Actor-virtuoso Maxime Bouttier shares details about his creative journey and musical ambitions with his band, no persona
Santos-Dumont Watch in rose gold and steel with leather strap; Cartier Love ring in white gold Outfit by FendiWe met Maxime Bouttier for the firsttime last year when the French-Indonesian actor graced DAMAN’s October/November 2022 issue. At that time, Maxime was eagerly anticipating the release of his romance comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” where he played a young Balinese man opposite megastars George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Kaitlyn Denver. The film marked his leap into global stardom and a dream-come-true moment as he got to work with Clooney and Roberts—two of his idols.. Not too long ago, we had another opportuinity to sit down with Maxime to talk about his latest acting endeavors, including the 2023 romantic drama “Dunia Tanpa Suara,” as well as his musical adventure with his band No Persona.
DAMAN: Hi, Maxime! Let’s discuss your latest movie, “Dunia Tanpa Suara.” Could you share your experience filming this title?
Maxime Bouttier: Shooting for “Dunia Tanpa Suara” took place in Yogyakarta for 14 unbelievable days—one of my shortest shoots. It was a privilege to shoot with [director] Hanung Bramantyo. I’ve always wanted to do a movie with him, which was great. The project was also interesting because they released the film without a premiere. It was incredible. We love to talk about rarely heard-about communities; so, the movie is a nice way to tell their stories.
DA: We’re intrigued to know more about your character, Ezra, in “Dunia Tanpa Suara.” What can you tell us about him?
MB: Well, Ezra is an entrepreneur. He is also a tea lover, has a tea shop and wants to build a community based on that while building awareness about tea-making. He is a happy-go-lucky guy and eventually meets Arissa, played by Caitlyn Halderman, who is deaf and speech-impaired. Ezra is very interested in how different Arissa’s world is to his and wants to delve into it. We had to learn sign language, which was cool. I don’t really remember much of it; but sometimes. I meet some deaf friends and we can still communicate [in sign language] a bit.
DA: Were there any special preparations for this movie, given its unique premise?
MB: Sign language—100 percent. Every day, we had to learn everything about it. The complicated part was to have a dialogue with full expression because that’s how deaf people communicate when using sign language. It was fascinating because I usually have my dialogue, and my process is “less is more.” But for this movie, I had to be “more” because that’s how they communicate.
DA: What are your main takeaways from this movie?
MB: I like the fact that sign language is just another language. We communicate the same way, just in a different language. That’s really cool to know because now we have cell phones, right? With phones, we communicate by texting and that’s it. It actually felt great to take a deep dive into sign language.
DA: 2022 seemed to be a significant year in your acting journey, with roles in “Ticket to Paradise” and Netflix’s horror comedy “Mr. Midnight: Beware the Monsters.” How were these experiences for you?
MB: It was a crazy year. It’s still happening, actually, because this year is even crazier than last year. It was interesting with “Mr. Midnight” because we were in a bubble during the COVID period. We stayed at just one place. We could only move between the villas and the studio for five months and we couldn’t go anywhere else. Thank God, I brought my video games and also my guitar with me, because those five months felt like being in prison. I also played with actors from all over the world. We had actors from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. The production house is from Singapore, but the showrunner is from Australia. As for me, I’m Indonesian and also French. That was the first time that I was involved in an international production and there was definitely a learning curve to it.
DA: What challenges did you encounter while filming the series?
MB: For me, it was the quarantine. The shoot itself was pretty much similar to the ones in Indonesia. The English-speaking parts helped me a lot and I felt much more comfortable because I spoke English and French daily. I was also shooting with Adinia Wirasti and I’m a big fan of her; so, it was cool to shoot with her. Technically, the challenges weren’t as significant. I mean, it was just the usual technicalities of horror movies. I had to wear a sling or a strap and jump from one spot to another. Yeah, a lot of action going on.
“When I was young, I loved watching movies. They were like references to me, so I projected what I watched.”
DA: How do you adapt your approach and energy when transitioning between projects in different genres?
MB: When I was young, I loved watching movies. They were like references to me, so I projected what I had watched. For instance, I like Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can.” When I starred in “Meet Me After Sunset,” I embodied DiCaprio’s character. Then, I played a bad guy in “Tiger Boy,” which was interesting because I like playing bad guys. It’s about the projection of movies I really like—that’s how I transition from one genre to another.
DA: Now, onto your musical endeavors. How did you form your band No Persona?
MB: The bassist and I have been together since 2014, along with my then-drummer. After COVID, we began to stray apart because we weren’t performing much and the drummer needed to play. He eventually left and we got a new drummer in mid-2022. Since then, we just kept on playing gigs. Now we’re doing singles and we’re recording. So, yeah, we technically formed in 2014 under a different name, but No Persona was born in 2022. Initially, I wanted to go with Persona, but we couldn’t because there’s another band with that name. I am an actor, my bassist is also an actor and my drummer is still in college. When we go to the studio, however, we become different people. So, I was like, “You know what? I’m just going to call it No Persona.”
DA: Can you tell us about the creative process behind No Persona single called “Believe TV”?
MB: The message is that nowadays, social media brainwashes people. It’s easy to spread messages and, at the same time, it’s also so easy for people to digest them because there is no filter anymore. Before that, it was TV. And before that, it was newspapers. We’re moving to a new media era, but the issue remains the same: The news spreads while we don’t really know if it is true or false, but we follow it because it’s what the public believes. So, what do we believe in if we just digest everything in the media and public opinion? Is it really pure thoughts or a constructed ideology? That’s what the music is about. I wanted to call it “Believe TV” because it sounds cooler. It’s about propaganda and brainwashing and how people just easily believe things.
DA: What kind of message do you want to convey through your music?
MB: The message depends on my mood, to be honest. Right now, while we call ourselves No Persona, I was planning on having an album called “In Between Personas” and the songs would cover different topics—and I would also have different personas across different songs. In “Believe TV,” I play the public watching TV and absorbing various bits of information. Another song says that the higher your success, the easier it is for you to fall. So, yeah, there are lots of different messages I want to send out.
DA: How would you describe your personal fashion style?
MB: My fashion style changes over time. You know, your age and you have different styles. Early on, I was an emo kid. I was also a skater boy, with pants hanging down and my boxers showing. At one point, I was a gothic kid and then I loved suits. I wore suits everywhere and I was just twenty at the time. Right now, it feels like we’re returning to the ’70s or ’80s era. I love the sneakers they’re releasing nowadays and they tend to remind me of the 2000s, which I feel was a nice era. At this stage of life, I think it’s all about nostalgia.
DA: How do you view the role of accessories, like watches?
MB: Watches is something I discovered recently because I’ve never really considered it. I used to wear many bracelets, but my dad has always been a watch enthusiast. He was the one who encouraged me to get watches. I feel more mature now, so I understand more about the accessories I want to wear. In terms of style, I like subtlety and I don’t want to show too much.
DA: What are your aspirations for 2024 and beyond?
MB: This year has been enjoyable and has been my busiest time in Indonesia. Last year I spent time in Australia, London and L.A., but I have learned a lot more this year, especially about myself. Career-wise, it’s been changing constantly. I just feel fortunate at this time. Looking ahead, I hope it will be more interesting and brighter. I want to learn more things. If something great comes in, then I’m blessed.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EANDARU KUSUMAATMAJA
CREATIVE DIRECTION AND STYLING BRAD HOMES
Photography Assistance Azra
Styling Assistance Bagoes Abyoso and Isabella Harahap
Grooming Arimbi