Ville Juhana Haapasalo (born 28 February 1972) is a Finnish stage and film actor who has worked in Finland and Russia.[1][2] His acting career started in 1995, after he finished his studies in St. Petersburg. In 2003, he was honored with the State Prize of the Russian Federation for his role of Veikko in the film The Cuckoo directed by Aleksandr Rogozhkin.[3][4]

Ville Haapasalo
Haapasalo in 2010
Born
Ville Juhana Haapasalo

(1972-02-28) 28 February 1972 (age 52)
NationalityFinnish
Occupation(s)Actor, television
Years active1995–present
Spouse
(m. 1995)
Children3
Awards (2003)

Education

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Haapasalo was educated in St. Petersburg at the Academy of Performing Arts of the Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy. He knew no Russian when he began studying.[5][6] He studied there from 1991 to 1995. It was a difficult period in the 1990s Russia; he was mugged nine times in 1992,[7] tried to commit suicide three times,[8] and because of his financial problems he worked as a driver for the mafia.[9]

Career

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Haapasalo's career got a huge lift immediately after his graduation for his appearance in 1995 in a Russian comedy Peculiarities of the National Hunt. But this sudden fame turned out to be stressful for him and he temporarily returned to Finland to work as a truck driver.[7] In 2002, he won the Best Actor award at the 24th Moscow International Film Festival, for his role in the Russian-made film The Cuckoo.[10][11]

Although his fame comes mostly from film, he also writes for the screen, acts in theaters, and does TV cinema. He also appeared in Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications' 1998 campaign National Features of Driving instructing Russians on Finnish road rules.[12][13] He is more widely recognized in Russia than in his country of origin Finland.[14] Recently, he has hosted and starred in a number of travel shows on Finnish[15] and Russian TV.[16][17]

He appeared in the first season of ice show contest Ice Age.

Personal life

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Haapasalo was born in Hollola, Finland. He speaks four languages fluently: Finnish, Russian, Swedish, and English. His hobbies include playing trombone, ice-hockey, skiing, and skating.[18]

In 2016, Haapasalo opened a Georgian restaurant called Purpur in Helsinki.[19]

Family

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Ville Haapasalo married Saara Hedlund in 1995 and they currently reside in Helsinki, Finland.[20] Haapasalo and Hedlund have two children. Haapasalo also has a son (born 2009) with director Tina Barkalaja.

Writer

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  • Luonto ja terveys (2006) (TV)
  • Perjantai (2003) (TV)

Filmography

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Year Title of Film / TV Series Title in English Title in Other Languages Role
2019– Muumilaakso Moominvalley Finnish Moominpappa[21]
2018 Hölmö nuori sydän Stupid Young Heart Finnish Janne
2018 Haapasalon Suomi (Documentary) Haapasalo's Finland Finnish Himself
2017 Altai 30 päivässä (Documentary) Altai in 30 Days Finnish Himself
2016 Rölli ja kaikkien aikojen salaisuus Rolli, and the secret of all time Finnish Seppä
2016 Tappajan näköinen mies The man who looks like a killer Finnish Aleksei Kornostajev
2016 Volga 30 päivässä (Documentary) Volga in 30 Days Finnish Himself
2015 Kaukasia 30 päivässä (Documentary) Caucasia in 30 Days Finnish Himself
2014 Jäämeri 30 päivässä (Documentary) Arctic Ocean in 30 Days Finnish Himself
2014 Папа напрокат (мини-сериал) Dad for hire (Mini-series) Russian Philip
2014 Любовь в большом городе 3
Ljubov v bolšom gorode 3
Love in the Big City 3 Russian
Кохання у великому місті 3 (Ukrainian)
Каханне ў вялікім горадзе 3 (Belarusian)
Olli (Sauna)
2013 Suomensukuiset 30 päivässä (Documentary) Russian Tribes in 30 Days Finnish Himself
2013 Три мушкетера The Three Musketeers Russian Farmer
2013 Rölli ja kultainen avain Rolli, and the secret of all time Finnish
Ролли и золотой ключик (Russian)
2012 Golfa straume zem ledus kalna Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg Latvian
Гольфстрим под айсбергом (Russian)
Theophilius
2012 Silkkitie 30 päivässä (Documentary) 30 Days on the Silk Road Finnish Himself
2012 Самоубийцы
Samoubiytsy
Suicides Russian Finn
2011 Беременный
Beremennyy
The Pregnant Russian Rezhisser
2011 Alamaailma-trilogia Underworld Trilogy Finnish Artur Deminoff
2011 Sapuskaa - harashoo! (TV Series) Himself
2011 Tunarit (Short) The Duffers Finnish
2010 Любовь в большом городе 2
Ljubov v bolšom gorode 2
Love in the Big City 2 Russian
Кохання у великому місті 2 (Ukrainian)
Olli (Sauna)
2010 Venäjän halki 30 päivässä (Documentary) Across Russia in 30 Days Himself
2009 Царь Tsar Russian Andrey Staden
2009 Любовь в большом городе
Ljubov v bolšom gorode
Love in the Big City Russian
Кохання у великому місті (Ukrainian)
Olli (Sauna)
2009 Весельчаки
Veselchaki
Jolly Fellows Russian
Joyeux compères (French)
Roza
2008 Luola (short film) Cave Finnish Ilari's father
2008 Lemmenleikit Make love to (TV Series) Finnish Samuli Harjanne
2007 Ирония Судьбы: Продолжение
Ironiya sud’by. Prodolzheniye
The Irony of Fate 2 Russian
Kohtalon ironiaa – jatkoa (Finnish)
Số phận trớ trêu. Phần tiếp theo (Vietnamese)
Drunken Finn
2007 Чужие тайны (сериал)
Chuzhie tayny
Other people's secrets (TV series) Russian Jeff
2007 Дочь генерала – Татьяна (мини-сериал)
Doch generala
Daughter of General - Tatiana (Mini-series) Russian
2006 Suden Arvoitus Mystery of the Wolf Finnish
Vargens Hemlighet (Swedish)
Paulus Morgam
2006 Priroda i zdorovie
"Luonto ja terveys" (TV)
Nature and Health (TV) Finnish
Природа и здоровье (Russian)
Kostya
2005 Domoi - Kotiinpaluu Domoi - Homecoming Finnish
Домой (Russian)
The Warrior
2005 КГБ в смокинге (сериал)
KGB v smokinge
The KGB in a Tuxedo (TV series) Russian Eugene
2005 Гибель империи (сериал)
Gibel Imperii
The Fall of the Empire (TV mini-series) Russian Tarvilainen
2005 Tahdon Asia (TV-episode #1.6) Matters of the Will (TV series) Finnish (voice)
2005 Yövuoro Night Shift (TV series) Finnish Turvapäällikkö Jari Viirilä
2004 Королева бензоколонки 2 (ТВ)
Koroleva benzokolonki 2
Queen of the petrol station 2 (TV) Russian
Королева бензоколонки 2 (Ukrainian)
Ruslan
2004 Диверсант (мини-сериал)
Diversant
The Saboteur (TV Miniseries) Russian Wilhelm
2003 Vieraalla maalla in a strange land Finnish Tuomas Linna/Omar Ghaala
2003 Кукушкино гнездо (ТВ)
Kukushkino gnezdo
Cuckoo's Nest (TV) Russian
Käen pesä/Käk - tähden synty (Finnish)
2003 Letters from Karelia Letters From Karelia Canadian Aate Pitkänen
2003 Perjantai Wednesday (TV) Finnish
2003 Pietarin Myytti Saint Petersburg myth (Mini-series) Finnish Various
2002 Кукушка
Kukushka[22]
The Cuckoo Russian
Käki (Finnish)
Veikko
2002 Minä en ole kone (short film) I'm not a machine Finnish
2002 One Christmas morning (short film) One Christmas Morning Sweden
Одно рождественское утро (Russian)
2001 Maamiehen Päiväkirja (short) Maamiehen diary Finnish Maamies
2000
- 2005
Убойная сила (сериал)
Uboynaya Sila (TV series)
Destructive force (TV series) Russian episode Kredit Doveriya
2000 Pakkaus (short) The packaging Finnish
Packningen (Swedish)
Jaakko
1999 Lapin kullan kimallus Lapin kullan kimallus The glitter of Lappish gold (Finnish) Frans Björklund
1998 Samaa Sukua, eri Maata (TV) The same family, different country (TV series) Finnish Jari Jokinen
1998 Особенности национальной рыбалки Peculiarities of the National Fishing Особенности национальной рыбалки (Russian)
Kalastuksen kansallisia erikoisuuksia (Finnish)
Raivo
1998 Elämän suola (TV-Episode: "Yksi lensi yli käenpesän") Salt of life (TV series) Finnish Timppa
1996 Операция С новым годом (ТВ) Operation Happy New Year (TV) Russian second Killer
1995 Особенности национальной охоты Peculiarities of the National Hunt Особенности национальной охоты (Russian)
Metsästyksen kansallisia erikoisuuksia (Finnish)
Raivo

References

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  1. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало". Russia-1.
  2. ^ "Tätä edes vaimo ei uskonut: Ville Haapasalon unelmasta tulee totta". Helsingin Uutiset. 22 September 2016.
  3. ^ "The Cuckoo". Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Nature and Health". www.fantomatico.org. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
  5. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало: "Живу между Россией и Финляндией"". Rosbalt.
  6. ^ Natalia Zvereva (21 January 2013). "Вилле Хаапасало, финский и российский актер: "В России я стал мужиком!"". 59.ru.
  7. ^ a b Artyom Kurtov (28 February 2017). "Горячий финский парень. Как Вилле Хаапасало стал звездой в России". Argumenty i Fakty.
  8. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало развеял негативный миф о России". km.ru.
  9. ^ Laura Glad (3 October 2013). "Ville Haapasalo kertoo työskentelystään Venäjän mafialle". Ilta-Sanomat.
  10. ^ "24th Moscow International Film Festival (2002)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  11. ^ "Ville Haapasalo wins Best Actor at Moscow International Film Festival". Helsingin Sanomat. 1 July 2002. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  12. ^ "Liikenneturva valistaa venäläisiä autokuskeja". Yle.
  13. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало расскажет, как правильно водить в Финляндии". fontanka.fi.
  14. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало". VokrugTV.
  15. ^ "UUTUUS! Ville Haapasalo lähtee taas reissuun – mukanaan joukko julkkiskavereita!". Nelonen.
  16. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало: "Самое странное, что я ел, — это кишки моржа"". OK!.
  17. ^ "Вилле Хаапасало: весь мир погибнет, но из руин поднимется русский пенсионер". Argumenty i Fakty. 18 January 2014.
  18. ^ Actors.fl
  19. ^ "Nyt se tapahtuu: Ville Haapasalon Purpur avaa ovensa ylihuomenna". Vantaan Sanomat.
  20. ^ "Ville Haapasalo ja Saara Hedlund: Mitä ette voisi antaa anteeksi toisillenne?". Me Naiset. 31 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Voice cast", gutsy.fi
  22. ^ "The Cuckoo Review". 1 November 2005. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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