Rano Karno is a famous man. 
Rano Karno is a famous man. 

Rano Karno is a famous actor and leader. 

Rano Karno moved into politics too. He worked for UNICEF to help people learn to read. He was the deputy regent of Tangerang. Later, he was the governor of Banten. He was the first person to be a leader in two different provinces. Now, he is the vice governor of Jakarta. He has won many awards for his acting work. He has acted in more than 70 films.
Rano Karno is a famous person from Indonesia. He has worked as both a movie star and a political leader. 

His life began with some hard times. Rano was born on 8 October 1960. His father was an actor named Sukarno M. Noor. His mother was Lily Istiarti Sukarno. The family lived in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. They did not have much money. Sometimes the family had only one plate of food for five people. Rano went to a library to read books to escape this poverty. He read famous stories like Malin Kundang.
Reading helped Rano find his career. He was only ten years old when he went to an audition. The movie was based on the story of Malin Kundang. Rano told the director that the story was being changed incorrectly. The director was impressed by his knowledge. This led to his first acting job in 1971. He later became very famous for playing a character named Si Doel. He acted in more than 70 films during his life. 
After acting, Rano moved into the world of politics. He served in the People's Consultative Assembly from 1997 to 2002. He also worked for UNICEF to help people learn to read. In 2011, he ran for office in Banten. He won an election and became the deputy regent of Tangerang. Later, he became the governor of Banten in 2015. He was the first person elected to lead in two different provinces. In 2024, he ran for office in Jakarta again.
Many people have honored Rano for his hard work. He won several Citra Awards for his acting. He won a Best Child Actor award in 1974. He also won awards for being a director in 1995. 


Rano Karno is a prominent Indonesian figure who achieved success in two very different fields. He is a well-known actor and a significant political leader. 
Karno's early life was defined by significant financial challenges. He was born on 8 October 1960 in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. His father, Sukarno M. Noor, was an actor of Minangkabau descent. His mother, Lily Istiarti Sukarno, was of Betawi descent. Because of his father's low earnings, the family lived in poverty. Karno once noted that his family sometimes shared one plate of food among five people. To cope with these difficulties, he spent much of his time at a Balai Pustaka library. There, he read classic Indonesian literature, including the folktale Malin Kundang.
This passion for reading directly led to his discovery as an actor. At age ten, Karno attended an audition for a film about Malin Kundang. During the audition, he noticed the production was changing the story incorrectly. He told the director that the story was not being told right. The director was impressed by the boy's knowledge and cast him in the 1971 film. Although his father initially worried that acting would not end his poverty, Karno's career flourished. He starred in the 1972 film Si Doel Anak Betawi, which made him a star.
Karno's entertainment career spanned several decades and multiple roles. He acted in more than 70 films throughout his life. Some of his most famous roles included Galih in the 1979 film Gita Cinta dari SMA. In 1990, he transitioned from acting to directing. He directed the highly successful serial Si Doel Anak Sekolahan. This series ran for six seasons, even though studios initially thought it was too "provincial." He also became an author, publishing his first book, The Last Barongsai, in 2010. He even planned to turn that book into a film adaptation.
His transition into public service began with several important roles. From 1997 to 2002, he was a member of the People's Consultative Assembly. Between 2002 and 2007, he served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In this role, he worked to promote literacy among people. His political path grew more complex in 2011. He initially campaigned for the governor of Jakarta. However, he later changed his plans to run for Deputy Governor of Banten. He and Ratu Atosiyah won the election with 50 percent of the votes.
Karno's leadership in Banten involved significant changes in government. After Ratu Atut was arrested for a graft case, Karno stepped up. He took over her position and became the governor in 2015. He attempted to run for a second term in 2017 but lost to Wahidin Halim. Later, in 2024, he entered the Jakarta gubernatorial election again. He ran as the candidate for Deputy Governor alongside Pramono Anung. He registered with the Jakarta General Election Commission on 28 August 2024. 
Throughout his various careers, Karno has received many prestigious awards. In 1974, he won a Citra Award for Best Child Actor. He also won Best Child Actor at the Asia Pacific Film Festival that same year. In 1995, he achieved the rare feat of winning both Best Actor and Best Director for his work on Si Doel Anak Sekolahan. He has also been honored with several state decorations. These include the Lencana Melati and the Lencana Darma Bakti. 


🖼️ Images & Media (6)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.