At 15, Gabriel Prince was homeschooled, awkward, and still working out who he was when he first watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012). He describes that chapter of his life as “looking to make sense of a lot of things in order to make sense of myself.” The film’s protagonist, a shy high school freshman learning to open up to the people around him, became someone Prince recognised instantly, and was the first character to make him feel truly understood. “Watching Charlie grow throughout the story felt like an emotional journey filled with vulnerability and self-discovery,” he says. “I think that’s what made the movie so comforting to me. Looking at him felt like looking in the mirror, and his ending made me feel hopeful.”

Fame was never in the plan, not for someone with a personality like his. Which is a strange thing to say about the son of Natalie Margareth, now a businesswoman, once a sinetron actress and a Gadis Sampul finalist in 1992, a background that might suggest the spotlight was something he was born into rather than something he chose. 

Instead, his path was the one most good-looking teenagers stumbled into around 2018: he was featured in TikTok set to Rex Orange County’s “Best Friend”. The internet took one look and declared him the soft boy of Indonesia, a title that, in the era of Conan Gray, bedroom pop and VSCO, was not small feat. 

Polo shirts, jeans, Polo Blaze Shoulder Bag, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Shoes, Stylist’s own

Since then, his digital presence has turned into an Instagram following of 1.6 million, four film credits, and a music career of his own. At 22, sitting across in a cropped pink Polo Ralph Lauren shirt, laughing with half the crew, he bears little resemblance to the shy, reserved child he once saw himself as.

On set, there’s a JBL speaker playing “You got time and I got money” by SMERZ, and a bento order from the nearest Sushi Hiro waiting nearby. It did not take long until we started trading stories from our teenage years. He starts owning up to his past: a cinta monyet at 15, a Bieber fever severe enough to leave him with the side-swept fringe to prove it, and a few other things he clearly never planned on admitting on the record.

I NEED THE 16-YEAR-OLD GABRIEL PRINCE PLAYLIST. WHAT WERE YOU ACTUALLY LISTENING TO AT THE TIME? 

I didn’t have one exact playlist or favourite artist. 16 was a very confusing time for me musically. I bounced between genres until something stuck, which ended up being R&B, R&B soul, hip-hop and rap. But there are three names that left a real imprint: Ariana Grande, One Direction and Justin Bieber.

THE HOLY TRINITY. YOU WERE A POP STAN.

I was so infatuated with them that my mum turned one whole side of my room into a wall of Ariana Grande posters. I don’t even know how my little brother felt about that. We shared a room.

Jacket, sweater, shirt, jeans, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Shoes, Stylist’s own

SPEAKING OF CRUSHES, HOW WAS TEENAGE PRINCE’S LOVE LIFE? YOU HAD YOUR FIRST GIRLFRIEND AT 15. TELL US ABOUT IT.

It was during my first year of high school, so yeah, “cinta monyet”, we call it in Indonesia, puppy love. Definitely short-lived, it’s still a cute little experience.

DO YOU THINK IT TAUGHT YOU ANYTHING? 

That sometimes you’re just young and figuring things out as you go. I wasn’t necessarily in love. I was just 15, everyone around me was shipping me with them, and I thought, “Sure, we do look cute together.” (Laughs) I was more curious about what being in a relationship was like than anything else.

THAT’S A GENEROUS READ FOR SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY LASTED A YEAR.

A few months, if we’re being accurate.

WHAT DID FUN ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?

Nothing out of the ordinary. We would hit the mall after school, I kept my circle pretty small, which I actually loved. We’d hang out at one another’s houses, have little picnics by the nearest lake, stay out way past curfew sometimes. Looking back, those were the simplest memories, but also the most memorable.

RANDOM PIVOT, BUT I HAVE TO ASK. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?

Sure. It’s crazy how accurate it can be sometimes. A friend of mine once asked to read my birth chart, I gave him my date, time and location of birth, and it was scarily accurate. Trippy.

Jacket, pants, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Tie, Stylist’s own

YOU’RE A CANCER, RIGHT? I FEEL LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA’S GIVEN THE ZODIAC A BIT OF A BAD REPUTATION, BOILING CANCERIANS DOWN TO “EMOTIONAL AND CLINGY”. I’D SAY IT’S LESS THAT, MORE THAT YOU FEEL THINGS VERY DEEPLY, AND IT’S JUST ABOUT HOW YOU REGULATE IT. WOULD YOU SAY THAT’S YOU?

I’ve become a lot better at handling my emotions as I grew up. I do feel things deeply. Back then, though, I used to mask it as I wanted to come off as “untouchable”.

WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT COMES FROM?

A lot of it was comparing myself to other people, feeling like I had to uphold a certain image to seem bigger or more secure. I was 16, still adjusting after being homeschooled for so long. I cared a lot about how people perceived me, whether they thought I was cool, confident or worth knowing.

WHEN DID YOU STOP WORRYING SO MUCH ABOUT THAT?

It happened around the same time I had to grow up in other ways too. It wasn’t really a slow realisation, more like life just forced it out of me.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

I don’t think I’ve ever spoken about this properly before, but, after my parents got divorced, it was a big adjustment that involved moving around and changes within the family. I come from a big family with seven siblings and three older sisters, but after the divorce I suddenly became the oldest child. And I’m the first son, which carries a lot of weight in Chinese culture. 

“Sometimes you’re just young and figuring things out as you go.”

Vest, pants, tie, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Briefs, Stylist’s own

THAT’S NOT A SMALL THING TO CARRY, ESPECIALLY WITH THREE OLDER SISTERS ALREADY IN THE HOUSE. THAT TITLE USUALLY  COMES WITH AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU’LL HOLD THINGS TOGETHER, NOT THAT YOU’LL STILL BE FIGURING YOURSELF OUT TOO.

Yeah, that’s exactly it. Nobody really asks if you’re ready for it, it’s just assumed you’ll rise to it. Going through all of that so young really shifted my mindset. It made me realise I was growing into a young adult whether I was ready or not, I had responsibilities beyond just myself.

DO YOU THINK HAVING TO ADAPT SO MUCH AT HOME MADE YOU MORE WILLING TO BET ON YOURSELF LATER?

Probably. I think once you’ve already been forced to adapt to that much change, taking a risk on something you actually chose for yourself doesn’t feel as scary.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT LEAP, THEN. THE FIRST VIDEO OF YOU THAT WENT VIRAL. HOW DID YOU REACT TO IT?

For the first few months I didn’t do anything with the platform that had suddenly landed in my lap, it didn’t feel real. My friend Raina posted a video of me on TikTok that went viral out of nowhere, and before I knew it I had around 100,000 followers on Instagram. I remember thinking, “Are you guys actually real? Do you actually want to see me do things?” It was hard to process that people actually cared about what I was doing. Eventually I hit a point where I thought, “You know what, I’m going to take matters into my own hands, go for it, and see where it takes me.” I was also nearing the end of high school, and COVID had just started, so weirdly, the timing felt right.

Polo shirts, jeans, Polo blaze bag, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Shoes, Stylist’s own

LOOKING BACK, WHAT MADE THAT DECISION FEEL SO SIGNIFICANT?

That was one of the biggest risks I’ve taken. Deciding to put all my energy into a career in entertainment was huge. Unlike the corporate world, there are no guarantees in this industry. Trends change, new faces come up, opportunities take you in directions you don’t expect. I knew so little going in.

ONCE YOU WERE ACTUALLY WORKING, WHAT WAS HARDER THAN YOU EXPECTED? 

The whole decision itself was already outside my comfort zone. Not being fully fluent in Bahasa Indonesia made me feel really insecure, especially walking into rooms full of new people. On my first few projects I barely spoke to anyone, not because I didn’t want to, but because I was scared of saying the wrong thing. I’d stay quiet, read the room, watch how everyone else interacted, try to figure out where I fit. But you learn as you grow. Eventually I realised I couldn’t let the fear of messing up stop me from putting myself out there. The more I experienced, the more comfortable I got, and slowly I found my voice. 

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE RECENTLY THAT MADE YOU THINK, “I’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE”?

A couple of days ago I was invited to speak at a local high school as a motivational speaker, which was completely new for me. I’m used to talk shows, there’s a host, I just answer questions, there’s a script of sorts. Being asked to actually motivate people, to talk about my own journey without anyone guiding the conversation, was something I’d never done. It was a little surreal, but really meaningful. It made me realise maybe some of the things I’ve picked up along the way could actually matter to someone else too. That’s a really nice feeling.

Sweater, jeans, all Polo Ralph Lauren

DID YOU ALMOST SAY NO?

For like a second, yeah. Public speaking with no script is scary. But I figured, if I keep saying no to stuff that scares me, I’m never going to grow past it.

SO WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY COMES ALONG, WHAT WILL MAKE YOU SAY YES?

If something feels like it could hurt my growth or pull me away from where I want to go, I probably won’t take it. But if there’s room to grow, to learn, to become a better version of myself, I’m in. Not every risk has to guarantee a good outcome. As long as there’s something meaningful to gain, I think it’s worth taking the chance.

WHAT KIND OF PERSON MAKES YOU WANT TO GET CLOSER?

I love a free spirit.

DO YOU THINK WE’RE SOMETIMES DRAWN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOMETHING WE’RE MISSING? 

One hundred percent. I was literally thinking about that last week. I’m trying to bring more of that mindset into my own life, worrying less about how people see me, just enjoying the moment, while still being a good person and putting good energy out. When I meet someone who carries that effortlessly, it makes me want to know them more.

Cardigan, shorts, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Socks, shoes, all Stylist’s Own

HAS THE WAY YOU CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS CHANGED AS YOU’VE GOTTEN OLDER?

I think they’ve shown me the kind of person I am and the kind of people I want around me. I don’t need a huge circle to feel fulfilled, I’d rather have a few people who really get me, where we can just exist together without pressure. I’m also someone who’s pretty easily influenced by the people around me, so I’ve become much more intentional about who I let close.

I WATCHED ONE OF THE PODCASTS YOU WERE ON EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW EASILY YOU OPEN UP TO FRIENDSHIPS, AND HOW QUICKLY YOU SOMETIMES LET THEM GO. DO YOU THINK SOMETHING CAN STILL BE MEANINGFUL EVEN IF IT DOESN’T LAST?

Some of the most meaningful relationships in life aren’t the ones that last forever. People come into your life for a certain window, leave something behind, and that impact stays even after they’re gone. I’ve had to sit with that a lot. Just because someone’s no longer around doesn’t mean it wasn’t real while it lasted. 

IF THERE’S ONE THING YOU’D WANT SOMEONE READING THIS, GOING THROUGH THEIR OWN AWKWARD, UNSURE CHAPTER, TO TAKE FROM YOUR STORY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

That you don’t need to have it figured out to start. I didn’t know what I was doing when I said yes to any of this. You just have to trust that it’s all right to not know yet, and take the step anyway.

“You don’t need to have it figured out”

Caps, polo shirt, all Polo Ralph Lauren

Creative Direction & Styling Izwan Abdullah
Photography Julius Juan Justianto
Grooming Nathalia Mae
Styling Assistant Gabrielle Elvina

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