Indonesian actor Joe Taslim rocked Fast & Furious 6

Apparently Indonesia movie stars are starting to invade Hollywood. The most recent one is Joe Taslim, when he appeared in Fast & Furious 6 (alternatively known as Fast Six or Furious Six), a 2013 action film written by Chris Morgan and directed by Justin Lin. The film stars include Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster and Gina Carano. The international release date is May 24.

Taslim, an Indonesian Judo athlete, started his movie debut in Karma (2008), followed by Rasa in the following year. He was put into the international spotlight after his role in Welsh film Director Gareth Evans’ The Raid (2011), along with the rising star Iko Uwais. The Raid is the second collaboration of Evans and Uwais after their first action flick, Merantau, released in 2009.

The movie itself received positive reviews from critics, and both Indonesian actors became more widely noticed by the Hollywood community. The Raid was the recipient of some international awards presented at prestigious ceremonies, like the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival 2012, the Dublin International Festival and the Toronto Film Festival 2011. Due to rights issues experienced by distributor company, Sony Picture Classics, the name of the film was changed to The Raid: Redemption in the United States.

“I’m satisfied with what I’ve done. I mean, I was nobody, but then I got involved in the phenomenal The Raid and I was trusted by a great director, Justin [Lin of Fast & Furious 6], to take part in the movie — so, I really can’t complain,” he told the Jakarta Post.

If Taslim got a chance to perform in the Fast & Furious 6, Uwais also started Hollywood debut with Man of Tai Chi, an upcoming Chinese-American martial arts film directed by and starring Keanu Reeves.

The new film marks the directorial debut of Keanu Reeves. No release date is currently set, but Man of Tai Chi will likely be released later this year.

Some Indonesian movie stars (Ario Bayu, Frans Tumbuan, Tio Pakusadewo, Rudy Wowor, Atiqah Hasiholan) played with Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Iron Man 2, Sin City) and Kellan Lutz  (Twilight Saga series) in Java Heat, an Indonesian action film directed by Conor Allyn. The film was screened at the Dallas International Film Festival on April 4, 2013.

Indonesian actress, Cinta Laura Kiehl (better known as Cinta Laura), played in The Philosophers (2013). The pop singer appeared in this movie with Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter) and James DíArcy (Master and Commander with Russell Crowe). The film was shot in Indonesia, and some scenes in the movie take place at the Prambanan Temple, Mount Bromo, Belitung Beach, Jakarta and many other locations around Java.

And last but not least, veteran actress Christine Hakim had a chance to play with Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love, a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film based on Gilbert’s best-selling memoir of the same name; the film was co-written and directed by Ryan Murphy.

Hopefully there are more Indonesian film stars that get a chance to perform in both Hollywood and international movies.

UPDATE: Added Joe Taslim interview video in Los Angeles Premiere May 21st 2013: