| Jero Happy Salma Wanasari | |
|---|---|
| Born | Happy Salma 4 January 1980 |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Occupation | Model, writer, actress |
Jero Happy Salma Wanasari (born Happy Salma; 4 January 1980) is an Indonesian actress, model, and writer. Originally working as a model, she later acted in numerous sinetron before acting in 2005's Gie. She married Ubud prince Tjokorda Bagus Dwi Santana Kertayasa in 2010. The following year she was chosen as best supporting actress at Indonesian Movie Awards award for her role as a prostitute in 7 Hati 7 Cinta 7 Wanita.
Happy Salma was born in Sukabumi, West Java, on 4 January 1980 to Dachlan Suhendra and Iis Rohaeni.[1] She enjoyed writing and reading from an early age.[2] She graduated from Trisakti University with a degree in business administration.[1]
Salma originally entered the entertainment industry as a model. She later appeared in numerous sinetron (Indonesian soap operas), including Bujangan (Single Man), Kutunggu Cintamu (I Wait for your Love), and Cowok-Cowok Keren (Cool Guys). In 2005 she acted in Gie, Indonesia's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards.[1]
In 2009, Salma was chosen as one of the celebrity icons for Balai Pustaka's reprint of eight classics of Indonesian literature in a special Indonesian Cultural Heritage Series. She represented Sitti Nurbaya.[3][4][5]
In 2010, Salma played Yanti in the film 7 Hati 7 Cinta 7 Wanita (7 Hearts 7 Loves 7 Women); in preparation, she spent time observing a real-life prostitute. Despite the character being a prostitute, Salma refused to have any form of physical contact with the male performers, saying that "it’s okay to play a sensual character, but [she did not] want to do such scenes".[6] She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2011 Indonesian Movie Awards for the role.[7]
Aside from acting, Salma also writes. As of 2010[update], she has written three books and collaborated on another three;[2] she has also released two short story collections.[8] She has said that if she abandoned acting she would pursue a career as an author.[2]
Salma married photographer Tjokorda Bagus Dwi Santana Kertayasa, a prince from Ubud, Bali, on 3 October 2010, after which she received a royal title.[9] They had a traditional Sundanese wedding reception in Sukabumi on 16 October 2010.[9][10] It has been rumored that she converted to Hinduism from Islam after the marriage, although she has denied the rumors.[1]
In 2011, Happy Salma will produce a new film, Description Without Place which tells about the past, present and the future of 3 women (from Saudi Arabia, Italy and Jakarta respectively) who meet in Bali during their spiritual journeys.[11]