Agnes Monica goes from child star to adult league

By Tony Ryanto

JAKARTA (JP): Agnes Monica has been a singer, an actress and a TV show presenter. And she is all of 15 years old.

Starting out as a child singer at the age of seven, Agnes went on to act in various shows, most recently in Lupus and Hologram, where she landed larger roles in what she calls "stepping-stones" in her career.

Agnes has now graduated to the adult league. She is playing a high school student, Dini, who becomes pregnant and decides to have the baby, in Pernikahan Dini. It is not the usual schmaltzy stuff of teenage romances, and the drama has a prime-time Saturday night spot on private television station RCTI.

A close friend of magician Deddy Corbuzier, Agnes talked recently about navigating the pitfalls of stardom at a tender age and taking on the weightiest role of her career.

Question: How has your family been about your stardom?

Answer: My parents, especially Mom, are very supportive and so is my elder brother .... All of us have strong principles.

It's not easy to make the transition from child star to teen or adult star -- what do you think is important to remember as you go through that transition?

You're right. But in my case, again, everything has gone smoothly, although the role of Dini truly called for serious consideration. My mother is the one who was initially doubtful, particularly as I was only 13-and-a-half (when offered the role).

But the (production house) contact person is not the kind of man to give up easily. He phoned Mom again and again, almost daily, for more than three months without a break.

What puzzled mother was the fact that the production house made the proposition before meeting and getting to know me. In the end, it was my brother who suggested that we should meet and talk. If the production company was willing to make changes to the script, we would consider the offer. If not, we would leave it at that.

What I am afraid of, of course, is the problem of mistaken identity. That (people will think) Agnes is Dini and Dini is Agnes. Time and again I have stressed my point to the press that Agnes is Agnes and Dini is Dini. There are no similarities between the two.

The important thing to remember during the transition period is this: you must have principles of your own. Thanks to my being a bookworm, I don't think I am naive. As an actress, you can say I'm sophisticated at 15, meaning that I'm able to take care of myself. This, I hope, applies to fellow teen actresses as well.

What do you think of the kid stars today?

I think they are great. But, like mother says, quality should come before quantity, although in the end they should be balanced. There is a saying that goes: We do our best and God does the rest. This means that achievement must be given top priority, not material wealth or popularity.

Do you like Dini? This is a big step for you and some would say a potentially risky one, with the adult themes explored in the show. What have the reactions been so far?

As I said, the role of Dini is potentially risky. But if you can separate yourself from the character you play, there is no problem and there will never be. So far there have been no negative public reactions. But let us wait until Dini gives birth!

I can tell you that the post-"MBA" (married by accident) Dini is a changed woman. She is more feminine, understanding and responsible. It's the motherly instinct, I guess. But when under stress, the rebellious nature of a teen reemerges because, after all, she is too young to have a baby.

Your mother is your manager, but parents are often criticized for playing too big a role in their children's careers. What do you think?

Again, you are correct, particularly after what happened to Brooke Shields and Vanessa Mae. Their mothers are no longer their managers. But my mother is not planning to be my manager forever. In fact, she doesn't consider herself a manager in the real sense of the word. She is taking care of me because she thinks it is still her responsibility to see to it that whatever decision I make at 15 is right, and in a way I agree with her.

No, I don't think she's playing too big a role. Objectively speaking, we're both quite flexible: as long I can convince her that what I want makes sense and as long as she can convince me that what she thinks is right is right.

What are your plans for the future? Are you going for more sinetron (TV series)? Or will you give priority to your studies, like Jennifer Beals after Flashdance or like Brooke Shields following Blue Lagoon?

I would say I'd like to have the ability to divide my time between the two, like I'm doing now. Most of the time shooting takes place after school, but there are times when I have to ask the school principal for a few hours off when the schedule is tight and cannot be changed.

Next on the schedule is a four-hour miniseries, a drama in which a young woman finds herself in a terrible situation. She has three markedly different personalities, something like a teen version of The Three Faces of Eve, which starred Joanne Woodward.

I don't like the idea of being stuck playing one type of character in a particular genre. I have a high regard for Christine Hakim because she is a versatile actress and I like Al Pacino and John Travolta for the same reason.

As for higher education, as much as possible I would like to stay in Indonesia and go to a quality university. Also, if all goes well, I will try to get my master's after getting a bachelor's degree.