Suzzanna

Biography

Suzzanna, who had Javanese-Manado-German-Dutch heritage, was born in Buitenzorg (now Bogor), West Java, on 13 October 1942.

Suzzanna entered acting in the 1958, following the success of Usmar Ismail's Tiga Dara (1956). Cashing in on the popularity of the film, numerous organizations had begun holding "Tiga Dara" competitions; Suzzana, who had been raised in Magelang, won one such competition in Yogyakarta. She was soon cast in Ismail's film Asrama Dara (1958), in which she portrayed the daughter of a politician who must stay at a boarding house for girls. Advertising for this film emphasized Suzzanna and her role, drawing on the previous success of Tiga Dara by touting her as the next Indriati Iskak. Suzzanna's performance was well received by audiences, and in 1960 she was named Best Child Actress Award at the Asian Film Festival; she was also given recognition at the 1960 Indonesian Film Festival.

By the mid-1960s she had married fellow actor Dicky Suprapto. Together, in 1965, they established the film production company Tri Murni Film, which produced only one film—Segenggam Tanah Perbatasan (1965), starring both Suzzanna and Suprapto—before closing. They collaborated on another film, Suzie, the following year. Their final effort, Tidar Jaya Film, was most successful; it produced four films between 1970 and 1973. The first of these was Tuan Tanah Kedawung (1970), an adaptation of the comic by Ganes TH. In this film, Suzzanna took the role of Ratna, a woman who must protect her husband's land deeds while he is working in Borneo. Tidar Jaya subsequently produced Beranak dalam Kubur (1971), Bumi Makin Panas (1973), and Napsu Gila (1973); all of these featured Suzzanna.

Suzzanna's greatest popular success of the 1970s, however, came from another company. In 1970, she was cast in Bernafas dalam Lumpur, a production by Sarinande Films directed by Turino Djunaedy. In this film, Suzzanna portrays a woman who travels to Jakarta in search of her husband, only to fall victim of a human trafficking ring. Controversial for its frank depictions of sexuality and coarse language, the film was banned in Bandung but nonetheless the most popular domestic production of the year. For this film, Suzzanna was crowned as Asia's most popular actress at the 1972 Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Seoul. She later decided that the film's depiction of sexuality was too frank, vowing to not take such roles in the future.

Suzzanna separated from Suprapto in 1974, shortly following Napsu Gila; Tidar Jaya ceased operations soon afterwards.

Indonesians knew her as The Indonesian Horror Queen, not only because of her acting but also because of her mystic lifestyle. Some people said that she looked young in her old age because she ate jasmine flowers.

She was married to actor Dicky Suprapto. After their separation (never divorced as their marriage was a Catholic marriage), she lived together with actor Clift Sangra. Her daughter from her marriage with Dicky Suprapto, Kiki Maria, is also an actress. She retired from films in the 1990s but made a comeback in Hantu Ambulance, 2008. However, it would be her final appearance.

She died on 15 October 2008, in Magelang at 66 years of age, after 30 years of fighting with diabetes.