Alin Sumarwata

Alin Sumarwata is an Iranian-born Australian actress, whose roles include May Stone in soap opera Home and Away, Sophia Angleton in East West 101 and Vanessa Villante in Neighbours, a role she played from 2012 to 2013, 2015 and 2019. She has also starred in Strike Back: Retribution, Strike Back: Revolution and Strike Back: Vendetta as Gracie Novin. Early life Sumarwata was born in Tehran, Iran. She moved to Australia with her family at the age of seven. Sumarwata gained a scholarship to the Australian Theatre for Young People and later attended the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. She worked part time in a law firm and an accounting firm, while she graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws. Career One of Sumarwata's early acting jobs was a role on Indonesian television soap opera Kenapa Ada Cinta. In 2009, Sumarwata starred as Yasmin Van Koors in the mini-series, False Witness. She joined the cast of Home and Away in the recurring role of May Stone, before moving onto roles in Rescue Special Ops and East West 101. Sumarwata stars as Isabella Fortino in short film, Dark Horse. For her portrayal of Isabella, Sumarwata won the "Best Female Actor in a Short Film" award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. The following year, Sumarwata appeared in Sea Patrol and Tangle.