JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

Try asking Nicholas Saputra about the girl he is currently dating or about any rumors related to his privacy and you will end up disappointed. It’s most likely that the actor and presenter will ignore such questions.

If his private life is the last thing he wants to share with the public, then so be it. Nicholas, however, will show his talkative nature when he answers questions on other subjects, especially those that attract him most — career, film and hobbies.  

After the recent re-launch of a Japanese restaurant, Nicholas was immediately surrounded by dozens of journalists. With a calm and firm tone, he told them that he had to excuse himself to entertain a one-on-one interview with The Jakarta Post.  

It was not difficult to ignore the envious looks when you have a drop dead handsome and professional source to interview. Nicholas was also kind enough to answer questions from a few other journalists who had waited patiently.

During the interview, the son of a Javanese mother and a late German father sat comfortably on a couch in the restaurant. He dressed casually, wearing a white striped shirt with long sleeves rolled up just under his elbows, dark colored jeans and a pair of sneakers. A watch and a thin modest rope bracelet lingered on his left wrist.

Simple and classic. That’s his fashion statement. Nicholas said he shops for clothes in bulk once every six months to keep things simple and efficient.  

He answered all questions seriously and professionally, using an Indonesian formal reference of saya (I) instead of gue or aku, which are often used by other celebrities.

Nicholas, who rose to stardom after he played in Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What’s up with Love) in 2002, said he would appear in two films this year.   

One of the upcoming films is set in Papua and deals with HIV/AIDS, while the other is about the lives of people in a zoo in Jakarta.

“I only have a small part in the film [on HIV/AIDS],” he said humbly. The actor, who is called Nico by friends and colleagues, refuses to talk more about the film as well as his part in the other film.  

He hopes the films will be well-received.  

“I hope the public will get excited about local films again. I see the recent excitement is a bit lower than that in 2007 and 2008,” he said.

The good looking actor, who has played various lead and supporting roles in a number of movies, will turn 27 on Feb. 24 this year. At that productive age, he still has a considerably long time to craft his acting and directing skills.  

Having co-directed a music video for local band Alexa, Nicholas said he just completed another music video for a music industry new comer. He refused to identify the singer. He apparently did not want to give hints about works that had not yet been released.

Many directors believe that movie stars have the potential to become good directors because they are closely involved in the film industry. Nicholas said he is interested in directing and plans to make a short movie in the near future to further hone his skills.

“For people like me who don’t formally learn cinematography, I think making short movies is a way to learn,” said Nico, who loves Japanese and Italian food.

He said his short film would convey his personal thoughts, inspirations, ideas and restlessness. When asked about what message he wanted to deliver to the audience, he gave an annoying little smile while saying “just wait and watch the movie”.  

He said he expects nothing commercial from making short movies as he believes that they are not profit driven.

Young filmmakers in the country have embraced short movies as a part of their lives, as seen in their interest in several film festivals held in the country.

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? and the children’s musical film Petualangan Sherina (Sherina’s Adventure), another work of Mira Lesmana’s Miles Production, have marked the awakening of local films in the country.

Those films have encouraged the industry to rise from a hiatus in the early 2000s, paving the way for new film stars and film directors. Despite a number of good quality movies, our cinemas are still forced to display poor quality productions, he said.  

Nicholas said the current film industry in this country was in need of good acting schools that could boost the quality of movie stars. He pointed out the gap that occurred when local films slumped in the 1990s.

“Now we barely have people who have been competent in filmmaking or becoming acting teachers.

Meanwhile, films stars in my generation are not ready,” he said.  

Nico, a graduate of University of Indonesia’s architecture program, strongly disagreed when a reporter criticized him for not using his knowledge of architecture in his chosen career.

He says he believes nowadays people can become successful in jobs they are passionate about even if they study a different subject at college.  

“Lawyers do not have to be lawyers as they can work anywhere and so can architects…,” Nicholas said.

“Are you interested to become an entrepreneur?” a journalist interrupted.

He quickly said he had not finished his answer. Without losing a second, he continued his explanation as if nothing ever happened.

“Because there are many people studying architecture who can apply the knowledge to many aspects,” he said while mentioning film director Rizal Mantovani and noted musician Erwin Gutawa as examples.  
Nicholas said he was interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but only in the fields related to his passion: Film, architecture and art.

“I am a truly hands-on person. I want to be free to do anything,” he said, adding that he would not do something that was outside his interests.  

Considering his achievements in a number of movies, we can say that the actor has a crush on film.

There was Biola Tak Berdawai (The Stringless Violin) in 2003, Janji Joni (Joni’s Promise) and Gie in 2005, 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (Three Days to Forever ) in 2007, and 3 Doa 3 Cinta (3 Wishes 3 Loves) in 2008.   

The award winning actor has also found a fun way to sharpen his natural acting talent. His love for traveling has brought him to various places in the country and abroad.

“To me, the real life is the best medium to learn about acting,” he said. His travel hobby, he said, enabled him to closely observe various sides of people’s lives and cultures. He said such experiences will be hard to find if he only visits big cities.

Nicholas does not only explore the beauty of landscapes and the cultures of people when he travels.

He often travels far to enjoy the country’s marvelous pristine coral and underwater scenery.  

“Diving is a relaxing hobby. I travel and dive, which means I am enjoying my hobby and learn a lot of things at the same time,” he said, adding that his best diving site is around Komodo island in East Nusa Tenggara.

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