Oka Antara


Oka Antara is an actor of Balinese descent. He is best known for starring in the films Sang Penari, V/H/S/2, Killers, and The Raid 2.

Life and career

Antara was born in Jakarta on 8 July 1981. He is of Balinese descent. Antara made his film debut in 2005 with Gue Kapok Jatuh Cinta. One of the film's directors, Thomas Nawilis, asked him to write the film's soundtrack; Antara did so, and sang a duet with Sabria Kono entitled "So Special" for the film. After the film's success, Antara continued acting. In 2006 he played in Dunia Mereka, and the following year he was in Hantu.
In 2008 he played Syaiful in Ayat-Ayat Cinta, a film by Hanung Bramantyo; the part earned him a Citra Award nomination at the Indonesian Film Festival. The following year he appeared in another Bramantyo film, Perempuan Berkalung Sorban ; he considered the script very interesting, citing it as his reason for joining the cast. This role earned him an award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2009 Bandung Film Festival. That same year he played a Presidential Protection Squad member in Queen Bee, directed by Fajar Nugroho. For the role, he studied the squad's role from books and took training from a real-life member.
Antara earned another Best Actor award, this time at the Indonesian Movie Awards, for his role in 2010's Hari Untuk Amanda, which garnered him a nomination for the Citra Award for Best Leading Actor. Afterwards, the newspaper Kompas reported that he was taking a break from acting to write a film scenario.
In 2011, Antara was approached by producer Shanty Harmayn for the leading role of Rasus in Ifa Isfansyah's film Sang Penari. In preparing for the role as a malnourished young man, Antara cut back on his food intake; he later splurged when he had to play Rasus as a soldier. His acting in the role led to a Citra Award nomination for Best Actor, although he lost to Emir Mahira of Rumah Tanpa Jendela.

Personal life

On 7 July 2008, Oka married Rara Wiritanaya, a TV presenter from Bali. They held a private wedding ceremony at home in Karangasem, Bali. The couple have 3 children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video appearances

Awards and nominations