Jani Petteri Toivola (born 27 November 1977) is a Finnish actor, dancer, author and an ex-politician. He studied in HB Acting Studio, New York City in 1999–2002. He has performed in several dance works, television series and plays. Toivola is also openly gay.[1] His father is Kenyan and his mother is Finnish.[2]
Jani Toivola | |
|---|---|
 Toivola in 2015 | |
| Member of the Finnish Parliament for Uusimaa | |
| In office 2011–2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 November 1977 Vaasa, Finland |
| Political party | Green League |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer |
| Website | http://janitoivola.net |
Toivola has been a veejay for the chart programme of the music channel The Voice. He has also so far hosted the third and fourth season of the Finnish Idols television series together with Ellen Jokikunnas.
In the Finnish parliamentary election of 2011, Toivola was elected to the Parliament of Finland as a candidate of the Green League. He was the first Finnish Black MP.[3] In 2018 he announced that he would not run for a third term.[4]
Filmography edit
- Kuilu mielessä, (2003)
- Käenpesä, TV series (2005), as Samir Kibaki
- Meno-paluu, a travel programme (2005), host
- Ähläm Sähläm, TV series (2006), as Heikki
- Osasto 5, TV series (2006), as Ahmed Mattila
- Idols, third season of TV series (2007), host
- Kaikki kunnossa, waiter in TV series (2007)
- Big Brother Extra, fifth season of TV series (2009), host
Theatre edit
- Sorsastaja, Finnish National Theatre (2006)
- Hairspray, Helsinki City Theatre (2005)
- Hair, Peacock Theatre in Linnanmäki
Biography edit
- Musta tulee isona valkoinen: Miten päästää irti pelosta ja häpeästä ja seistä omilla jaloillaan. Helsinki: Siltala, 2016. ISBN 978-952-234-358-1
- Kirja tytölleni. Helsinki: WSOY, 2018. ISBN 978-951-0-43060-6
- Poika ja hame. Kuvittanut Saara Obele. Helsinki: Otava, 2021 ISBN 978-951-1-38003-0
- Rakkaudesta. Helsinki: Kosmos, 2021.ISBN 978-951-1-38003-0
External links edit
- Jani Toivola at IMDb
References edit
- ^ "Jani Toivola ei peittele rakkauttaan miehiin". Iltalehti (in Finnish). 27 January 2007.
- ^ "He's the other politician with a white mother and a black Kenyan father". The World from PRX. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "BBC World Service - Outlook, Protestors, Politicians and Scribes". BBC. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Toivola: I've decided not to run in next spring's elections". www.helsinkitimes.fi. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
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