Sophia Inggriani Latjuba, known professionally as Sophia Latjuba (born 8 August 1970
) is a German-born Indonesian actress and singer now based in the United States. Of German-Austria, Bugis and Javanese descent, she is the mother of actress and singer-songwriter, Eva Celia.
Biography
Latjuba was born to Azzizurrahman Latjuba, a Bugis-Javanese and Anna Müller, a German Jew, on 8 August 1970.[1][2] In youth, she moved back to Indonesia with her father; she later reported that she felt closer to him than her mother.[3] She graduated from Senior High School 3 Jakarta.[4]
Latjuba made her film debut in 1987 with Bilur-Bilur Penyesalan (Stripes of Regret), while still in high school. She later appeared in numerous films, culminating with Kuldesak, directed by her then-sister-in-law Mira Lesmana which she appeared in for free, in 1998.[2][5] During her film career, Latjuba was considered a sex symbol;[1] Bruce Edmond, writing for The Jakarta Post, described her as being "many an Indonesian man's fantasy woman" at the time.[3] She also released several albums, including Hanya Untukmu (Only For You), which won the 1994 BASF Award for Best Album Arrangement.[2]
When preparing his 2002 cover album Dekade (Decade), Chrisye approached Latjuba to perform two duets, "Kangen" ("Longing") and "Anggrek Bulan" ("Moon Orchid"), with him on the album; Latjuba accepted. She later performed in the Dekade Concert with him.[6][7]
On 22 December 2008, Latjuba moved to Los Angeles, United States, citing rising intolerance in Indonesia[1] and overcrowding in Jakarta.[3] After taking a break from acting,[1] she began auditioning for film roles in Los Angeles and taking acting classes to improve her professionalism.[3] As of April 2012[update], she still lives in the city, in part because her daughter is studying performing arts there.[8]
In October 2012, Latjuba had changed her name to Sophia Müller.[citation needed]
Personal life
Latjuba's first marriage, in 1992, was to jazz pianist Indra Lesmana;[9] the couple had one daughter, Eva Celia. Her second marriage, on 30 April 2005, was to American national Michael A. Villareal, with whom she has another daughter.[2][8] After the couple were formally divorced in the United States, both legalized their divorce at the South Jakarta Civil Court and was approved on 17 September 2014 by the judge.[10]
Since 2008, Latjuba now resides in the United States. In a 2009 interview with The Jakarta Post, Latjuba stated that she had become a committed vegetarian and animal rights activist.[1]
Filmography
Bilur-Bilur Penyesalan (Stripes of Regret; 1987)
Rio Sang Juara (Rio the Champion; 1989)
Valentine Kasih Sayang Bagimu (Valentine, Some Love For You; 1989)
Ketika Cinta Telah Berlalu (When Love has Passed; 1989)
"Lihat Jerman Bersatu" [See Germany Unite]. Tempo (in Indonesian). 20 October 1990. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
"Sophia Latjuba". Tempo (in Indonesian). 1 December 1998. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
"Sophia Latjuba". KapanLagi.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
