Supermodel Tamara treads the boards in 'Julius Caesar'

Supermodel Tamara treads the boards in 'Julius Caesar'

By Elisa Tobing

JAKARTA (JP): Artists as famous and successful as Tamara
Bleszynski rarely deign to perform in theater.

With their commercial contracts for TV films, advertisements
and appearances, there is usually little reason or time for them
to turn their attention to treading the stage boards.

In Indonesia, there is the added stigma that theater is
considered unprofitable. Big business rarely sponsors theatrical
projects.

Tamara, one of Indonesia's top models and now an actress in
television dramas (sinetron), has turned all these perceptions
around by announcing she will act in a stage adaptation of
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

"I like to perform on stage because I know that it is the
basis of all acting," she said.

Tamara is regarded as one of the most beautiful women in
Indonesia. In addition to her stunning face, she has thick,
lustrous dark brown hair. She stands 1.74 cm tall and has a
lithe, sensuous figure.

The Teater Lembaga stage group, an off-shoot of the Jakarta
Arts Institute (IKJ), offered her the role of Calpurnia, Julius
Caesar's wife.

Directed by Joseph Ginting and A. Azuzan J.G., the play will
be staged at the Graha Bhakti Budaya building at Taman Ismail
Marzuki (TIM), on July 11, 12 and 13.

The costumes are prepared by designer Harry Dharsono.

Tamara says her interest in the theater is genuine and not
just a publicity stunt. The theater is not new to her as she
performed in Shakespeare's Macbeth when she was a high school
student in Australia.

"I was closely connected with the theater for six years when I
was a junior and then a senior high school student in Perth,
Australia."

Fellow cast members include experienced actor and comedian
Didi Petet in the title role. Calpurnia may be an acting stretch
as she must play a woman in her fifties living amid the intrigue
of life in ancient Rome. But Tamara says she is rising to the
challenge, completely immersing herself in Calpurnia's character.

Joseph Ginting viewed Tamara's potential not solely from her
beauty. He says he was more impressed by her willingness to
surrender herself completely to the role. He added that Tamara
does not mind learning and will seek guidance from the director.

Tamara is not planning to give up her successful roles in TV
series. She considers the stage performance will hope her hone
her skills for her future acting endeavors.

"If I was stuck with TV films, I'm sure that my acting would
not improve a lot, even if I could play in many TV series," she
said.

Tamara was born on Dec. 25, 1974, and given the beautiful name
Tamara Natalia Christina Mayawati Bleszynski. Her mother hails
from West Java, her father from Poland.

Tamara spent most of her childhood in Puncak, West Java, and
went to high school in Australia. In 1993, she returned to
Indonesia. People of mixed Indonesian and foreign parentage often
find it difficult to lose the Western lilt to their accents,
particularly if they have spent several years abroad. But Tamara
speaks West Java's Sundanese dialect perfectly and is a
connoisseur of Indonesian food, especially cuisine of West Java
and West Sumatra.

She began modeling almost immediately upon her return to
Jakarta when she joined a local casting call for a shampoo
advertisement.

"The advertising agency which tested me happened to have the
Lux soap account. They chose me as their Lux soap model," she
said.

She said the photo shoot for the Lux ad was held in London.
Her two-year contract was extended, with a new location shoot in
Malaysia. Her contract has since been extended a third time.

Last year, she was appointed a spokesmodel for Guess in
Indonesia. Nadya Hutagalung, the MTV VJ who is also based in
Singapore, later joined her in the assignment.

TV films

The public got to know her because of the much televised Lux
soap ad and through her appearances on television. She was given
the leading role in the TV series Anakku Terlahir Kembali (My
Child is Reborn), directed by Ennison Sinaro.

At the moment she is busy with two serials entitled,
Perjalanan (The Journey), directed by Arturo G.P., and
Kisah kasih Asmara (Love Story) by Agus Ellas

Tamara, who likes painting, reading and swimming, also
realizes that education is important for her future. She plans to
complete a university degree before joining an acting school.
Tamara studied English literature at Atma Jaya Catholic
University and management at Universitas Indonesia Esa Unggul,
but never completed her studies.

"I realize that school is important. But I have to defer my
desire to return to school because of the ongoing TV contracts
and several other activities," she said.

As a public figure and a beautiful one at that, Tamara is
often the subject of gossip. She adamantly denies rumors that she
was a girlfriend of Hutomo Mandala Putra, the President's
youngest son who got married last month.

"Scores of journalists asked me to comment on Tommy's wedding.
I told them the truth, that I am not Tommy's girlfriend and that
I do not know him well," she said.