Joe Taslim, 35, is by far Indonesia’s most successful actor. Not only has he become a celebrity at home, Joe is the first Indo-nesian actor to win major roles in hyper-competitive Hollywood. His big break came when he landed a supporting role in 2011 in the Indonesian movie Raid: Redemption as Sergeant Jaka, a policeman who is part of a team going after a crime lord in a highrise apartment building in Jakarta’s slums. The low budget movie reportedly made for about $1 milion was a domestic and international hit, becoming the highest grossing Indonesian-made film in global markets. In the U.S., it grossed over $4 million alone, and was shown worldwide in theaters from New Zealand to Iceland.

Hollywood took notice. On the back of the Raid fame, he got a part as Jah, one of the main bad guys in Universal Picture’s mega-franchise Fast & Furious 6, released in 2013. In the film, Joe has several notable scenes, including beating up two of the main stars in London’s Waterloo subway station, and driving a tank that chases, and almost kills, Vin Diesel.

While the film’s big-name stars including Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, Joe was probably the least well-known among the main actors. Putting him into the film was something of a gamble for the studio, as the Fast & Furious franchise is the most profitable one ever for the studio. The gamble paid off, as his performance was compared favorably against these veteran stars, creating plenty of buzz for the newcomer. The movie’s director, Justin Lin, praised his work: “Joe is unbelievable.” Fast & Furious 6 was a huge hit, grossing worldwide about $800 million.