Sophia Latjuba's life began on August 8, 1970, in West Berlin, West Germany, where her father, Azzizurrahman Latjuba, a Bugis-Javanese, and her mother, Anna Muller, a German-Austrian, brought her into the world. Her early years were marked by a significant move back to Indonesia with her father, an event that would later have a profound impact on her life, as she reported feeling closer to him than her mother. Her educational journey continued at Senior High School 3 Jakarta, where she eventually graduated.
The world of cinema beckoned early on, and Latjuba made her film debut in 1987 with Bilur-Bilur Penyesalan (Stripes of Regret),a remarkable achievement considering her age and that she was still in high school at the time. Her film career would go on to flourish, with appearances in numerous movies, including the highly acclaimed Kuldesak, directed by her then-sister-in-law Mira Lesmana, in which she appeared for free in 1998. During this period, Latjuba was hailed as a sex symbol, with Bruce Edmond, writing for The Jakarta Post, describing her as being "many an Indonesian man's fantasy woman" at the time.
In addition to her film work, Latjuba also explored her musical talents, releasing several albums, including the successful Hanya Untukmu (Only For You),which earned her the prestigious 1994 BASF Award for Best Album Arrangement.
