Nicholas Saputra started his career in fashion industry as a runway model and has appeared in magazine's covers when he was in high school.[6] He was scouted by a teen magazine while playing baseball in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium when he was fifteen.[7]
An inexperienced actor without any history in the entertainment industry, Saputra landed the lead role at his very first audition at age 17, to play in Rudy Soedjarwo's cult classicromanceblockbusterAda Apa dengan Cinta? opposite actress Dian Sastrowardoyo, which was released in 2002.[8] For his performance in the film as Rangga, an indifferent and aloof student who caught up in romance with the most popular girl in high school, he earned his first Citra (the Indonesian equivalent to the Oscars) nomination in Indonesian Film Festival for Best Leading Actor. The film also catapulted him to stardom in both Indonesia and Malaysia.[9] Saputra recalls of his career beginnings:
Being an actor is never my dream, actually. The offer came when I was in high school, and I was simply testing the water, thinking that I got nothing to lose.[10]
Saputra acted in his first action filmPendekar Tongkat Emas in 2014 alongside Christine Hakim, where he played a mysterious warrior, Elang, a role that also involved heavily choreographed fight sequences.[29][30] He next returned playing the character Rangga in Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2014 one-episode drama, a spin-off of the 2002 original title which was initiated by LINE and released through YouTube channel in November 2014.[31] The following year, Saputra reunited for the third time with Mariana Renata in a web series Nic and Mar.[32][33] A story about rekindled lovers, it was released in March 2015 and aired weekly on Thursday and Friday through mobile phone.[34][35]
"I learned from every character I played, because it’s important to give something to my characters as well as to learn something from them. Somehow I am shaped by my characters."
—Saputra in 2017 on what he has learned from acting[42]
Saputra next co-produced, narrated and appeared in Save Our Forest Giants, a short documentary film to raise awareness about elephant conservation, in collaboration with the European Union Delegation to Indonesia. The film was launched at the French cultural center in Jakarta, in June 2016.[43][44][45]
2018–present: Second Citra Award win and expanded activism
The following year, Saputra co-starred in the Filipino-Malaysian joint production horror filmMotel Acacia. The film had its world premiere at the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival in November 2019.[52] Allan Hunter of Screen Daily wrote, "[c]harismatic Nicholas Saputra making the biggest impression as a former accountant trying to survive his ordeal in the cursed motel."[53]
In November 2019, Saputra was chosen to become the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.[54] Saputra said about his appointment, "I feel honoured that UNICEF in Indonesia has trusted me with this role. Activism has always been my passion because I care about this nation’s future. I believe we should start from the very beginning, ensuring that Indonesian children’s rights are fulfilled so we can build a better world for children."[55] In December 2019, he joined UNICEF campaigns to drive awareness of the need to improve water and sanitation services, as well as basic hygiene practices.[56] He also joined the Leuser ecosystem foundation campaign to raise public awareness about the ecosystemconservation located in Mount Leuser National Park.[57]
With his production company Tanakhir Films, Saputra produced their first feature documentary filmSemesta (Islands of Faith) that tells a story of seven Indonesian environmental activists. The film had its world premiere at the Suncine International Environmental Film Festival in Barcelona in November 2019 prior to the local release in February 2020.[58] It was nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the 2020 Indonesian Film Festival.[59][60][61] It was released on Netflix in August, 2020.[62]
Nicholas Saputra is the only child in the family. He and his frequent co-star/collaborator Dian Sastrowardoyo are best friends and University of Indonesia alumni.[65] From 2005 to 2006, he was romantically linked to Janji Joni co-star Mariana Renata.[66]
Saputra is an avid traveler and has already ventured into the North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, and all around Indonesia. He once lived in a remote village in Flores and has been on a boat that nearly capsized.[67][68] He became an environmentalist after he joined an NGO to volunteer for the Aceh tsunami's aftermath in March 2005, three months after the catastrophe. He obtained his diving license in 2006.[69]
"Travelling is good for the soul. When you’re travelling, you become a more open person. You realize there is not just one type of human being. There are diverse cultures. The same applies to the nature around us."
Saputra co-founded Tanakhir Films with Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? publicist Mandy Marahimin in 2013. The company focuses on cultural and environmental film production.[72] In 2017, he collaborated with artist Angki Purbandono to hold an art installation, titled "Post Jungle-Tangkahan" about the life of Sumatran elephant. The exhibition also featured the photos taken by Saputra.[73][74][75]
