ACTORS from Indonesia

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Indonesian Actors of all time. This list of famous Indonesian Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Indonesian Actors.

1. Laura Gemser (b. 1950)

With an HPI of 68.56, Laura Gemser is the most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 33 different languages on wikipedia.

Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Italian erotic cinema, most notably the Emanuelle series. Many of her films were collaborations with directors Joe D'Amato and Bruno Mattei. Gemser has also been credited as Moira Chen, most notably in Love Is Forever (1983).

2. Lil Dagover (1887 - 1980)

With an HPI of 62.30, Lil Dagover is the 2nd most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Lil Dagover (German: [lil ˈdaː.ɡo.vɐ] ; born Marie Antonia Siegelinde Martha Seubert; 30 September 1887 – 23 January 1980) was a German actress whose film career spanned between 1913 and 1979. She was one of the most popular and recognized film actresses in the Weimar Republic.

3. Valerie Mahaffey (1953 - 2025)

With an HPI of 58.20, Valerie Mahaffey is the 3rd most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Valerie Mahaffey (June 16, 1953 – May 30, 2025) was an American actress. She began her career starring in the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors (1979–81), for which in 1980 she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 1992, Mahaffey won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the CBS drama series Northern Exposure. She later appeared in television shows such as Wings, Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids, Young Sheldon, and Dead to Me. Mahaffey also appeared in a number of movies, including Senior Trip (1995), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), Jack and Jill (2011), Sully (2016). For her role in French Exit (2020) she received critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

4. Ilse Werner (1921 - 2005)

With an HPI of 54.74, Ilse Werner is the 4th most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Ilse Werner (German: [ˈɪl.zə ˈvɛʁ.nɐ] ; born Ilse Charlotte Still, 11 July 1921 – 8 August 2005) was a Dutch-German actress, singer, and musical whistler.

5. Christine Hakim (b. 1956)

With an HPI of 54.35, Christine Hakim is the 5th most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim (born 25 December 1956) is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychologist. This changed after she was discovered by Teguh Karya for his 1973 movie Cinta Pertama, a role which garnered her a Citra Award for Best Actress and convinced her to follow a career in acting. Since then, she has starred in numerous films, including 1977's Badai Pasti Berlalu and 1988's Tjoet Nja' Dhien; she also had a minor role in the 2010 Hollywood movie Eat Pray Love. As of 2011, she has won six Citra Awards, received a lifetime achievement award from the Cinemanila International Film Festival, and served as a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. Hakim began branching out from acting in 1998, beginning with roles as producer of Daun di Atas Bantal and Pasir Berbisik and eventually spreading to documentary filmmaking and being an activist for education and autism. Beginning in 2008, she has served as Indonesia's goodwill ambassador to UNESCO, focusing on educational issues.

6. Agnez Mo (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 53.87, Agnez Mo is the 6th most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 147 different languages.

Agnes Monica Muljoto (born 1 July 1986), known professionally as Agnez Mo (previously Agnes Monica), is an Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Jakarta, she started her career as a child singer in the 1990s. She later transformed into an Indonesian pop icon of the 2000s and launched her international career in the mid-2010s. A triple-threat entertainer, Mo is known for her whole package of powerful vocals, elaborate choreography, and dynamic visuals. After recording four children's albums and hosting several variety shows, Mo established herself as a teen idol with her leading role in TV series Pernikahan Dini (2001). Her first adulthood's studio album, And the Story Goes (2003), was certified Double Platinum in Indonesia. She followed it with another successful studio albums Whaddup A.. '?! (2005) and Sacredly Agnezious (2009), and continued starring in various TV series in between. In 2006, Mo also took part in two Taiwanese drama series, The Hospital and Romance In The White House. Mo also became a judge for singing competitions Indonesian Idol (2010–2012) and The Voice Indonesia (2016–2018). Mo rebranded herself with a new stage name on her first English studio album, Agnez Mo (2013). After signing a record deal with The Cherry Party (an American label ventured with Sony Music) in 2014, Mo released her first debut international single, "Coke Bottle" (featuring Timbaland and T.I.). Her second English album, X (2017), was produced by Danja. Mo continued releasing a string of standalone singles until the mid-2020s, three of which—"Boy Magnet", "Overdose" (featuring Chris Brown), and "Patience"—entered the US Billboard charts. In 2025, Mo cast as Lila Hoth on the American TV series Reacher. Mo is the most-awarded Indonesian artist in history, with local awards including 18 Anugerah Musik Indonesia and 8 Panasonic Awards, as well as international ones such as 3 awards of Asia Song Festival, 2 Mnet Asian Music Awards, an iHeartRadio Music Award, and a World Music Award. She became the first Indonesian artist to be immortalized in multiple wax statues by Madame Tussauds, in its Singapore and Hong Kong museums. In 2020, Mo was listed among the 10 highlighted figures on Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars: Asia-Pacific's Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media.

7. Iko Uwais (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 53.06, Iko Uwais is the 7th most famous Indonesian Actor.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Uwais Qorny (pronounced [uˌwaɪh ˈkɔrni]), known professionally as Iko Uwais, (born 12 February 1983) is an Indonesian actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist. He is best known for acting in the action films Merantau (2009), The Raid (2011), The Raid 2 (2014), Headshot (2016), Mile 22 (2018), The Night Comes for Us (2018), Stuber (2019), and the Netflix series Wu Assassins (2019–22).

8. Joe Taslim (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 47.25, Joe Taslim is the 8th most famous Indonesian Actor.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Johannes "Joe" Taslim (born 23 June 1981) is an Indonesian actor, martial artist, and model. He was a member of Indonesia’s national judo team from 1997 to 2009, becoming a three-time medalist (one Silver and two Bronze) at the Southeast Asian Games, and a Gold medalist at the 2008 Pekan Olahraga Nasional. His film acting roles include Sergeant Jaka in The Raid (2011), Jah in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Manas in Star Trek Beyond (2016), and Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat (2021) and Mortal Kombat II. He has a starring role as Li Yong on the television series Warrior.

9. Amara (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 47.08, Amara is the 9th most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Tuwuh Adijatitesih Amaranggana (born 8 July 1975), better known by her stage name Amara or Mara is an Indonesian singer, actress, and model.

10. Krisdayanti (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 46.47, Krisdayanti is the 10th most famous Indonesian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Kris Dayanti (born 24 March 1975), often written mononymously as Krisdayanti (or shortened as KD), is an Indonesian politician, singer and actress. She is the younger sister of Yuni Shara, another Indonesian singer. She is the daughter of Trenggono and Rachma Widadiningsih. At the age of 9, she sang a song for the movie Megaloman. Three years later, she released her first album, Biasa Saja, together with the soundtrack album for Catatan Si Emon. While still in high school, Krisdayanti participated in numerous singing and modeling competitions. In 1991, she became one of the finalists in the GADIS magazine's cover model search, called GADIS Sampul. With the help of Younky Soewarno and Chris Pattikawa, Krisdayanti participated in the 1992 Asia Bagus star-search program, eventually winning the grand prize at the Asia Bagus film festival in Japan. As a result of her success in the competition, Krisdayanti recorded an album in Singapore with Pony Canyon in 1993. She also recorded a single "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" which was released in some Asian countries including Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan. In 1997, she was chosen as "The Best of Asia Bagus". She also won several awards, such as Best Indonesian Album awards for "Menghitung Hari" at 1999 Anugerah Industri Muzik, "Most Wanted Female Artist" and "Most Wanted Indonesian Video" awards for "Menghitung Hari" at MTV Southeast Asia, Best Pop Album awards for "Cinta" at 1997 Anugerah Musik Indonesia, and Most Favorite Female for "Jangan Pergi, Yang Kumau" at 2002 MTV Indonesia Awards. And also several nominations, such as Best Female Supporting Role for "Abad 21" at the 1996 Festival Sinetron Indonesia, International Viewer's Choice Awards for "Menghitung Hari" at 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, and Most Favorite Female for "Mengenangmu" at 2006 MTV Indonesia Awards. During 2004, Krisdayanti held eight concerts in different cities, including some international ones. Her hit songs and constant concert performances have caused her to be considered the most expensive Indonesian artist to hire for singing or acting, with Swa magazine writing that she earns more than the president of Indonesia. In 1996, she was considered by Tabloid Bintang as one of Indonesia's 6 most prominent female television stars, and in 2007 Globe Asia ranked her 31st in its list of the 99 influential women in Indonesia. She married Anang Hermansyah, a musician from Jember, East Java, in 1996. Together they had one son (Azriel Hermansyah) and one daughter (Aurelie Hermansyah). During their marriage, tabloids often reported rumors of Krisdayanti being linked to Dicky Wahyudi, Tohpati's guitarist, dan Ari Sigit, a grandson of ex-president Suharto. All rumors were denied by Krisdayanti, who said that her relationship with her husband was fine. They divorced in mid-August 2009, upon Yanti's request. After divorcing Anang Hermansyah, she reportedly started a relationship with Raul Lemos, a businessman from East Timor. On 20 March 2011, she married Raul Lemos and she had another girl on 5 September 2011 by cesarean section. The name of the girl is Arianna Amora Lemos, which means "Diamond with Full of Love". She then said that she was retiring from the entertainment industry to live in East Timor as a housewife. However, she retracted the statement and said that she wanted to continue singing until old age, similar to Indonesian top senior singer, Titiek Puspa.