Reacher Season 4: Pencak Silat, Karambit Highlight Agnez Mo's Role

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian singer Agnez Mo makes her major acting comeback in the fourth season of Prime Video's Reacher, playing Lila Hoth, an Indonesian woman who travels to Philadelphia with her mother in search of her biological father.

For Mo, the role marks a return to acting after more than a decade away from the screen. As reported by TVLine, Reacher marks her first major acting role in an American production, following appearances in the Taiwanese drama The Hospital and several Indonesian television shows.

Mo is better known internationally for her music career. A former child star, she became one of Indonesia's most prominent pop singers and has received more than 190 awards, including four MTV Indonesia awards, according to TVLine.

In Reacher Season 4, however, Mo takes on a character with a complicated emotional background and significant action sequences.

"I truly became Lila," Mo said, describing her preparation for the role.

Agnez Mo and Anggun C. Sasmi join the "Reacher" Season 4 series. Photo: Instagram

According to detik.com, Mo underwent an intensive three-week preparation process with acting coaches John, who traveled from New York to Los Angeles, and Jamie Aline. She also worked with the show's creator to discuss Lila's backstory and character development.

The role required Mo to go beyond acting and incorporate elements of Indonesian culture into Lila's action scenes.

One of the most notable elements is pencak silat, the Indonesian martial art featured in a fight sequence. The traditional Indonesian karambit also appears as a weapon during a confrontation between Lila and several villains.

Mo also helped other actors portraying Indonesian characters in the series, particularly with Indonesian dialogue and the use of the karambit.

"There is Indonesian dialogue involved; I helped the actors with their performances—guiding their speech, demonstrating the Karambit, and incorporating a bit of Pencak Silat," she said, according to detik.com.

Agnez Mo Returns to Acting After More Than a Decade

Mo's appearance in Reacher represents a significant return to acting following her earlier career as an actress in Indonesia.

She previously appeared in Indonesian television productions, including Pernikahan Dini, as well as the Taiwanese drama The Hospital. But her career subsequently became increasingly focused on music.

According to TVLine, her role as Lila Hoth may be the first introduction to Mo for many international viewers who are unfamiliar with the Indonesian pop scene.

The singer has also brought her musical career into the production. Mo said she performs a song in an American action production, making the project a combination of her musical and acting careers.

"Actually, this is the first time I've sung in a US film that involves action," she said.

For Mo, the role therefore represents more than a return to acting. It also gives her an opportunity to introduce Indonesian language, martial arts and traditional cultural elements to an international audience through one of Prime Video's established action franchises.