Maudy Koesnaedi

Biography

Maudy was born on 8 April 1975 in Kuningan, South Jakarta, to Koesnaedy Bagdja and Sondari Soemijati. In 1993, she won the title Miss Jakarta at the Abang None Jakarta pageant. Shortly thereafter, she was cast in the television series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan ('Doel the Schoolchild') as Zaenab, the girlfriend of the main character Doel (Rano Karno). In a 2009 interview, she described the cast and crew as very supportive of her efforts to learn acting, as it was her first role. The series, based on an earlier novel and film, was widely popular, and through it Maudy became a household name.

During her time with Si Doel Anak Sekolahan, Maudy also appeared in the series Balada Dangdut ('The Dangdut Ballad', 1996) and Getawr Dawai Hati ('The Quiver of Heart Strings') as well as music videos for the bands Kahitna and Java Jive. She received a degree in French literature from the University of Indonesia, though due to her commitments as Miss Jakarta and Si Doel's shooting schedule, her studies were delayed several times.

In 1997, Maudy made her film debut in Garin Nugroho's television film Angin Rumput Savana ('Wind on the Savannah'). Between 1998 and 2000, she held concurrent roles in the series Jangan Ucapkan Cinta ('Don't Say Love') and Janji Hati ('Heart's Promise'). These were followed by several short-lived series, including Camelia (2000), Si Doel Anak Gedongan ('Doel the Builder', 2005), and Maha Kasih ('The All-Loving', 2006). Her characters on these shows were characterized by Bruce Emond of The Jakarta Post as often empathetic and long-suffering.

In the mid-2000s, tired of the brisk shooting schedules of television series, Maudy began appearing in feature films, with minor roles in Betina ('She-Beast') and Love for Share (both 2006). After some time in the theatre, which included developing a play based on Tjerita Njai Dasima as well as a musical ensemble show featuring forty alumni of the Abang None Jakarta pageant, she returned to cinema with Ifa Isfansyah's film Garuda di Dadaku ('Garuda in My Chest', 2009). In this film, she played the mother of the protagonist, a young child with dreams of playing professional association football. In 2011, Maudy reprised her role as Wahyuni in the film Garuda di Dadaku 2 and appeared in Hanny R. Saputra's Love Story.

Maudy was cast as Inggit Garnasih in Hanung Bramantyo's 2013 film Soekarno, a biopic of Indonesia's first president. Regarding her casting as Sukarno's wife, Maudy described Inggit as her role model, being an extraordinary woman who had stood faithfully by his side and made many sacrifices. For her performance, Maudy was nominated for the Citra Award for Best Actress at the 2014 Indonesian Film Festival and Best Actress at the Maya Awards and Bandung Film Festival. Though she received none of these, she won Best Supporting Actress at the Indonesian Movie Awards.

In the mid-2010s, Maudy appeared in several films, including Negeri Van Oranje ('The Land of the Van Oranjes', 2015), Pinky Promise (2016), and A Note to God (2017). She revisited the character of Zaenab for three films: Si Doel the Movie (2018), Si Doel the Movie 2 (2019), and Akhir Kisah Cinta Si Doel ('The End of Doel's Love Story', 2020). The Tempo Film Festival nominated her for Best Actress for her role in Ave Maryam (2019). At the 2022 Indonesian Film Festival, she received a Citra Award for Best Actress nomination for her role in the film Losmen Bu Broto ('Ms. Broto's Hostel', 2021). In theatre, she reprised the role of Inggit Garnasih in a series of performances in 2021.

During the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election, Maudy joined the campaign team for Pramono Anung and his running mate Rano Karno; the latter had been her co-star in the Si Doel television series and films. Although she later left the team, she endorsed the pair. She has remained active with the Abang None Foundation. In 2025, she appeared in five films.

Personal life

Maudy married Frederik Johannes Meijer in 2001. Shortly after their marriage, the Indonesian infotainment industry instituted a "Maudy pregnancy watch", and the couple dismissed inquiries with the response "Erik is pregnant but Maudy isn’t yet". Their only son, Eddy Maliq Meijer, was born in 2007. As of 2024, the family lives in Bali.

Filmography

As of 2026, Maudy has appeared in more than 25 theatrical films.