Biography

Monica Nicholle Sandra Dewi Gunawan Basri (8 August 1983) is an Indonesian actress. She is also a brand ambassador to Indonesian and South East Asian Products Sandra Dewi was born in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka on 8 August 1983. She is an Indonesian top actress, model, brand ambassador, TV host and businesswoman. The oldest of three children born to Andreas Gunawan Basri and Chatarina Erliani, she is a Catholic of Chinese, Japanese and Palembang origin. After growing up in Pangkal Pinang and attending Catholic schools, she moved to Jakarta with her family in 2001 to attend the London School of Public Relations. Shortly afterwards, she won the Miss Enchanteur beauty contest and in 2002 was selected as Tourism Envoy for West Jakarta. She later participated in the Fun Fearless Female, sponsored by Cosmopolitan Indonesia, contest in 2006, in which she placed second.

Dewi achieved mainstream success with her role in the 2007 comedy Quickie Express, for which she received the 2008 Indonesian Movie Award for Best Newcomer. The following year, she collaborated with Dewi Sandra and Luna Maya on the song "Play", which was released for the UEFA Euro 2008, and she starred in Tarzan ke Kota, as well as singing some of the movie's songs.Sandra Dewi has also acted in sinetron (Indonesian soap operas) and in several music videos. In Hidayah, she played a Muslim character. She also performed in the video clip for Mulan Jameela's 2008 single "Wonder Woman". She did so without pay, later saying that the experience made it more than worthwhile. She was later named "the most searched artist" by Yahoo! Indonesia.

She has described herself as still being a devout practicing Catholic.