# Alin Sumarwata
**Alin Sumarwata** (born 1980) is an Australian actress born in Tehran, Iran, best known for playing Vanessa Villante in the soap opera *Neighbours* and Lance Corporal Gracie Novin in the military action series *Strike Back*.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/alin-sumarwata/) • [2](https://www.senscritique.com/contact/Alin_Sumarwata/2380072) She also played May Stone in *Home and Away* and Sophia Angleton in *East West 101*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980, Tehran, Iran[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/alin-sumarwata/) • [2](https://www.senscritique.com/contact/Alin_Sumarwata/2380072) |
| Signature roles | Vanessa Villante in *Neighbours* (2012–2019, 178 episodes); Lance Corporal Gracie Novin in *Strike Back* (2017–2020, 30 episodes)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) |
| Early career | May Stone in *Home and Away* (2009, 9 episodes); Yasmin Van Koors in the mini-series *False Witness*, also released as *The Diplomat* (2009)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) |
| Education | Newtown High School of the Performing Arts; Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from Macquarie University[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) |
| Award | Best Female Actor in a Short Film, Melbourne Underground Film Festival, for *Dark Horse* (2009)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) |
| Spouse | Actor Don Hany, married 2011; daughter Tilda born 2011[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) |
## Early life and education
Sumarwata went to Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in Sydney and then graduated from [Macquarie University](https://www.edgepedia.org/macquarie-university) with a [Bachelor of Commerce](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-commerce) and a [Bachelor of Laws](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-laws).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) In a 2018 interview she told Backstage that she initially put her acting career on hold to pursue those degrees in Laws and Commerce.[4](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/strike-back-star-alin-sumarwata-finding-characters-vice-versa-1541/)
During her studies she took a break and went to Jakarta, where she starred in the Indonesian television soap opera *Kenapa Ada Cinta*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) In an interview with the Indonesian outlet kumparan, Sumarwata recalled that she began her career in the entertainment industry while living in Indonesia, before her subsequent career in Australia.[5](https://kumparan.com/kumparanhits/pernah-main-sinetron-kini-alin-sumarwata-berkarier-di-hollywood)
**Music.** Sumarwata has also performed as a backing vocalist with LEROY, a Sydney funk band listed by the [Australian Broadcasting Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/australian-broadcasting-corporation)'s triple j Unearthed platform with her among its members on backing vocals.[6](https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/leroy-band)
## Television and film roles
Sumarwata's first screen credit was the 2004 television movie *Soul Traces: The Introduction*, in the role of Clara Woods.[7](https://www.famousfix.com/topic/alin-sumarwata/filmography) In 2005 she appeared as Nani in the mini-series *Mary Bryant*.[8](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Alin%2BSumarwata-787381)
In 2009 she played Yasmin Van Koors in the mini-series *False Witness* (known internationally as *The Diplomat*), joined *Home and Away* in the recurring role of May Stone, appeared in one episode of *Rescue Special Ops* and in *East West 101* as Sophia Angleton, and played Isabella Fortino in the short film *Dark Horse*. For her portrayal of Isabella she won the "Best Female Actor in a Short Film" award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. The following year she appeared in *Sea Patrol* and *Tangle*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/)
On 5 December 2011 it was announced that she had joined *Neighbours* in the regular role of Vanessa Villante, and she and her family relocated from Sydney to Melbourne for filming.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) The character made her debut screen appearance on 14 March 2012.[9](https://www.thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/alin-sumarwata) According to IMDb, she was credited as Vanessa Villante across 178 episodes between 2012 and 2019, and her other credits include *Jack Irish* (2016), *Mary: The Making of a Princess* (2015, as Princess Alexandra), and a 2019 guest appearance as Morgana Finch in *My Life Is Murder*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/)
## Strike Back
In 2016 Sumarwata joined the cast of *Strike Back* as Gracie Novin for the show's sixth series, *[Strike Back: Retribution](https://www.edgepedia.org/strike-back-retribution)*, which began airing in 2017 on Cinemax.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) She continued in the role through *Strike Back: Revolution* (2019) and *Strike Back: Vendetta* (2020), for a credited total of 30 episodes.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) Metacritic lists her television career average at 68, with *Strike Back* her highest-scoring credit at a Metascore of 71.[10](https://www.metacritic.com/person/alin-sumarwata/)
**Preparation and filming.** By her own account, the role arrived as a surprise: she described reading the character breakdown of a soldier with an engineering background, a tough-talking gearhead, while at home with two young daughters, and called the part the opposite of everything she was at that moment.[4](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/strike-back-star-alin-sumarwata-finding-characters-vice-versa-1541/) She went through eight-hour boot camp auditions, a month of high-intensity military training in Jordan, and had her head shaved for the role.[4](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/strike-back-star-alin-sumarwata-finding-characters-vice-versa-1541/) In an interview with Monsters and Critics she described the regime as training that started in the gym at 6:00 AM, followed by rock climbing and jujitsu, then weapons and maneuver training with the special forces in the afternoon; filming began in Jordan and continued in Budapest and Croatia.[11](https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/exclusive-interview-strike-back-cast-dishes-on-everything-even-jordanian-king-loves-cinemax-series/)
For the character she said she drew on her 15-year-old self, the time she felt most ready to take on anything, to ground the performance in something truthful.[4](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/strike-back-star-alin-sumarwata-finding-characters-vice-versa-1541/) Her Novin was described by Monsters and Critics as a weapons expert, mechanically adroit, and someone who "takes the piss out of all of them".[11](https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/exclusive-interview-strike-back-cast-dishes-on-everything-even-jordanian-king-loves-cinemax-series/) She told the interviewer that the role was exactly the kind she wanted to see more of on television: women in physical action leadership roles, so that young girls see that women are capable.[4](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/strike-back-star-alin-sumarwata-finding-characters-vice-versa-1541/)
Her husband, the actor [Don Hany](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-hany), appeared in the same season of *Strike Back* as the villain Omair Idrisi, a casting Sumarwata described in the Monsters and Critics interview as bringing the role to life "with a great deal of humanity".[11](https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/exclusive-interview-strike-back-cast-dishes-on-everything-even-jordanian-king-loves-cinemax-series/)
## Personal life
Sumarwata married the actor Don Hany in 2011; they have a daughter, Tilda, born in 2011.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/) Her family name is Indonesian: reference listings describe her as half-Indonesian through her father, with an Iranian mother.[9](https://www.thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/alin-sumarwata)
## References
1. [Alin Sumarwata, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/alin-sumarwata/)
2. [Alin Sumarwata, SensCritique](https://www.senscritique.com/contact/Alin_Sumarwata/2380072)
3. [Alin Sumarwata, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2616071/)
4. ["'Strike Back' Star Alin Sumarwata on Finding Your Characters Through Yourself (and Vice Versa)", Backstage (April 16, 2018)](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/strike-back-star-alin-sumarwata-finding-characters-vice-versa-1541/)
5. ["Pernah Main Sinetron, Kini Alin Sumarwata Berkarier di Hollywood", kumparan (February 8, 2018)](https://kumparan.com/kumparanhits/pernah-main-sinetron-kini-alin-sumarwata-berkarier-di-hollywood)
6. [LEROY Band, triple j Unearthed, ABC](https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/leroy-band)
7. [Alin Sumarwata filmography, FamousFix](https://www.famousfix.com/topic/alin-sumarwata/filmography)
8. [Alin Sumarwata, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Alin%2BSumarwata-787381)
9. [References for ALIN SUMARWATA, The Names Dictionary](https://www.thenamesdictionary.com/references-for/alin-sumarwata)
10. [Alin Sumarwata, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/alin-sumarwata/)
11. ["Exclusive Interview: Strike Back cast dishes on everything", Monsters and Critics (2018)](https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/exclusive-interview-strike-back-cast-dishes-on-everything-even-jordanian-king-loves-cinemax-series/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › British and Australasian soaps and characters › Australasian soap actors and production people*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license