut in 2007 with the horror-comedy Film Horor, followed by another horror film, Ghost Island 2, in 2008.^[2]

Rahadian's first major critical recognition came in 2009 with Hanung Bramantyo's Woman with a Turban. Although he initially auditioned for a minor role, Bramantyo cast him as Samsuddin, the abusive and polygamous husband of the protagonist Anissa (Revalina S. Temat). Following this experience, Rahadian expressed reluctance to continue working in horror films. He appeared in four films that year, including several comedies.^[2][3]

In 2010, Rahadian again appeared in four films,^[3] among them 3 Hati Dua Dunia, Satu Cinta and How Funny (This Country Is). The former, which explores interfaith romance, received the Citra Award for Best Film at the 2010 Indonesian Film Festival,^[4] while the latter was selected as Indonesia's submission for the 83rd Academy Awards.^[5] Rahadian continued his prolific output in 2011 with four additional films,^[3] including Kamila Andini's The Mirror Never Lies, in which he portrayed Tudo, a dolphin expert. To prepare for the role, he undertook research on dolphin behavior at Ancol in North Jakarta.^[2] Beyond acting, he directed a short film titled Sebelah (A Side).^[6]

In 2012, he appeared in six films.^[3] For BrokenHearts, he lost 10 kilograms (22 lb) to portray an anorexic character.^[6] He also starred in Perahu Kertas and its sequel, adaptations of Dewi Lestari's novel, playing Remi, a businessman who becomes a romantic rival to the protagonist. Critics noted his performance for conveying the character's internal conflict between professional ambition and romantic attachment.^[7]

Later that year, Rahadian portrayed former Indonesian president B. J. Habibie in Faozan Rizal's biographical film Habibie & Ainun, which depicts Habibie's relationship with Ainun, played by Bunga Citra Lestari. His performance was widely praised for its accurate representation of Habibie's mannerisms and character.^[8] He reprised the role in the 2016 prequel Rudy Habibie. In 2017, Rahadian starred in the romantic drama Critical Eleven with Adinia Wirasti. He made his feature directorial debut with On Your Lap in 2025.^[9]

• Reza Rahadian at IMDb