ANTON’S OPERA
Muhammad Ali Wafa, VIVA.co.id

25-year-old Anton left his hometown Padang, West Sumatra, to try out his luck in the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta. The big city’s glamorous lifestyle he saw on television shows made young Anton secretly dream to be on TV and become a famous celebrity. To pursue his dream, Anton left his study in Padang and started working as a cashier at one of the supermarkets in Jakarta.

As his new life in Jakarta began, Anton diligently visited filming locations and went to various castings in hope that he could make his dream come true someday and turn his life around. One day, Anton finally got an offer from an agency to be a background actor. “For me, it was a small step to achieve my dream. I’m now on TV, that means I’m already one step closer to what I have always dreamed of,” he claimed proudly.

In the beginning, Anton could only accept roles when he was off work. After realizing that acting was really what he wanted to do, Anton made a decision to leave his cashier job to focus more on his career as a background actor. His journey has definitely not been an easy one. There were times where Anton felt hopeless as his income as an extra is often not enough to afford a cushy life in Jakarta.

Anton’s honorarium as a background actor is not much. In fact, it is quite far below the minimum wage for DKI Jakarta. “In total, I made around 2 million. 500 thousand to pay rent at the boarding house and the remaining 1.5 million goes to savings. Think of it this way: if I made 70 thousand per day, then I would allow 20 thousand for myself and save the 50 thousand. If I made 120 thousand, then I’d save the 100 thousand.” Anton definitely has to tighten his belt, but he still goes to work with joy and feels grateful for his job. It’s what motivates him to keep working hard to this day.

Despite his minimum salary, Anton is expected to present his best self on TV. “Semi-public figure” is perhaps a fitting term for Anton. He has to work alongside famous celebrities, yet his life is far from glamorous. Anton is also expected to appear on TV “looking like a million bucks” when in reality, he only has little money. Anton handles this situation by buying second-hand clothes from the market. He also treats himself once a month with beauty care at the salon to keep his face looking pleasant for the camera.

His mother is proud of him and it makes him happy. Anton’s mother is often praised by the neighbors after they watched her son acting on TV. He sees a moment like this as a bonus from his background actor job. “I’m proud because what I do now makes my mother proud,” he said.

Nobody can stop Anton. His mother fully supports him. He loves doing his job and feels grateful for it. Anton has found his true purpose in life. “I may be leaving for work in the morning and going home the next morning, but I never treat my job as a burden. Whether it is tough or easy, I always go through the day completely focused,” he concluded.

According to Anton, a true change is when you change your condition to be better than what it is today, walk his chosen path full of spirit, and strive for the happiness that you wish for.