Actors Michael Wahr and Adinia Wirasti met on the set of HBO series Grisse in 2018. Wahr, who had just landed a role, arrived in Batam, Indonesia, and was invited to a gathering where he read a scene with Wirasti. 'She was so graceful and precise in her reading, I remember sitting across from this woman and being in complete awe of her,' Wahr said.
The pair, along with another actor, formed a close friendship. After filming wrapped, they stayed in touch, and when Wirasti visited Melbourne, they met at Flinders Street station. 'It felt really cool, exciting, to be wandering around my home town with her,' Wahr recalled. They became exclusive, shuttling between Australia and Indonesia.
On New Year's Day, while housesitting in Melbourne, Wahr flicked through his sudoku book and discovered a handwritten note at the bottom of puzzle 239. It read: 'I love you. Adinia.' 'It felt like a cork popping out of a bottle,' he said. He woke her, and they exchanged the words for the first time.
The couple navigated a long-distance relationship during the pandemic, spending evenings on FaceTime or playing video games. Wahr saved up for an engagement ring while working as a secretary, and video-called Wirasti's father for his blessing. They married in 2023 with small ceremonies in Melbourne, Jakarta, and Bali.
Now splitting time between Melbourne and Jakarta, the couple are touring Australia with Bell Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, playing Lord and Lady Capulet. 'To be continuing to fall in love with each other is very special indeed,' Wahr said.
