Finns of Hollywood
They might not be superstars (yet), but nevertheless they all have succeeded to do some good work in Hollywood. Proud of them. =)
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- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Born in 15 March 1959 as Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola, he is the most successful Finnish film director in the history of Hollywood.
Harlin started his career in film business in the beginning of 1980s when he was directing commercials and company films for companies like Shell. Later he worked as a buyer for Finnish film distributor and met Finnish Markus Selin in Los Angeles. They became friends and started writing a screenplay called "Arctic Heat". The project started fast and soon they had Chuck Norris signed on leading role for the film. But with money problems shooting schedule didn't hold and Norris left the project, but Selin and Harlin got Mike Norris for the leading role. They wrote new script, Born American (1986), and got financial help from USA. In the year 1986 Born American (1986) was finished and the most expensive Finnish film ever opened in USA in over 1,000 theaters and reached no 9.
The film wasn't successful in Finland, where it was banned. Harlin moved to Los Angeles and got a job from Halloween (1978) producer Irwin Yablans who offered him script of "Prison" to film. Film was made with low budget and distributed with only 42 copies. In the same year 1988 he got a job from New Line Cinema to direct A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) after meeting producer Robert Shaye numerous times, who at the first didn't want Harlin to direct the film. It became the highest-grossing film in the series, though its budget was seven times greater than the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film.
20th Century Fox wanted Harlin to direct the Andrew Dice Clay rock'n roll comedy The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) and also a sequel to Die Hard (1988). Harlin made the both, but only Die Hard 2 (1990) was commercially successful, with over 239 million dollar worldwide gross. Next he directed Cliffhanger (1993) with Sylvester Stallone which made $255 million worldwide and was nominated for 3 Oscar's. Before Cliffhanger (1993) Harlin was hired to direct "Alien³" but he left the project because of creative differences.
His next film Cutthroat Island (1995) was a pirate film made with $100 million budget. Unfortunately it came out without good promotion and flopped badly. It made only $10 million in USA and for a time became the biggest flop in Hollywood history. But for Harlin, it wasn't a total loss.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) was a critical success, but was a box office flop, grossing only $30 million domestically with a $65 million budget.
In year 1998, Warner Bros. wanted a summer blockbuster for the year 1999 and Renny Harlin was the right name to direct. Deep Blue Sea (1999) came to theaters after costing 60 million dollars to film and made $160 million worldwide. The film never hit the top spot in the USA but still grossed $73 millions in the USA alone.
Harlin was hired to direct Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) after John Frankenheimer left the job and died shortly after it, and Paul Schrader was fired. Producers knew that Harlin could made a blockbuster even with the weak script, and so he did. With $50 million budget the film opened in number 1 and grossed $80 million worldwide.
Probably most liked Harlin's film Mindhunters (2004) was released in 2004 after years post-production. It was released in USA in 2005 in over 1,000 theaters but it only reached 10th place. In 9 weeks it grossed only $4 million dollars.
The Covenant (2006) was released in 2006. With non-famous (but attractive) actors, the film hit the top in its opening weekend and became a successful film. With a $20 million budget, it grossed $37 million worldwide and DVD sale brought $20 million more.Most famous finn in Hollywood without a doubt. While Harlin's career met severe downfall in 2000's he still made some really good action flicks in 90's such as Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea and Long Kiss Goodnight. His movies has grossed over a billion in total making him one of the most successful film makers from that perspective.
However, his star has been rising again recently and is now working in China with high budget films.- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Samuli Edelmann was born on 21 July 1968 in Pori, Finland. He is an actor and writer, known for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Private Eye Vares (2004) and Riisuttu mies (2006). He is married to Laura Tuomarila. They have two children.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
The original glamour ghoul herself, "Vampira", of late night 1950s television, was actually born Maila Syrjäniemi (later changed to the easier surname Nurmi) on December 11, 1922 in Gloucester, Massachusetts (not Finland as she often claimed). Her uncle was the multiple Olympic medal runner Paavo Nurmi.
It was director Howard Hawks, of all people, who discovered Maila while she was performing in Mike Todd's Grand Guignol midnight show "Spook Scandals". Hawks escorted the lovely blonde beauty to Hollywood with the hopes of grooming her into the next Lauren Bacall. Cast in the film version of the Russian novel "Dreadful Hollow", the project was put on hold so many times that Maila walked out of her contract in frustration. She became a cheesecake model and an Earl Carroll dancer for several years in his revues, sharing a chorus line at one time with future burlesque stripper Lili St. Cyr.
Married at the time to child actor-turned-screenwriter Dean Riesner, she came up with the idea of "Vampira" at a masquerade contest where she based her costume on Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. Heavily painted up with long fingernails, a mane of raven-colored hair, and slim-waisted black attire, the Morticia gimmick won the best costume award that night... and more. She caught the attention of local television and was placed under contract to Channel 7 in Hollywood to see if she could encourage late night viewers to stay up and watch its regular programming of cheapjack horror schlock. The macabre madam was a genuine hit (for one season, at least, in 1954-55), adding a sexy nuance and silly double entendres to her campy horror set.
She earned an Emmy Award nomination in 1954 for "Most Outstanding Female Personality". Fan clubs sprouted up all over the world. She appeared in "Life", "TV Guide" and "Newsweek" magazine articles, and could be seen around and about town and in Las Vegas judging contests and making variety special appearances. Songs were written about the "Queen of Horror". She even appeared with arms outstretched and ghoulishly attired in the worst cinematic failure of all time, Edward D. Wood Jr.'s Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957), as Bela Lugosi's zombie-like mate, for which she is infamously associated. Lugosi actually was a huge fan of hers and had always wanted to work with her. Wood shot some footage of her years later as a tribute to Lugosi (he died in 1956 during filming) and added it before the film's release.
By the late 1950s, Maila's extended "15 minutes" of fame was over. With her career at stake (pun intended), she stretched things out with haphazard appearances in abysmal movies [The Beat Generation (1959); Sex Kittens Go to College (1960)] before closing the lid permanently on "Vampira". In later years, Maila divorced her writer/husband and became passionately involved in animal protection rights. A painter on the sly, she created some "Vampira" portraits that became a collector's item. Living very modestly in Southern California, she appeared in a small gag cameo in the film I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998). Malia Nurmi died at age 85 of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, California on January 10, 2008.Infamous 'Vampira' herself.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Pihla Viitala was born on 30 September 1982 in Helsinki, Finland. She is an actress and director, known for Latin Lover (2015), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) and Star Boys (2017). She was previously married to Kerkko Koskinen.- Actress
Yanti Somer was born on 29 February 1948 in Helsinki, Finland. She is an actress, known for Avanti! (1972), War of the Planets (1977) and Le temps de mourir (1970).- Jouko Ahola was born on 1 December 1970 in Hämeenlinna, Finland. He is an actor, known for Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Vikings (2013) and Mal día para pescar (2009).
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Joonas Suotamo was born on 3 October 1986 in Espoo, Finland. He is an actor, known for Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).Chewbacca- Actor
- Soundtrack
Albert Salmi was born on March 11, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, to Finnish parents. After serving in the Army during WWII, he used the GI Bill to study at the Dramatic Workshop of the American Theater Wing and the prestigious Actors Studio. He became a stage actor, very soon landing on Broadway, where his role as Bo Decker in "Bus Stop" was his biggest stage success. A compromise between the stage and screen was live TV drama, in which he was cast regularly. His portrayal of Bruce Pearson in the The United States Steel Hour (1953)'s live 1956 broadcast of "Bang the Drum Slowly" was heart-tuggingly poignant. Salmi's very first film appearance was a choice role in The Brothers Karamazov (1958), for which he turned down an Oscar nomination. The National Board of Review succeeded in presenting him with its award for the same picture, however. Salmi came to enjoy film work and actively sought out parts in westerns. He became a very familiar presence, especially on the TV screen, where he guest starred in many of the westerns and other series of the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1967 he was presented with the Western Heritage (Wrangler) Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame for his role in the Gunsmoke (1955) episode entitled "Death Watch". This bronze cowboy on horseback became his most cherished award. Salmi demonstrated his versatility, however, as years went on. Tall, brawny and sometimes quite intimidating, he was often cast as the bad guy or the authority figure. He was equally convincing, though, as a wronged or misunderstood good guy or a good-natured sidekick. A method actor, Salmi had the ability to make you love or hate his character.
He was, in real life, quite different from most of the characters he played. A quiet-natured family man, he was an oddity by glitzy Hollywood standards. Many of his friends and co-stars have commented on his sense of humor and his lack of pretense. In semi-retirement, he shared his knowledge of theatre by teaching drama classes in Spokane, Washington, where he and his wife settled.- Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
ANTTI J. JOKINEN Director/Writer/Producer
Antti J. Jokinen is an award winning director and writer.
In 2011 Jokinen wrote and directed a feature film THE RESIDENT, based on his own screenplay and starring two-time Oscar Winner Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
In 2012 Jokinen wrote and directed a feature film PURGE, based an award-winning novel written by Sofi Oksanen. The film was the official entry for the ACADEMY AWARDS BEST FOREIGN FILM. The film was a major box office success and was selected to several A-list film festivals.
In 2015 Jokinen wrote and directed a feature film THE MIDWIFE on an award-winning novel by Katja Kettu. The film competed in 11 main competitions for festivals including Shanghai, Waterloo and Camerimage. The film received seven wins, including the best actress Krista Kosonen at Shanghai. In Finland, the film was the biggest box office drama in 27 years.
In 2016 Jokinen finished his fourth feature film FLOWERS OF EVIL, based on his own screenplay. The film won him the BEST DIRECTOR at Shanghai International Film Festival.
In 2019 Jokinen wrote and directed a film HELENE, based on an award-winning novel by Rakel Liehu. The film was a major box office success in Scandinavia and the rights has been sold to over 73 countries. The film also competed in main competition at Shanghai International Film Festival and Camerimage - where it won the Silver Frog.
MUSIC VIDEOS: Antti Jokinen was one of the highest grossing music-video directors in the world for over ten years.
He directed videos for such artists as BEYONCE, WILL SMITH, MISSY ELLIOTT, EMINEM, CELINE DION, KORN, KELLY CLARKSON etc.- Vera Jordanova was born on 28 August 1975 in Helsinki, Finland. She is an actress, known for Hostel: Part II (2007), Harjunpää and the Persecutors (1993) and Isänmaan toivot (1998). She has been married to Federico Ruiz since 2016. They have one child.
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Juha Wuolijoki was born in Helsinki, Finland. Juha is a director and producer, known for Vinski and the Invisibility Powder (2021), Christmas Story (2007) and Gourmet Club (2004).Haven't done anything specific in Hollywood since his debut 'Zarra's Law' which wasn't successful enough for gaining more space in industry.- Director
- Writer
- Art Department
Jalmari Helander was born on 21 July 1976 in Helsinki, Finland. He is a director and writer, known for Rare Exports (2010), Sisu (2022) and Big Game (2014).Might have even greater potential in Hollywood film industry but instead has chosen to follow his own path and makes his movies by using independent resources without Hollywood money but with Hollywood actors.- Samuli Vauramo was born on 22 October 1981 in Vantaa, Finland. He is an actor, known for The American (2010), Bunraku (2010) and War of the Dead (2011).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Peter Franzén is one of Finland's most accomplished actors and has had a successful career both nationally and internationally. He was born in Northern Finland, Kemi, close to the Arctic Circle in Lapland. Peter has been true to his craft as an actor for almost 30 years and he has worked in over 50 movies earning him three Jussi Awards (Finland's national film prize) and a total of seven nominations, also international Awards.
His film credits include for example: "The Gunman" opposite Sean Penn and Javier Bardem, Finnish controversial films "Heart of a Lion" and "Open Up To Me", which was nominated for the Nordic Council Film prize. Another Feature film "Purge" was Finland's official selection for the Academy Awards. Peter's most recent feature film is "Meander" (France 2020.)
TV-credits: Franzén enjoyed tremendously working in the "Vikings"-series (2016-2019, History Channel, HBO), portraying king Harald Finehair. "Working and living and in Ireland has been one of the absolute highlights of my career." His latest TV-work includes the new series "Wheel of Time" (2019-2020 Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios)
In 2013 Franzén made his feature directorial debut with his film "Above Dark Waters." The film opened in his native Finland and is based on a semi-autobiographical 2010 novel of the same name. Peter also adapted and wrote the Screenplay. The film was selected as the Finnish entry for the Golden Globes, in 2013.
Franzén recently published his third Novel, "The Broken Wheel Ranch" (Särkyneen pyörän karjatila). He lives in France.The leading actor of Finnish cinema. Has done fistful of supporting roles in Hollywood, but is currently working with his biggest role as Harald Finehair in Vikings -series.- Actress
- Music Department
- Writer
Irina, born 1973, is a Finnish film/TV/stage actress, as well as a recording singer, song writer and musician She spent her childhood in Sweden, France and Finland. She danced at the Finnish National Opera Ballet school during 5 years She studied at the Helsinki Theatre Academy 1993-96
She has spent her adult life living in the US and France and she works internationally using several languages - English, French, Finnish, Swedish, Russian.
in 2016 she was Knighted by the French Ministry of Culture in the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) for her work promoting French and Finnish culture- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vivi Friedman was born on 20 May 1967 in Helsinki, Finland. She was a director and writer, known for Team Suomi (1994), The Family Tree (2011) and Certainly Not a Fairytale (2003). She died on 2 January 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.May she rest in peace.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Finnish-American actress and dancer Taina Elisabeth Elg was born in 1930 in Helsinki but later her family moved and lived in and around Finland, including Turku. Taina's mother was a Russian immigrant, pianist Helena Doroumova, and her father was pianist Åke Elg (a.k.a. Åke Ludwig). Her home later became a target during the Finnish-Soviet wars between 1939 and 1944 and when it became part of the Soviet Union, the family was forced to leave. After WWII they evacuated from Viipuri and returned to Helsinki.
At a very young age Taina trained in both ballet and acting. When the family returned to Helsinki, Taina continued with her dance and acting training and eventually she was invited to join the Finnish National Ballet. She appeared in a few homeland movies as early as age 10 and found a couple of obscure film roles as a teenager, one in which she danced. Her international reputation began to grow when she joined the famed Sadler's Wells ballet dance company (The Royal Ballet) in London and then the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, in Paris. A serious injury forced her to rethink her dancing career.
Fortunately, Elg was discovered in London by American film producer Edwin H. Knopf and, on the heels of the spectacular Hollywood success fellow Scandinavian Anita Ekberg was having, MGM decided to sign Elg to a customary seven-year Hollywood contract. She made her American debut for MGM with the secondary role of Elissa in the Lana Turner biblical costumer The Prodigal (1955). The following year MGM utilized her acting talents in their films Diane (1956), again starring Turner, and Gaby (1956) with Leslie Caron.
For the aforementioned work she was honored with a Golden Globe award for female "foreign newcomer". She was subsequently handed her best all-around opportunity by MGM to display her sublime dancing, sexy figure and comedic acting skills when asked to portray Angèle Ducros in Cole Porter's musical Les Girls (1957) opposite Gene Kelly and alongside fellow dazzlers Mitzi Gaynor and Kay Kendall. Receiving her second consecutive Golden Globe (tying with Kendall) for "Best Actress" in a musical, Les Girls (1957) also won the Golden Globe for "Best Picture - Musical" and an Oscar for its costume design.
More films came her way with Imitation General (1958) starring Glenn Ford and Red Buttons; the remake of the classic The 39 Steps (1959) opposite Kenneth More; the African adventure Watusi (1959) with George Montgomery and David Farrar and the war story Mission of Danger (1960), which was actually culled from a few TV episodes. None, however, could match the quality of Les Girls (1957). Elg's Hollywood film career went into a steep decline at this juncture and she began focusing on TV projects, foreign films and especially theatre roles. Appearing on stage in such 1960s productions as "Redhead," "Silk Stockings", "Irma La Douce", "West Side Story", "The Sound of Music", and "There's a Girl in My Soup", she finally made her Broadway debut with the musical "Look to the Lilies" in 1970, which was based on the Oscar-winning film Lilies of the Field (1963). She never found a strong footing again in films and has appeared in less than a handful since. Other than the 1961 Italian spectacle The Bacchantes (1961), she showed up in the musclebound Arnold Schwarzenegger's vehicle Hercules in New York (1970), Liebestraum (1991), and the Barbra Streisand feature The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996).
Her love for the stage was obvious and she remained as colorful than ever gracing such musicals as Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" (1973) in which she sang the haunting "Send in the Clowns." She also returned to Broadway in later years with the musicals "Where's Charley?", for which she earned a Tony nomination, "Nine" and "Cabaret". She appeared in the national tour of the musical "Titanic" in 1998-1999. On the non-musical stage she had strong roles in "Uncle Vanya", "I Hate Hamlet", "O Pioneers!", and, more recently, "Requiem for William" and Memory of a Summer" (both 2003).
In 2004, the actress received a special honor from her native Finland, when she was knight by the Order of the Lion of Finland. She is a naturalized American citizen. Jazz guitarist Raoul Björkenheim is Taina's son from her first marriage (1953-1958) to Carl "Poku" Björkenheim. In 1985, she married Rocco Caporale, an Italian educator and professor of sociology. The couple lived in New York City until his death in 2008.- Sound Department
- Composer
- Music Department
Jussi Tegelman is known for Spider-Man 2 (2004), Priest (2011) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Jasper Pääkkönen is an actor, fly fisherman, environmentalist and an entrepreneur. His most recent work include the role of Felix in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman and Halfdan the Black in the hit TV series Vikings. In his home country Finland, according to newspaper Ilta Sanomat, he is "the most profitable film actor in Finland" for having starred in many of Finland's biggest box office hits during his career. For his role Harri in Dome Karukoski's Heart of a Lion (Leijonasydän) he won the Finnish Jussi award (local Oscar). Many of Pääkkönen's films have made #1 in the Finnish B.O., including Pahat Pojat (Bad Boys - a true story), Matti, Frozen Land and Lapland Odyssey. Apart from his work in film, he is know as the cult outdoor brand Patagonia's ambassador. The architectural spa Löyly, which he built and owns in Helsinki, was named one of World's 100 Greatest Places by Time Magazine. In his free time he travels the world fly fishing as the cult outdoor brand Patagonia's brand ambassador.- Composer
- Music Department
- Producer
Tuomas Kantelinen was born on 22 September 1969 in Finland. He is a composer and producer, known for Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007), The Italian Key (2011) and The Legend of Hercules (2014). He is married to Rosa Karo.Well known movie music composer who has done a lot of valuable work in various film industries all over the world.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Mikko Alanne is a screenwriter, showrunner, and documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He is best known for creating the National Geographic Channel's acclaimed global event series about the Iraq War, The Long Road Home, based on the best-selling book by Martha Raddatz.
Alanne's most recent feature film is Mapplethorpe, a biopic of the controversial photographer, directed by Ondi Timoner. Alanne previously wrote the Chilean miner rescue drama The 33, starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche, released by Warner Bros.
Alanne has numerous projects in development at the major studios and networks, including West with the Night for Angelina Jolie at Warner Bros. and the Chilean dissident thriller The Dictator's Shadow at Phoenix Pictures. Alanne also wrote an adaptation of Jon Meacham's New York Times-bestseller Franklin and Winston, slated to star Sir Anthony Hopkins as Winston Churchill.
Alanne's documentary films include the The Animal People, executive produced by Joaquin Phoenix, and Voice of Dissent, which caused The Los Angeles Times to call for a reopening of the Robert Kennedy assassination case. Alanne also co-wrote and produced the History Channel's noted Terror Strikes Moscow, about the infamous theater hostage siege in the heart of the Russian capital.
A native of Finland, Alanne graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in film and sociology. A writer and activist for human rights and animal rights, he previously worked as a Historical Content Supervisor for Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, now the USC Shoah Foundation Institute.
Alanne was chosen in 2018 by Variety as one of the year's Global Creatives to Watch- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Laura Birn was born on 25 April 1981 in Helsinki, Finland. She is an actress and writer, known for Void (2018), A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) and Purge (2012).- Composer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Sara Maria Forsberg is a Finnish singer/songwriter and actress. She became famous after uploading a video to Youtube which ended up going viral. After uploading a video of herself singing, she was offered a record deal by Capitol Records. To be closer to her work place she relocated to Los Angeles, CA, USA. Shortly afterwards she was offered the role of Natalya for the movie Skiptrace, where she worked alongside stars like Jackie Chan. People were impressed with her work on set as she has no training in acting whatsoever, instead she is a trained chef.Mostly known as an youtuber but has made voice over on many block buster hits too.- Actress
- Writer
Kati Outinen was born on 17 August 1961 in Helsinki, Finland. She is an actress and writer, known for The Man Without a Past (2002), Le Havre (2011) and The Match Factory Girl (1990).- Actress
- Writer
- Production Designer
Krista Kosonen was born on 28 May 1983 in Espoo, Finland. She is an actress and writer, known for Blade Runner 2049 (2017), The Midwife (2015) and Miami (2017). She has been married to Antti J. Jokinen since May 2018. They have one child.- Sound Department
Real deal behind the camera. Has made awesome sound effects on both video games and movies.- Actor
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
Tony Halme was born on 6 January 1963 in Helsinki, Finland. He was an actor, known for Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Shadow Warriors (1995) and American Tigers (1996). He was married to Katja Talus. He died on 8 January 2010 in Helsinki, Finland.- Sound Department
- Music Department
- Director
Heikki Kossi was born on 6 December 1969. He is a director, known for The Underground Railroad (2021), The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (2021) and The Innocents (2021).- Composer
- Music Department
- Director
Lasse Enersen is a Finnish composer. He studied composing in Sibelius-Academy 2001-2004, then started assisting film composers (Desplat, Korzeniowski, Pereira, etc). Enersen started his film composer career working on numerous international documentary feature films. His first fiction feature film credit was Aku Louhimies' Unknown Soldier, which became the biggest box office hit in Finland in 60 years.- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Dome Karukoski moved to Finland from Cyprus, when he was 5. His mother is a Finnish journalist and his father an American actor.
He is bilingual with Swedish and Finnish.
He was selected to the University of Art and Design of Helsinki in 1999. That year, three students were selected to become students majoring in directing.
Tyttö, sinä olet tähti was Karukoski's graduation film.Karukoski has been one of the Finland's most famous directors quite a while and it was about time for him to make his Hollywood debut film 'The Starling', which should be released in 2018- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Elmer Bäck was born on October 18, 1981 in Finland. He is an actor and writer, known for Eisenstein in Guanajuato (2015), The Spiral (2012) and Cold Courage (2020).
Elmer Bäck is a brilliant and multilingual actor. He was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1981. He graduated from The Theatre Academy of Finland in 2007 and thereafter spent 7 years living in Berlin working with the theatre-group Nya Rampen. Together with Nya Rampen, alongside director Markus Öhrn and the Swedish group Institutet, he played some of the world's most renowned theatre festivals, among them Avignon, Berliner Theatertreffen, Wiener Festwochen and Festival TransAmériques (Montréal). In 2018 he toured the whole of France with the French production "Actrice", directed by Pascal Rambert.
His big break in film came in 2015 with the title role of Eisenstein in Guanajuato by acclaimed director Peter Greenaway. He has also been working regularly in film and TV in his native Finland, with the TV-series "Jättekiva" and the film "Viimeiset" by director Veiko Öunpuu to name a couple.
Elmer Bäck is fluent in Finnish, Swedish, English, German and Spanish and also works in French.