Vegan Leather Trench Coat by Naked Wardrobe

Agnez Mo is an Indonesian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of Indonesia's biggest entertainers, she began her career as a child star and has since become one of the country's most successful performers. Known for blending R&B, pop, and hip-hop, she has also collaborated with internationally recognized artists while building a career that extends to music, film, and television. In this interview, Agnez Mo discusses her journey from Indonesia to Los Angeles, the evolution of her career across music and acting, and the lessons she has learned throughout her decades in the entertainment industry. She also shares what drew her to join the cast of Reacher Season 4, reflects on her creative process, reveals what continues to inspire her, and offers advice for the next generation of artists

Trench Coat by ANNAKIKI
Thick Necklace by Kathy Rose at Argyle and Valentine
Onyx Shield Ring by Maiko Suzuki Jewelry

Moving from Indonesia to Los Angeles was a major step in pursuing your international career. How did you navigate that transition, and how did it shape both your personal life and your career?

One of the biggest moments in my life, and probably one of the biggest leaps of faith in my career, was moving from Indonesia to Los Angeles. I had built a very established career in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, so in a way, I was leaving a place where I felt the most comfortable at that point in my life. People knew my work in the industry, my family lived there, and I had built a life there. But honestly, I wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything. I wouldn’t have changed it at all because I felt like that change was exactly what I needed, and it was actually really healthy for me. I started my career when I was about six years old, when I released my first album, and then I was around 13 or 14 when I first started acting in Indonesia. In a way, moving to Los Angeles humbled me because when I first came here, people didn’t really know who I was. But at the same time, it reminded me of how much I love what I do—how much I love music, film, and television. It also forced me to become a lot more independent. I think you learn very quickly about who you are when you’re away from everything that’s familiar. When I first wanted to move here, around 2014 or 2015, the conversation wasn’t the same as it is now. Today, it feels much more natural to see people who weren’t born or raised in the United States coming here and building careers. But back then, it was different. You didn’t really see a lot of Asian Americans on big screens or even in music, so it was definitely challenging. At the same time, as I said, I wouldn’t have traded that experience for the world because that transition taught me so much about growth. I’ve always loved being in places that challenge my comfort zone—being a student again and learning how to be a beginner again. So I never really felt like, “Oh man, I regret this.” If anything, I’m like, “Yeah, that was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.

You've pursued many creative paths—from acting to collaborating with artists around the globe. How does embodying a character differ from expressing your own story through your music and performances, and what does each creative outlet allow you to explore that the other doesn't?

I always say this to a lot of people, and perhaps to my fans, that music is like a visual diary for me because it’s incredibly personal. When I write music, sing, or perform, it begins with my own emotions, experiences, and perspective, if that makes sense. Even when I’m collaborating with another artist or producer, there’s always a part of me inside the song. So when I’m performing it, there’s still the Agnez Mo side of me in that song. Obviously, not every song is entirely inspired by my own story, but there’s still a lot of me inside each song. Whereas with acting, I feel like there’s this interesting balance, or spectrum. First, you have to have the emotional capacity and depth within yourself—the ability to access a full spectrum of emotions, whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love, or whatever it may be. You kind of have to be able to access that full range of emotion within yourself before you can truthfully bring it into a character. At the same time, yes, that emotional capacity comes from within you, but you also have to get out of your own way and ask yourself, “Okay, not what would Agnez Mo do, but what would this character do in this particular scene?” Obviously, the character’s choices, fears, and motivations are going to be very different from my own experiences. I think that’s what makes acting so exciting for me. I’m used to emotions that are real, and obviously, I always use that for my music, but with acting, those emotions also exist somewhere else—in this character. So I feel like experiencing that emotional spectrum within myself, while also being empathetic toward what the character is actually feeling, creates this perfect balance of emotional honesty. Having that big range and emotional capacity helps me in all aspects of my life, whether it’s developing a character, writing music, or even just personalizing my experiences. You get to think, “Oh, I remember when I played that character,” and then you become a lot more empathetic toward other people as well because you’re so used to trying to understand other characters and other people’s lives. So, yeah, I guess everything that I have now, I kind of owe to music and acting.

Talisa Dress by Fjolla Haxhismajli
Accessories by Stylist’s Own

Starting at a very young age, you've navigated various facets of the entertainment industry—from Indonesian television to music and live performance. Looking back on your journey, what has been the biggest lesson you've learned throughout the process?

I think I always call myself a student. I’m probably a really, really good student, if not the best student, because I’m always curious, and I love staying curious. I think that’s just how I’m wired. I’ve honestly been like this since I was very young. One of the biggest dangers of having success at an early age is thinking that because you have that experience, it automatically means you have nothing left to learn. Then you become comfortable, and that can hold you back. I knew from a very young age that I didn’t want to be that person. I remember having this conversation with myself when I was around 14 or 15 years old. I reminded myself, “Hey, Ag, make sure that you don’t become comfortable with where you are or with your success.” So I always tell myself, “Be a student. Be a student. Be a beginner again.” At the end of the day, every room can teach you something different. Every director, musician, actor, dancer, and producer you work with—and especially difficult experiences—can teach you something if you’re willing to pay attention. So I think the biggest lesson has been being willing to be a student again, being willing to be a beginner, and asking questions. That’s the only way you can become better at everything: a better human being, a better artist, a better actor, and a better singer.

Red Jumpsuit by The Confessional Showroom
Gloves by SEYMOURE
Brut Molten Gold Handcuffs by Alexis Bittar
Boulder Slouch Boot by United Nude

You've been recognized for your work throughout your career. Do those awards encourage you to keep challenging yourself creatively, or do they represent something different to you now?

I’m incredibly grateful for all the accolades, awards, and recognition, but I’ve always said this from a very early age, really from the beginning of my career: awards will never be the destination for me. If anything, going back to the idea of my life and my music being a visual diary, I feel like awards are kind of like photographs—photos from different chapters of my life. They’re reminders of, “Oh yeah, I did that.” It’s something that I should be proud of. It represents what my team and I created together at that particular moment in time. But I think what’s so interesting to me now is more about asking, “Okay, what haven’t I done yet? Where am I still uncomfortable? Where can I still surprise myself?” Because if I only kept repeating the things that I’ve already been awarded for, I don’t think I would grow very much. And again, going back to me being a student and always being curious, I’m grateful for the recognition—don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have awards. But I think growth has always been my biggest motivator. Curiosity, to me, is much more important than validation for my music.

You're joining the cast of Reacher for Season four as Lila Hoth. What attracted you to this role? Was there something about the character that immediately resonated with you?

I think when I first got the script to audition, one of the things I loved about this character was that she is incredibly layered. She isn’t someone you can understand immediately just by watching one or two scenes. There are so many different traits and weaknesses to her that make her human. She’s strong, she’s intelligent, and there’s obviously a certain mystery surrounding her. But underneath all of that, the motivations and intentions behind her scenes and dialogue are deeply human. I love characters where you can’t simply label them as one thing. It’s not like, “Oh, she’s this,” or “She’s that.” You might think, “Oh, she’s a bad person in some way,” but then you understand why she’s that way. Or you might think, “Oh, she’s a good girl,” but then you realize there’s another side to her. There’s this yin and yang playing throughout the role. When I auditioned for Lila, I wasn’t particularly interested in playing the idea of a “strong woman” or a “baddie” or anything like that. I loved that she could be this and also this. She’s just human. I wanted to understand where her strength came from, what happened to her, and why she made the choices she did. I think those questions made it really interesting for me to get to know Lila. And because I had been away from acting for quite some time, I wanted my return to acting to be something that genuinely challenged me and challenged my abilities as an actor. Lila absolutely did that.

Valiant Lingerie Mini Dress by ZIMMERMANN
Valiant Lace Wrap Pant by ZIMMERMANN
Valiant Lace Blazer by ZIMMERMANN
Holly Black Boots by FRANCESCA BELLAVITA
Silver Ring and Earrings by MAM
Read Me Glasses by AKIRA

Many people know you through your music, while others will be discovering you through Reacher. What do you hope new audiences take away from this role, and what do you hope they discover about you as an actress?

Someone could watch Reacher and have absolutely no idea about my music, and I think that’s amazing because when Lila is introduced to them, I want them to see Lila. I don’t want them to see Agnez. There’s actually a funny story around it, too. After I got the job, after the chemistry test and everything, the creator of Reacher called me and basically said, “Hey, I apologize. I didn’t know your music. I didn’t know who you were.” He had only found out about me after I had gotten to a certain point in the audition process, after the chemistry test. When he apologized to me, I said, “You know what? I’m not going to apologize for that because you have no idea what a compliment that is.” The fact that you didn’t know who I was and you still gave me the role is exactly what I wanted. I don’t want people to watch the show and just think about Agnez, the singer. I think I’ve done my job correctly if, when they see Lila, they just see Lila. They don’t see me. I want the character to stand completely on her own. But going back to your question, I also think it’s cool to see how people who have followed me throughout my music journey get to rediscover that side of me. I’ve always been very passionate about storytelling. I direct, I write, and storytelling has always been the foundation of my career. So however people discover me, whether it’s through music or through Reacher, I just hope they understand how seriously I take my craft and how seriously I take everything that I do. I also want them to know that I auditioned for this role. I worked hard for it, and I wanted to earn my place there.

Trench Coat by ANNAKIKI
Naked Open Back Jumpsuit by Naked Wardrobe
Thick Necklace and Collar by Kathy Rose at Argyle and Valentine
Onyx Shield Ring by Maiko Suzuki Jewelry

As you continue to take on new projects in both music and acting, what excites you most about this stage of your career, and what do you still hope to accomplish?

I think it’s this freedom in my craft. And by that, I mean, I’ve spent a lot of years working on my craft, building my career, and learning the business around it. Obviously, being independent has also made me much more intentional about what I say yes to. So I think being where I am right now, where I get to choose which projects or which art I want to say yes to and which I want to say no to, is the most exciting thing for me right now. Honestly, I’m less interested in doing something simply because it looks good on paper. I’m more interested in projects that challenge me, collaborators who can make me better, actors who are way better than me, singers who are way better than me, and stories that I genuinely want to be part of. There’s just so much I want to do in my life—more films, more television, more music, more unexpected collaborations, and hopefully projects where those worlds can intersect. But again, like I said, what I’m really looking for is growth. It’s not about having a checklist of things I want to accomplish or saying, “As long as I’ve done this, I’m good.” It’s not like that. I just want to grow. So I’m always thinking about who and what I need to be associated with in order to grow the most.

Left:
Color Blocked Mini Dress and Mikado Train by Nicole + Felicia
Minnie Black Suede Pumps by FRANCESCA BELLAVITA
All Rings by Kathy Rose at Argyle and Valentine
Pink and Purple Opal Collar by Kathy Rose at Argyle and Valentine
Right:
Naked Open Back Jumpsuit by Naked Wardrobe
Azalea Wang Ghana Over the Knee Black Wedge Boot by AKIRA
Thick Necklace and Collar by Kathy Rose at Argyle and Valentine

You’re the most awarded artist in Indonesian history. What has kept you inspired and motivated to continue evolving throughout your career?

I think, again, I know I’m going to sound a little unprepared, but I’m just genuinely curious. I know it’s easy to say, “Oh, it’s going to be this,” and everybody wants to keep talking about what’s next, but at the same time, those things belong to things I’ve already done. You know what I mean? I feel like creativity requires me to just stay empty, if that makes sense. To stay like, “Okay, I’m a blank piece of paper right now. What can I do? What kind of art do I want to make? Is it colorful? Is it black and white?” You know what I mean? I remember my pastor telling me something probably 15 years ago, and it has stayed with me ever since. He said, “Joe, let your current success be the seed of your future success.” That’s something I always try to remind myself of, and I think about it a lot. Because, again, like I said earlier, success can be a very dangerous place for you, especially because it gives you that comfort zone that I feel like everybody is looking for. If you find something that works and people celebrate you for it, naturally, you want to protect it. You never want to step outside of that comfort zone. But because I have this principle of letting my past success nourish me and continue to lay the foundation for my future success, that’s the reason why I’m still here. That’s the reason why I believe there are still rooms where I’m a beginner and people I still want to learn from. Even now, I still work with acting coaches like John Rocklin and Pat Moscott. I still search for the best warm-up techniques, even though I probably know all of them by now, you know what I mean? Especially when it comes to music. So, I don’t know. I think I’m more excited and motivated by evolution than by maintaining an image of success. Does that make sense? I guess that’s, again, going back to the whole idea of the freedom to find growth. I think that’s where I am right now—acknowledging my strengths and weaknesses, obviously celebrating my strengths as well, but at the same time, still being curious and asking myself, “Oh, maybe I could do that. What if I tried this?

What advice would you give to young artists who want to build a career in such a competitive industry while also exploring different creative paths?

I feel like, always, again, stay curious. Try to be good—really good—at something. I think young artists today feel a lot of pressure to do everything immediately. You know what I mean? It’s like you have to be able to sing, act, produce, and direct, and then make a makeup line or become an influencer. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with being multifaceted and multidimensional because that’s kind of where I am in life, and I’ve always been like that. But I think, again, learning from my own experience, it’s important to make sure you have a certain period of time to master some of those things. Then, after that, there will be a moment in your life when you get to connect all the dots together. So, learn your craft, respect it, and be disciplined when nobody’s watching. I feel like that’s probably the most important thing: be disciplined when nobody’s watching. Especially with social media, everybody is on digital platforms, and everybody wants to be seen somewhere. I feel like the challenge is: Are you as disciplined when nobody’s watching?

Talisa Dress by Fjolla Haxhismajli
Accessories by Stylist’s Own
Shoes by DAMAYA

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the direction your career is taking and the new opportunities and experiences that lie ahead?

I feel like I’m entering a chapter where I’ve learned so much about myself, but at the same time, I’m also thinking about what to do next and what I can be better at. At the same time, I’m learning to be comfortable in my own skin. I don’t know. I guess it’s almost like, “Oh yeah, I’ve already done that, and I’ve already done that. What else do I want to learn?” Sometimes, when I think about how far back this journey really goes, I remember getting a scholarship in high school. That was actually the first time I started learning English because, obviously, my first language is Indonesian. I didn’t get to learn English until I was probably 14 or 15 years old. At the time, I absolutely had no idea where that would eventually take me. I just knew that I wanted to learn. I wanted to study at an international school so I could learn another language. I wanted to take that first step and do the best that I could, but at the same time, be present. When I got the scholarship to my school, I just wanted to study at an international school where I could get the best education. I didn’t think, “Oh, I want to do this, I want to go to this school, and I want to go through all these exams to get a scholarship so that one day I could play Raja.” I had no idea back then. I just wanted to be better. I wanted to go to the best school in Indonesia at the time and learn English. I could never have known that one day I would be living in Los Angeles, making music internationally, having a song with Chris Brown, and now playing Raja. So it’s kind of beautiful to look back now and realize that those small beginnings were really preparing me for something. Beyond that, obviously, there’s music and acting, but I also write, I direct, and I’m an entrepreneur. My company is currently developing a couple of projects that I’m really excited about, although obviously I can’t really share much about them yet. I’m realizing that I don’t necessarily have to be put into one box and then choose which part of myself I’m allowed to explore. You know what I mean? I am Indonesian, but I’m also an international artist. I’m a musician, but I’m also an actress, a writer, and a director. All of those things can exist together and, if you think about it, can exist cohesively. So, I think where I am right now in this stage of my life, I just want to be present in all the rooms that I’m stepping into—or not even just the rooms that I’m stepping into, but also the rooms that I’m creating for myself and for other people.

Vegan Leather Trench Coat by Naked Wardrobe
Valiant Lingerie Bodice by ZIMMERMANN
Valiant Lace Culotte by ZIMMERMANN
Azalea Wang Stephan Burgundy Boot by AKIRA

CREW CREDITS:
Talent: AGNEZ MO
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director + Photographer + Producer: Mike Ruiz
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Exclusive Artists
Hair: Tammy Yi
Makeup: Melissa Hurkman
Photo Assistant: Ozzie Gutierrez
Fashion Stylist Assistant: Yurga Juozapa
Tearsheets by Daniel Lopez, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Ali Rosoff, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine

AGNEZ MO: From Indonesia to Hollywood