Kari Väänänen
Encyclopedia
Kari Väänänen is a Finnish
actor
. Domestically he is a member of the Ryhmäteatteri group of actors. He was introduced to international audiences by Aki Kaurismäki
; and belongs to the list of his
"trusted" stable of actors.
His most challenging role has been the eponymous mafia hitman of Rosso
, for which he learned all his lines phonetically, without previously speaking a word of Italian.
Kari Väänänen was featured in Star Wreck
, a Finnish sci-fi parody where he played the Russian president.
He also starred in Jim Jarmusch
's 1991 film Night on Earth.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Domestically he is a member of the Ryhmäteatteri group of actors. He was introduced to international audiences by Aki Kaurismäki
Aki Kaurismäki
-Career:After studying Media Studies at the University of Tampere, Aki Kaurismäki started his career as a co-director in the films of his elder brother Mika Kaurismäki. His debut as an independent director was Crime and Punishment , Dostoyevsky's famous crime story set in modern-day Helsinki...
; and belongs to the list of his
"trusted" stable of actors.
His most challenging role has been the eponymous mafia hitman of Rosso
Rosso
Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott...
, for which he learned all his lines phonetically, without previously speaking a word of Italian.
Kari Väänänen was featured in Star Wreck
Star Wreck
Star Wreck is a series of Finnish Star Trek parody movies started by Samuli Torssonen in 1992. The first movie, simply named Star Wreck, was a simple Star Control-like animation with three ships shooting at each other, but later movies featured 3D CGI, animated characters and, in the latest films,...
, a Finnish sci-fi parody where he played the Russian president.
He also starred in Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
's 1991 film Night on Earth.
Selected filmography
- Calamari UnionCalamari UnionCalamari Union is the second full-length film by director Aki Kaurismäki, 1984.-Plot:Calamari Union is an allegorical movie that tells the story of sixteen men all of whom are called Frank apart from a single confrere, Pekka...
(1985) - Rosso (1985)
- Leningrad Cowboys Go AmericaLeningrad Cowboys Go AmericaLeningrad Cowboys Go America is a 1989 road movie by Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki about the adventures of a fictional Russian rock band that travels to the United States to become famous...
(1989) - La Vie de BohèmeLa Vie de Bohème (film)La Vie de Bohème is a 1992 film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Matti Pellonpää, Evelyne Didi and André Wilms. Kaurismäki's screenplay for the film was based on Henri Murger's influential novel Scènes de la Vie de Bohème which has spawned several on-screen adaptations as well as plays and...
(1992) - Drifting CloudsDrifting Clouds (film)Drifting Clouds is a 1996 Finnish film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Kati Outinen, Kari Väänänen and Markku Peltola. The film is the first in Kaurismäki's Finland trilogy, the other 2 films being The Man Without a Past and Lights in the Dusk.- Plot :Ilona Koponen , a head waitress at...
(1996) - Sincerely Yours in Cold BloodSincerely Yours in Cold BloodSincerely Yours in Cold Blood is a Finnish crime drama television series that aired on Nelonen from February 29, 2000 to November 29, 2005. All of its 30 episodes are based on true crime cases.- Cast :* Ville Virtanen as Veli Miettinen...
(10 episodes, 2000–2005) - Bad Luck LoveBad Luck LoveBad Luck Love is a 2000 Finnish crime drama film directed by Olli Saarela.- Cast :* Jorma Tommila as Ali* Tommi Eronen as Pulu, Ali's brother* Maria Järvenhelmi as Inka, Ali's girlfriend* Ilkka Koivula as Alpi* Kari Väänänen as Heinonen...
(2000) - Star Wreck: In the PirkinningStar Wreck: In the PirkinningStar Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a 2005 motion picture produced by five friends in a two-room flat with a small budget and the support of a few hundred fans and dozens of acquaintances. Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is the seventh production in the Star Wreck movie series, the first of professional...
(2005)