Marten was born as Wicaksono Abdul Salam on 1 March 1952 in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.[1][2] In 1974, he made his acting debut in the film Bobby.[3] He achieved fame with his starring role in Cintaku di Kampus Biru (My Love on the Blue Campus), a 1976 film which was adapted from the Ashari Siregar's novel.[4] One of his more notable roles from the time is as the lead actor of Teguh Karya's 1977 film Badai Pasti Berlalu (The Storm Will Surely Pass).[5] By the end of the 1970s, he was one of the five highest paid actors in Indonesia.[4]
Marten was arrested in 2006 for drug use. He was found in possession of two packages of crystal meth, weighing a combined total of 2.6 grams (0.092 oz), at a friend's house. Marten was sentenced to ten months in prison, but was released on 1 October 2006 after serving nine months.[6] Marten was arrested for possession again in Surabaya while promoting an anti-drug campaign in 2008; three others were also arrested. In April Marten was sentenced to three years in prison; however, he was released in May 2010.[7][8]
In 2010, after his release from prison, Marten played in Selimut Berdarah (The Bloody Blanket).[8] In 2012 he played mob boss Sonny Wibisono in Dilema (Dilemma), a collaboration by four directors.[9]
Marten's first marriage was to Farida Sabtijastuti. Later, the couple got divorced. On 1 April 1985, Marten married Anna Maria Sofiana, a Malay Indonesian Muslim model who has converted to Christianity after their marriage. Together they have six children, two of whom – Gading Marten and Gibran Marten – are also actors.
Irwansyah, Ade (23 April 2010). "25 film Indonesia Terbaik Sepanjang Masa" [25 Best Indonesian Films of All Time]. Tabloid Bintang (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
"The five pop". Tempo (in Indonesian). 7 January 1978. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
Kurniasari, Triwik (26 February 2012). "Jakarta's dark underworld". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
"Roy Marten". KapanLagi.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
"Roy Marten Beribadah" [Roy Marten Prays]. Tempo (in Indonesian). 22 December 1998. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
Sofyan, Eko Hendrawan (14 May 2011). "Roy Marten: Tak Mau Jadi Orang "Kalah" Lagi" [Roy Marten: Does Not Want to be "Beat Down" Again]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
