Ville Haapasalo, actor: biography, personal life, filmography

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In the last five years, the view of Russian filmgoers has begun to return from foreign cinema to domestic. Such films as "Upward Movement", "The Last Hero", the trilogy "Gogol" or "Salyut-7" caused a flurry of applause not only from the audience, but also among film critics. Foreign actors are happy to take part in new Russian projects. One of Russia's favorite actors, Ville Haapasalo, is no exception. It is noteworthy that Haapasalo is more popular in Russia than in his native Finland. Biography of Ville Haapasalo will be presented below.

Russian and Finnish actor, director and TV presenter Ville Juhana Haapasalo is undoubtedly the most popular Finn in our country. Films with the participation of Ville are known to almost every inhabitant of Russia.

Biography

Little Ville Haapasalo was born in a place called Payat Häme, more precisely, in the rural village of Hollola. Date of birth: February 28, 1972. According to Ville himself, the main entertainment in childhood for him was playing sports. Young manactively engaged in sports sections, tried himself in skiing, football, swimming and baseball. At the same time, Ville often visited the theater and himself participated in amateur performances. During his school years, the future actor dreamed of becoming a professional hockey player and participating in the Continental Hockey League.

After graduating from school, Ville firmly decides to devote his life to the service of Melpomene. For further education, he chooses one of the higher acting schools in the UK. The young man thoroughly prepared for admission and even paid the entrance fee for the exams, but changed his mind after talking with one of his friends.

In 1991, Ville Haapasalo went to Russia to study theater and master the world-famous Stanislavsky system. It's hard to believe now, but at the entrance exams to the St. Petersburg Academy of Theater Arts. N. Cherkasova Ville almost failed due to ignorance of the Russian language. In the end, he manages to enter the paid department. In his interviews, Ville said more than once that, despite the difficulties with the language, he never regretted his decision to study in Russia.

Career start

The roles and popularity did not keep the novice actor waiting. In 1995, Alexander Rogozhkin began work on the already famous comedy film “Peculiarities of the National Hunt”. Ville Haapasalo decides to audition for a role in a film. Rogozhkin lacks an actor for filmingthe role of a Finnish guy named Raivo, who, according to the director's idea, came to Russia to get acquainted with Russian traditions. Already after the preliminary meeting, Ville is approved for the role of Raivo without passing tests and interviews. This role becomes "golden" for Ville. The film immediately after the release gets a big response in Russia, the next morning the guy wakes up famous. "Features of the National Hunt" was awarded such prestigious awards as "Nika" and "Kinotavr".

Main Role

Do I need to say that after the "Peculiarities of the National Hunt" Ville had a lot of offers? Career is developing rapidly, and already in 2002 Ville Haapasalo in the film "Cuckoo" plays the main role. Alexander Rogozhkin himself invited him, impressed by their previous joint work. This picture is awarded the prize for the main male role at the Moscow Film Festival and high praise from critics.

Cinematography

Participation in Russian films by Ville Haapasalo:

• 2016: "Souvenirs from Moscow" - Russian-Finnish thriller with spy games, criminal showdowns and valiant special agents.
• 2014: “Love in the big city. Part 3.”

• 2013: The Three Musketeers 2.
• 2013: "Dad for Rent" - the story that a career is not the most important thing in life.
• 2011: "Suicides" is a funny story about people who are not funny. Three friends decide to take their own lives, surrounded by like-minded people, they decide to fulfill the last wish of everyone. All this turns into ridiculous situations in which the characters understand the real meaning of life.
• 2011: "The Pregnant Man" is a funny film about a man who really wanted a baby, but didn't believe in miracles. Wishes tend to come true! now he is the first pregnant man.
• 2010: “Love in the big city. Part 2.”
• 2009: "Love in the big city". The role of Finn Sauna glorified Ville as a comedian. The plot of the film tells the story of three friends who suddenly met the real Cupid on their way. The unlucky trinity manages to anger the lord of love, and he casts a spell on them. Will they be able to break the spell and find true love?
• 2009: The Merry Men is Ville Haapasalo's most outrageous work. According to critics, he manages to convey the role of a drag queen very accurately. The film shows all the hardships of the life of a man who decided to be himself.
• 2007: "The New Irony of Fate" will tell about the adventures of the new Ippolit and Nadia.

• 2005: "Death of the Empire". Historical military drama about people who were involved in the First World War, revolutionaries and spies, undermining the situation in the country.
• 2005: "The Musketeers" - the classic story of A. Dumas about the adventures of D'Artagnan and his friends. In the film, Ville got the role of Lord Buckingham, who is in love with the Queen.
• 2002: "Cuckoo". This is a war movie where Ville Haapasalo plays his first leading role as the Finnish sniper Veiko.
• 2000: "Deadly Force", role -Patrick Hanson. Ville played a small role in the series about the hard everyday life of the homicide police department.
• 1997: "Peculiarities of national fishing". The tape is a continuation of the "Peculiarities of the National Hunt".
• 1995: "Peculiarities of the national hunt", role - Raivo. The film tells about the funny adventures of a Finnish guy who wants to take part in a Russian hunt.

Participation in TV projects

Ville takes an active part not only in Russian films. He is the host of several television projects. The most famous were such as "Caucasus in 30 days", "Main Road", "Lowry by the fire", "Finno-Ugrians in 30 days" and a completely new project - "Volga in 30 days". In addition, Ville participated in the popular programs "Minute of Glory" and "Ice Age".

Director's work

Not so long ago, the actor opened his own studio, in which he is going to shoot films that are interesting to him. In one interview, he shared plans for his first film. A story about Russian migrants in Finland is planned. Ville himself wants to play the lead role. The film must be in Russian.

Private life

Now the actor is in a civil marriage. In 2009, the couple Ville Haapasalo and Tina Barkalaya had a child. Tina is a well-known director of commercials, many of which starred Ville himself. After Tina had a baby, Ville proposed to her.

This is the second marriage of the actor, before that he was married to the Finnish actress Saara Hedland, with whomVille met during his return to Finland in 1995, after filming the Peculiarities of the National Hunt. In marriage, Saara gave birth to Ville two children. In the media, one can find an opinion that their marriage fell apart due to Saara's desire to devote more time to her career than to her family.

Ville can hardly be called a secular person, he rarely appears in public and does not participate in scandals. According to the actor, he dreams of retiring and living in a forest house with his wife and children.

Interesting facts

After filming the film "Peculiarities of the National Hunt" Ville left for his homeland and quit his acting career, as it seemed to him, for good. According to Ville, he was burdened by sudden fame, he believed that he did not deserve it.

Besides Finnish, Ville speaks 4 languages well: Russian, Swedish and English.

The actor has his own restaurant Villes Mayak in the Finnish city of Lappeenranta.

In the Ice Age show, the audience was amazed by Ville's figure skating skills. Together with partner T. Navka they won the second place in the project.

Ville doesn't talk much about his work in "Peculiarities of the National Hunt" because, according to him, he was too excited and did not remember the details of the filming process.

Where does Ville Haapasalo live? A question that worries many. The actor has been living in Russia for over 20 years. According to the celebrity, this is difficult for him, because due to his lack of citizenship, he constantly has to renew his visa. In addition, recently they and their familygot a cottage in Finland. The house is located near Lake Saimaa near Puumala