Ruth Pelupessy (27 April 1938 – 21 October 1996) was an Indonesian actress and model. She is best known as the "Queen of female antagonist" in the Indonesian horror film industry along with

Suzzanna Suzzanna Martha Frederika van Osch (13 October 1942 – 15 October 2008) was an Indonesian actress. Known as the "Queen of Indonesian horror", she is well-known in particular in Indonesia for portraying spirits, witches, and other supernatural be ...

and

Mieke Wijaya Miecke Marie De Rijder (née ''Widjaja''; 17 March 1940 – 3 May 2022) was an Indonesian actress and model who won three Citra Awards. She was crowned the best female antagonist in Indonesian film industry along with Suzzanna and Ruth Pelupe ...

and as the "Queen of Indonesian horror" in the 1980s. Her best known roles are as Corrie du Bussee in ''

Salah Asuhan ''Salah Asuhan'' (Indonesian: Wrong Upbringing) is an Indonesian novel by Abdul Muis originally published in 1928 by Balai Pustaka. It is widely considered one of the best examples of early modern Indonesian literature. Background ''Salah Asuh ...

'' (1972) and as Darminah in '' Pengabdi Setan'' (1980). Pelupessy won the

Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress The Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress () is an award given at the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) to Indonesian actresses for their achievements in a supporting role. The Citra Awards, described by ''Screen International'' as "Indonesia's e ...

for her role in ''Rahasia Perawan'' (1975). She worked in a range of genres, from horror to drama.

Early life

Pelupessy was born on 27 April 1938 in

Bangka Island Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is administered under the province of the Bangka Belitung Islands, being one of its namesakes alongside the smaller island of Belitung across the Gaspar Strait. The 9th largest island in ...

North Sulawesi North Sulawesi () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is mainly located on the Minahasa Peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia, but also includes various small archipel ...

. She was educated at Girls' Skills Teacher School.

Career

Pelupessy started her career as a model at Indonesian Modelling Agency (IMA). She continued modeling on the catwalk after she married. She was recruited to star in ''Sala Asuhan'' based on

Abdul Muis Abdul Muis (also spelt Abdoel Moeis; 1886 – 17 July 1959), was an Indonesian writer, journalist and nationalist. He advocated for Indonesia's independence from the Netherlands. He was the first person to be named a national hero by President ...

's 1928 eponymous novel in 1972, where she starred alongside her friend, Melati. She only wanted to act in one film, but "couldn't let go," as said by Sani. Pelupessy won the

for her role in ''Rahasia Perawan'' (1975). She reached popularity in the same era with actresses such as Connie Sutedja,

, Rina Hasyim, and Melati. Pelupessy starred in many horror films, one of her best known is '' Pengabdi Setan'' (1980). She took a hiatus after starring in ''Perkawinan Nyi Blorong'' (1983). Pelupessy returned and starred in her last film '' Sabar Dulu Dong...!'' (1989), a comedy film along with Warkop DKI as a

sleepwalking Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism or noctambulism, is a phenomenon of combined sleep and wakefulness. It is classified as a sleep disorder belonging to the parasomnia family. It occurs during the slow wave stage of sleep, in a state of ...

hotel guest called Mevrouw.

Personal life

Pelupessy married Hendra Cipta, an actor, in a civil ceremony in 1977. They divorced in 1979 and had no children.

Death and legacy

Pelupessy died in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, on 21 October 1996 at age 58. In 2021, Pelupessy was referred "Queen of female antagonists” in the Indonesian horror film industry along with

and

for her role as Darminah in '' Pengabdi Setan'' (1980). She was also referred as the "Queen of Indonesian horror" in the 1980s along with Suzzanna and as of 2022, remained a major figure for Indonesian horror film lovers.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Citra Award The Indonesian Film Festival ( Indonesian: Festival Film Indonesia, 'FFI') is an annual awards ceremony organised by the Indonesian Film Board and the Ministry of Culture to celebrate cinematic achievements in the Indonesian film industry. Duri ...

References

Citations

General and cited sources

External links

{{IMDB name, nm0997718 1938 births 1996 deaths