Actor Icuk Nugroho, Saep Copet in Preman Pensiun, Dies
Icuk Nugroho, the actor behind Saep Copet in Preman Pensiun, has died. Read his career, legacy, and impact on Indonesian TV.
CIMAHI — Actor Icuk Nugroho, Saep Copet in Preman Pensiun, Dies after being treated at RSUD Cibabat in Cimahi, West Java, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 8:51 a.m. WIB. He was 50.
The loss landed hard for viewers who had followed the long-running Indonesian comedy and for the cast members who worked with him for more than a decade. Icuk was born in Cimahi on April 28, 1976, and his death was first widely shared through social media posts from fellow Preman Pensiun actors.
Abenk Marco, who played Cecep, wrote: “Inalillahiwainailaihirojiun, our friend Cuk Nugroho (Saep Copet) has passed away today, June 20, 2026.” His message set off a wave of grief across the entertainment community. Simple words. Heavy news.
The face behind Saep Copet
For many fans, Saep Copet was more than a supporting role. Icuk gave the character timing, warmth, and a comic instinct that made him easy to remember. The character fit neatly into the show’s mix of streetwise humor and everyday emotion, and Icuk helped give that balance a human feel.
Preman Pensiun first became a familiar title in 2015, and Icuk stayed with the series for 11 years, appearing in hundreds of episodes. That kind of longevity matters in television. It gives a performance room to settle into viewers’ memory, and Icuk used that room well.
His work helped anchor a show that has been among Indonesia’s longest-running and most watched. The series built its audience through grounded storytelling and a cast that felt lived-in rather than staged. Icuk was part of that core chemistry.
One short scene could be enough. A glance, a pause, a line delivered just right. That was his strength.
A career that reached beyond one role
Icuk Nugroho did not stop at the role that made him widely known. He appeared in television films across drama and comedy, and he moved into web series and short films as digital production expanded. Colleagues often described him as disciplined and adaptable, the kind of actor who could walk onto a set and understand the rhythm quickly.
He also worked behind the camera in some projects, contributing as a screenwriter and director. That range made him useful in more than one corner of production. He was not only performing lines written for him. He understood the machinery that sat around the performance.
Outside the entertainment industry, Icuk ran a gas stove service business in his hometown of Cimahi. Friends and colleagues saw that as part of who he was: practical, steady, and close to ordinary work. He did not build a life that depended only on the next filming schedule.
That grounded streak mattered. In a business that often rewards image over habit, Icuk kept one foot in the neighborhood and one foot on set.
What his death means for fans and the industry
For fans, the immediate loss is emotional. Saep Copet was one of the characters that helped make Preman Pensiun feel familiar, and familiar characters are often the ones people carry with them longest. Rewatching old episodes now will feel different. His face, his voice, his rhythm — all of it is tied to the role.
For the production team, the loss also carries practical weight. A long-running series builds not just storylines but working habits, friendships, and shared timing. After 11 years together, the cast and crew had their own rhythm. Icuk’s death breaks part of that circle, and any future handling of Saep Copet will need care.
His body was laid to rest at a funeral home in the Ngamprah area of West Bandung Regency, where family members, friends, and entertainment figures gathered to pay their respects. Abenk Marco also offered a prayer for the family left behind, writing: “May the Almighty accept all his good deeds, forgive his sins, and grant strength, sincerity, and patience to the family left behind.”
That message captured the mood around his passing. Respect. Shock. And a quiet recognition that a familiar presence on Indonesian television is gone, while the episodes that carried him will keep airing, carrying his work with them.
