Nicholas Saputra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicholas Saputra
Born	Nicholas Schubring Saputra (1984-02-24) 24 February 1984 (age 41) Jakarta, Indonesia
Alma mater	University of Indonesia, (Architecture)
Occupation	Actor Producer Businessman Activist
Years active	2002–present

Nicholas Schubring Saputra (born on February 24, 1984) is a famous Indonesian actor and film producer. He became very well-known as Rangga in the popular 2002 movie Ada Apa dengan Cinta? (which means What's Up with Love?). He played this role again in the sequel Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2 in 2016.

Nicholas is known as one of Indonesia's best actors. He has won two Citra Awards, which are like the Oscars in Indonesia. He won for Best Actor in the movie Gie (2005) and for Best Supporting Actor in Aruna & Her Palate (2018).

Besides acting, Nicholas Saputra is also an activist. He cares a lot about the environment and conservation. He also supports children's rights. He has produced several environmental films through his company, Tanakhir Films. In 2019, he became a UNICEF Indonesia Goodwill Ambassador, helping to make the world better for children.

Nicholas Saputra's Early Life and Education

Nicholas Saputra was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 24, 1984. His father is German, and his mother is Indonesian-Javanese from Yogyakarta.

He went to SMA Negeri 8 Jakarta high school. After that, he studied architecture at the University of Indonesia. He was even one of the top students in his high school!

Becoming a Star: Nicholas Saputra's Acting Journey

Nicholas Saputra started his career in fashion. He was a runway model and appeared on magazine covers when he was in high school. A teen magazine discovered him when he was just fifteen years old.

First Big Roles

Even though he had no acting experience, Nicholas got a main role at his very first audition. He was 17 when he was chosen for the hit romance movie Ada Apa dengan Cinta? in 2002. He played Rangga, a quiet student who falls in love with the most popular girl in school. This movie made him a huge star in Indonesia and Malaysia.

For his role as Rangga, he was nominated for a Citra Award for Best Leading Actor. Nicholas once said about starting his career:

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.

In 2003, Nicholas played a violinist in Biola Tak Berdawai (The Stringless Violin). This film was shown at the Cairo International Film Festival. It was also Indonesia's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards. Nicholas won Best Actor at the 2003 Bali International Film Festival for his role.

More Success and Awards

Nicholas then starred in the 2005 romantic comedy Janji Joni (Joni's Promise). He played a film delivery man. This role won him the Most Favorite Actor award at the 2005 MTV Indonesia Movie Awards. The film was also shown at big festivals like the Sydney Film Festival.

In the same year, he played a real-life activist named Soe Hok Gie in the movie Gie. His acting in Gie was highly praised. He won the Citra Award for Best Leading Actor at the 2005 Indonesian Film Festival. He also won other Best Actor awards. Gie was also Indonesia's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards.

Nicholas also hosted TV shows on Channel V Asia in 2007. He even co-presented at the 1st Asian Film Awards with famous actors like Lee Byung Hun. He starred in 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (3 Days to Forever) in 2007, which won awards at film festivals.

Continuing His Journey

In 2008, Nicholas reunited with his Ada Apa dengan Cinta? co-star, Dian Sastrowardoyo, in two films: Drupadi and 3 Doa 3 Cinta. He was also a jury member at the 2008 Singapore International Film Festival.

He starred in the environmental documentary The Magic Kakaban in 2011. He then appeared in two indie movies: Postcards from the Zoo (2012) and What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love (2013). In the latter, he played a deaf man who falls in love with a blind girl. This film was the first Indonesian movie nominated at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Becoming a Producer

In 2013, Nicholas started working as an executive producer for the first time. He helped produce Sokola Rimba, a film about an activist who teaches the Orang Rimba people. This movie won Best Film at the 2013 Maya Awards.

That same year, Nicholas co-founded Tanakhir Films. This company focuses on making documentaries and environmental films. He also starred in his company's first film, Cinta Dari Wamena, which was about raising awareness for HIV/AIDS.

Nicholas also acted in his first action film, Pendekar Tongkat Emas, in 2014. He played a mysterious warrior and had many fight scenes. He then returned as Rangga in a short drama called Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2014, which was released on YouTube.

Following its success, he played Rangga again in the movie sequel Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2 in 2016. This film was very popular and became one of the highest-grossing films in Indonesia. He also appeared in the Malaysian fantasy thriller Interchange.

Beyond Acting: Helping the World

In 2016, Nicholas co-produced and narrated a short documentary film called Save Our Forest Giants. This film aimed to raise awareness about elephant conservation.

In 2018, Nicholas returned to acting in Aruna & Her Palate, playing a chef. He won the Citra Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.

In November 2019, Nicholas Saputra was chosen as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He said he felt honored and that activism has always been his passion. He believes in helping Indonesian children have their rights fulfilled. He joined UNICEF campaigns to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene. He also joined a campaign to protect the Leuser Ecosystem.

With his company Tanakhir Films, Nicholas produced their first feature documentary film Semesta (Islands of Faith). This film tells the stories of seven Indonesian environmental activists. It was released in 2020 and is available on Netflix.

Nicholas is also set to play the superhero Aquanus in the Bumilangit Cinematic Universe, based on a comic book character. In 2024, he starred in the romantic miniseries Secret Ingredient with actors from the Philippines and South Korea.

Nicholas Saputra's Personal Life

Nicholas Saputra is the only child in his family. He is best friends with his frequent co-star, Dian Sastrowardoyo. They both went to the University of Indonesia.

Nicholas loves to travel and has explored many parts of the world, including North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, and all over Indonesia. He even lived in a remote village in Flores once! He became an environmentalist after volunteering to help after the Aceh tsunami in 2005. He got his diving license in 2006.

He is also a great photographer, and he often shares his photos on Instagram.

Nicholas has been involved with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) since 2008. He helped set up classrooms and a traveling library in Raja Ampat, Papua. He continues to work hard for forest and orangutan conservation in Indonesia.

In 2017, he worked with artist Angki Purbandono on an art project called "Post Jungle-Tangkahan." It was about the life of Sumatran elephants and included photos taken by Nicholas.

To support ecotourism, Nicholas built an eco friendly lodge near Mount Leuser National Park in Tangkahan, North Sumatra.

Nicholas Saputra's Films

Feature films

Short films

Television

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Nicholas Saputra