Dayu Wijanto was born on July 21st in Malang, Indonesia, and grew up in Pare, East Java, to Wijanto and Fenawati, who owned a family business. As a child, Dayu was nurtured in an environment that fostered a love for art and sports, and she went on to excel in both areas.
Dayu's early life was marked by numerous achievements, including winning writing competitions at the international level during her elementary school years. Her interest in acting was sparked by her grandfather, who was a movie enthusiast and would often watch various films together. Dayu was also an accomplished athlete, particularly in basketball, and was even listed as one of the Indonesian National basketball players.
As the eldest of three siblings, including sisters Mellya and brother Budiono, Dayu graduated from Law School at the Christian University of Indonesia before pursuing further studies at New York University. During her time in New York, she worked at the Whole Food Market while continuing her education. Her life journey also took her to Munich, Germany, where she received aircraft training under the tutelage of B.J. Habibie, who was then the Minister of Research and Technology.
In 2004, Dayu returned to Indonesia and began working at Harper's Bazaar and Hello! Indonesia magazine, a prominent media company under MRA Group. However, it was during her tenure as Managing Editor at Hello magazine that she discovered her true calling. Her first film role was in Arisan! 2, and she went on to appear in several TV series, FTV, advertising, and small film roles.
Dayu's breakthrough performance came in the 2013 film "Selamat Pagi, Malam," where she played the role of Ci Surya, a widow, and delivered a heart-wrenching portrayal. Her performance earned high praise and she won the 2014 Best Actress award from Tempo magazine. She was also nominated for Best New Comer at the 2014 Piala Maya awards.
In addition to her film work, Dayu has also gained recognition for her roles in "Bulan Di Atas Kuburan" (2014),where she played the character Dahlia, and earned praise for her brief appearance. Dayu is known for her perfectionism and meticulous preparation for her roles, which has earned her a reputation as one of the best actresses in the industry. Several of her new films are set to be released in 2015, including "Iseng," where she plays an irritable restaurant owner, and other projects are still in the process of shooting.
