EPL as it is known was directed by Ryan Murphy and is based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert about her travels to Italy, India and Indonesia.

“I had a lot of fun with Julia Roberts on the set. She has always embodied the American Sweetheart since I saw her in early films. And I like to see her ski jump nose and her lips. I am happy to see a face like that. She is beautiful and natural; and not arrogant,” said Puspa at her Denpasar home recently.

As well as Robert’s beauty and talent, Puspa was bowled over by how hard actors, directors and just about everyone on set works.

“For me making the film was a great experience. It answered my curiosity, my love of learning and I really admire western people’s professionalism; to see how hard they work. On our daily work sheets it said ‘eat when you can’. For me people succeed because they work hard, because they put in 100 percent. There is a passion — it’s like WOW. I feel we Balinese can learn a lot from this work ethic,” said Puspa of the dedicated slog that is movie making.

Working under direction from Murphy was also a hoot for Puspa, who rarely ends a sentence without a great guffawing giggle.

“Ryan was always calling out at me to play the role meaner. I have been around so many Balinese families where there will be a couple of spinster aunts pulling snakey faces at each other, so I knew the look,” says Puspa whose role as Ketut’s protective sister-in-law called for jealous behavior.

Puspa points out she is the only Balinese actor in the film with other leading Balinese roles played by non-Balinese Indonesians.

“Because of that I understood how this woman was feeling. Here was this westerner coming into the family compound and taking up Ketut’s time when there were Balinese families needing his help as a healer,” explains Puspa, adding she has the highest respect for both the real Ketut Liyer and Pak Hardi Subianto, a Javanese saxophonist who played Ketut in the film.

Puspa from the Hindu Ksatria or warrior class, sees herself as intensely Balinese. Her family are from Marga in Tabanan and her uncle was one of the 92 ksatria who fought to the death alongside Ngurah Rai in 1946.

“My father’s brother died in the last Puputan [war] with the Dutch on Nov. 20, 1946. This happened 600 meters from the family home. My uncle was just 17 years of age and he joined that great clash with the Dutch following Independence. They had taken the oath to fight to their last drop of blood,” says Puspa of her family history that ties her so strongly to her island home.

Puspa’s father was spared taking the oath that would have left him also dead on the field of battle, he instead married his dead brother’s wife.

“My uncle had told my father to save himself and to marry my auntie, who was also my mother. My uncle and mum were just newly weds when the Puputan happened and she was newly pregnant with my older sister, so that is my family background,” says Puspa, who was able to bring that rich Balinese understanding to her performance in EPL.

So committed to her history is Puspa that on the last day of EPL  casting she was up a mountain in a devotional cave created by a powerful prince.

 She missed that call.

“When I heard about the book, EPL, some people said I would be perfect for the part of Nyomo. I was not interested until one day, the last day of casting, I took my children and some friends to Pura Tirta Ketipat near Bedugal. I was supposed to go there 18 years ago, but had not made it. The history of this temple is that a young prince was on his way from Klungkung to Singaraja. He was 12 years old and already powerful. They were traveling through the forests and had a last stop before his mother’s village.

They were eating the last of their rations, ketipat, but they had no water. The boy king heard a voice saying stab your kris into the soil and you will have water. So now there is a small well on that spot. That boy king was my ancestor,” explains Puspa of her desire to visit the cave.

It was here that her phone rang and she was asked to hustle her tail up to Ubud for casting. “I was in the cave and I heard my friends outside complaining there was no signal. My phone was ringing, same phone but I’ve got signal and they haven’t,” says Puspa of the magic of modern communication.

Casting for the role of Nyomo was held next day and three weeks later Puspa was hired to be on set with not just Julia Roberts, but Javier Bardem as well.

“Hollywood — gituloh — that’s Hollywood,” laughs Puspa, the Balinese star who is as happy making offerings to the gods as to working alongside a goddess of the silver screen.

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