Ellisa Meriam Bellina Maria Bamboe (born 10 April 1965),[1] or better known by her stage name as Meriam Bellina, is an Indonesian actress who has won three Citra Awards and acted in more than 50 films. Born and raised in Bandung, she dropped out of senior high school to begin a career as a model and actress. By the mid-1980s she was recognised as a "sex bomb" and "fantasy girl". During the 1990s she focused mostly on television series, but she has produced several feature films since 2007. She is known to have mixed Austrian and Bugis Bone blood.
Meriam Bellina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ellisa Meriam Bellina Maria Bamboe 10 April 1965 |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Occupation(s) | Actress Singer |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Citra Award for Best Leading Actress
1984 Cinta Di Balik Noda 1990 Taksi Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress 2007 Get Married |
Biography
editMeriam was born in Bandung, West Java, on 10 April 1965. Born to G.H. Bamboe and Maria Theresia, she has five siblings, she is of mixed European, Buginese Sundanese descent. She initially wanted to become a stewardess for the airline Garuda Indonesia, but began acting, modelling, and singing while studying in Dago Catholic High School, Bandung.[2] She made her feature film debut in Perawan-perawan (1981) before rising to fame after starring as the titular character in Ami Priyono's 1982 film Roro Mendut, an adaptation of the traditional legend as told by Y. B. Mangunwijaya; after performing sexualised scenes with costar Mathias Muchus, she was dubbed Indonesia's sex bomb.[2][3][4] For Perkawinan 83, also released that year, Meriam found further critical claim.[3]
Owing to her increasingly busy schedule, Meriam dropped out of senior high school while in her second year in order to focus on her career.[3] During the 1980s she released several albums: Simfoni Rindu, Untuk Sebuah Nama and Belajar Menyanyi. These were often collaborations with Pance F. Pondaag.[2] Her films of this period often included steamy scenes; one, in Wim Umboh's Pengantin Pantai Biru, had her having sex while on a deserted island inhabited by savage natives.[5] Bruce Emond of The Jakarta Post later described her as "the fantasy girl come true for the movie-going public".[6]
Meriam had a surge of popularity again in 1987 after starring alongside Didi Petet in Catatan Si Boy.[2] Her films of this period included several romances and comedies, some featuring the troupe Warkop. In the 1990s she acted in several films, including Arifin C. Noer's Taksi.[7]
Following a decrease in proceeds from the domestic cinema, in the early 1990s Meriam began to focus on television series. She received an award for her role in the series Aku Mau Hidup in 1994; other series included Atas Nama Cinta dan Anakku (1995), Wanita (1996), and Bundaku Terpidana.[3] Between 1993 and 2006 she only acted in a single feature film, Kafir (2002).[7]
Beginning in 2007 Meriam returned to regular film production when she took a supporting role in Hanung Bramantyo's comedy Get Married portraying the main character Mae's mother.[8] This was followed by a series of comedies, including two sequels to Get Married (in 2009 and 2011) and the Raditya Dika-written film Cinta Brontosaurus.[7]
Personal life
editMeriam married fellow co-actor Adi Surya Abdi.[3] She has been divorced in marital relationships twice and, as of 2009[update], has two sons.[6] In March 2012 she reported her then-boyfriend, lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, to the police for allegedly physically abusing her and harassing her through text messages and phone calls.[9] After several months of arguments and court struggles the case was settled: Meriam withdrew her report and Hutapea agreed to end their relationship and recant a statement that they had married in Las Vegas.[10]
Filmography
editAs of 17 May 2013[update], Meriam has acted in 59 films.[7] During the early stages of her career she was not selective, acting in a variety of genres.[2]
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Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesian Film Festival | 1983 | Citra Award for Best Leading Actress | Perkawinan 83 | Nominated |
| 1984 | Cinta Di Balik Noda | Won | ||
| 1985 | Kabut Perkawinan | Nominated | ||
| 1986 | Kulihat Cinta Di Matanya | Nominated | ||
| 1988 | Tatkala Mimpi Berakhir | Nominated | ||
| 1990 | Taksi | Won | ||
| 2007 | Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress | Get Married | Won | |
| 2012 | Test Pack | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ JAKARTA JAKARTA (in Indonesian). Jakarta. 1991.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d e TIM, Meriam Bellina.
- ^ a b c d e Filmindonesia.or.id, Meriam Bellina.
- ^ Filmindonesia.or.id, Roro Mendut.
- ^ Heider 1991, pp. 127–128.
- ^ a b Emond 2009, Pretending.
- ^ a b c d Filmindonesia.or.id, Filmografi Meriam Bellina.
- ^ Suara Pembaruan 2009, Ayo Hamil.
- ^ The Jakarta Post 2012, Hotman Downplays.
- ^ The Jakarta Post 2012, Guess What?.
Works cited
edit- "Ayo Hamil" [Come On, Get Pregnant]. Suara Pembaruan (in Indonesian). 18 September 2009. p. 16.
- Emond, Bruce (22 April 2009). "'Pretending in real life is the worst part of celebrity'". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- "Filmografi Meriam Bellina" [Filmography for Meriam Bellina]. filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Konfiden Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- "Guess what?: Meriam, Hotman make peace". 1 May 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012.
- Heider, Karl G (1991). Indonesian Cinema: National Culture on Screen. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-1367-3.
- "Hotman downplays Meriam's police report". 29 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012.
- "Meriam Bellina". filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Konfiden Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- "Meriam Bellina" (in Indonesian). Taman Ismail Marzuki. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- Muryanto, Bambang (9 December 2012). "Donny, Acha win Citra Awards". The Jakarta Post. p. 2. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- "Penghargaan Meriam Bellina" [Awards for Meriam Bellina]. filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Konfiden Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- "Roro Mendut". filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Konfiden Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2013.