Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
n actor, theatre producer and director, and film and television producer. Spriit's career as an actor began in the early 1970s.
Early life and education
Eero Spriit was born as one of two children in
Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
to journalist, satirist, and politician Edgar Spriit and journalist Ester Spriit (''née'' Tartu). His parents divorced when he was young and his father married dancer and dance pedagogue Elonna Goretski. From this union, he has a half-brother, Egon Spriit. In 1972, he enrolled in the Performing Arts Department of the Tallinn State Conservatory (now, the
Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...
) in
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
to study acting under course supervisor
Voldemar Panso
Voldemar Panso (30 November 1920 Tomsk, Russia – 27 December 1977 Tallinn) was Estonian stage director, actor and theatrical teacher.
1941 he graduated from Tallinn Conservatory State Stage Art School and 1955 Moscow State Theatre Art Instit ...
Aare Laanemets
Aare Laanemets (6 February 1954 – 28 October 2000) was an Estonian actor and theatre director, who is possibly best recalled for his role as Joosep Toots in three film adaptations of novels penned by author Oskar Luts: '' Kevade'' (1969), ''S ...
Anne Paluver
Anne Paluver (born 4 November 1952 in Tallinn) is an Estonian actress.
Paulver was born in Tallinn, the daughter of mathematician Nikolai Paluver. She attended schools in Tallinn, graduating from Tallinn No. 22 Secondary School in 1970 (now the ...
,
Priit Pedajas
Priit Pedajas (born 21 January 1954 in Tallinn) is an Estonian actor and theatre director.
In 1976, he graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory' Performing Arts Department. From 1979 until 1985, he was an actor and director at Ugala Theatre. ...
Urmas Kibuspuu
Urmas Kibuspuu (5 December 1953 in Tallinn – 13 June 1985) was an Estonian actor.
In 1976 he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory Stage Art Department. Since 1976 he worked at Estonian Drama Theatre, intermittently also in Estonia Theatre. ...
, and
Peeter Volkonski
Prince Peeter Volkonski (born 12 September 1954 in Tallinn) is an Estonian rock-musician, composer, actor, and theatre director.
Biography
He became famous with the punk band Propeller, founded in 1978.
In 2015 Volkonski was Free Party's ca ...
.
Career
Acting
Eero Spriit's career as an actor began in early 1971 at age twenty-one, when he was cast in the role of Don Spoletti in the Arvo Kruusement-directed musical-comedy feature film ''Don Juan Tallinnas'' for
Tallinnfilm
Tallinnfilm is the oldest surviving film studio in Estonia. It was founded as Estonian Culture Film in 1931, and was nationalized in 1940 after Estonia was forced into the Soviet Union. During the first year of Soviet Occupation (1940–1941) ...
, released in 1972. The following year, he enrolled at Tallinn State Conservatory, and upon graduating he began an engagement as an actor at the Estonian State Youth Theatre (now, the
Tallinn City Theatre
Tallinn City Theatre ( et, Tallinna Linnateater) is a repertory theatre located in the medieval old town of Tallinn, Estonia. Tallinn City Theatre was established in 1965 as Estonian SSR State Youth Theatre. In 1992, after the reindependence of ...
) from 1976 until 1992. Among his more memorable roles as an actor at the Estonian State Youth Theatre were in works by: Efim Chepovetskiy,
Friedebert Tuglas
Friedebert Tuglas, born Friedebert Mihkelson or Michelson (2 March 1886 – 15 April 1971) was an Estonian writer and critic who introduced Impressionism and Symbolism to Estonian literature.Aleksey Tolstoy,
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
,
Giovanni Boccaccio
Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...
,
Grigori Gorin
Grigori Gorin (russian: Григо́рий Го́рин), real name Grigori Israilevich Ofshtein (russian: Григо́рий Изра́илевич Офштейн; March 12, 1940, Moscow — June 15, 2000, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian play ...
Stanislav Stratiev
Stanislav Stratiev ( Bulgarian: Станислав Стратиев) (9 September 1941 – 20 September 2000) was a Bulgarian playwright, screenwriter, and author.
Biography
He began his career as a journalist while studying for an MA in litera ...
,
Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-g ...
August von Kotzebue
August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (; – ) was a German dramatist and writer who also worked as a consul in Russia and Germany.
In 1817, one of Kotzebue's books was burned during the Wartburg festival. He was murdered in 1819 by Karl L ...
,
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...
,
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...
, the
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
Garson Kanin
Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films.
Early life
Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He attended ...
,
Vladimir Tarasov
Vladimir Ilich Tarasov (russian: Владимир Ильич Тарасов; born 7 February 1939 in Moscow) is a Russian animator and animation director. He is best known for his Soviet-era science fiction short films, such as ''The Pass, Cont ...
, and
Eduardo De Filippo
Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Consid ...
. Many of the productions in which Spriit was featured were broadcast on
Eesti Televisioon
Eesti Televisioon (ETV) ( en, Estonian Television) is an Estonian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Estonian Public Broadcasting. It made its first broadcast on 19 July 1955.
History
Eesti Televisioon (''Estonian Televis ...
(ETV) as
television play
A television play is a television programming genre which is a drama performance broadcast from a multi-camera television studio, usually live in the early days of television but later recorded to tape. This is in contrast to a television movi ...
s. In 1992, Spriit became a producer and head director of the theatre; a position he held until 1998, while continuing to act in the interim.
In 2009, Spriit began appearing as an actor in productions at Old Baskin's Theatre in Tallinn, where still performs.
In addition to theatre, Spriit has had a prolific career as a television and film actor. In 1976, he played the role of Uncle in the Elvi Koppel-directed family-musical television film ''Kuidas kuningas kuu peale kippus''. The following year, appeared in the
Kaljo Kiisk
Kaljo Kiisk (3 December 1925 – 20 September 2007) was a Soviet and Estonian actor, film director, screenwriter and politician. He was best known for his roles as Kristjan Lible from ''Spring'' ( et, Kevade), ''Summer'' (''Suvi'') and ''Autu ...
-directed historical drama ''Surma hinda küsi surnutelt'', followed by several roles in the 1978 Irene Lään-directed musical-melodrama television film ''Imelugu'', based on the opera of the same name by composer Raimo Kangro.
Notable film roles include that of an executioner in 1991 Tõnu Virve-directed historic epic ''Surmatants'',
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...
VI/Monk in the
Hardi Volmer
Hardi Volmer (born 8 November 1957 in Pärnu) is an Estonian film director, puppet theatre set decorator and musician. Volmer is the singer in the Estonian punk rock band Singer Vinger.
Animated cartoons
*"Imeline nääriöö" (Wonderful Ne ...
-directed historical comedy '' Minu Leninid'', Olev in the 2013
Andres Maimik
Andres Maimik (born 8 February 1970) is an Estonian film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and actor.
Selected filmography
* 2002 ''Agent Wild Duck'' (feature film; screenwriter)
* 2006 ''Jan Uuspõld läheb Tartusse'' (feature ...
and Katrin Maimik-directed romantic drama ''Karikakramäng II: Hõbepulm'', Director in the Mihkel Ulk-directed drama ''
Nullpunkt
''Zero Point'' ( et, Nullpunkt) is a 2014 Estonian drama film directed by Mihkel Ulk.
Cast
* Märt Pius - Johannes
* Saara Kadak - Bianka
* Tambet Tuisk - Gunnar Post
* Mari Abel - Ege
* Christopher Rajaveer ( :et) - Mihkel
* Liis Lindmaa - ...
'', and Doctor in the 2018 Maria Avdjuško-directed drama ''Tuliliilia''.
Among Spriit's more prominent appearances on television include the role of Estonian military general and statesman
Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner ( – 13 March 1953) was an Estonian general and statesman. He served as Commander‑in‑Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces during the 1918–1920 Estonian War of Independence and was among the most influential people in the Eston ...
in the 2009
Ain Prosa
Ain Prosa (born 7 October 1967 in Räpina) is an Estonian film and theatre director, and actor.
In 1996, he graduated from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
1990–2000, he worked at ETV Teleteater.
Works and roles
* 1993 "Õnne 13" (tele ...
-directed historical twelve-part mini-series ''
Tuulepealne maa
''Tuulepealne maa'' ("Windward Land") is a twelve-part Estonian television mini-series about the pre-World War II history of Estonia, its birth as a country, the Estonian War of Independence, post-war life throughout 1920 up to 1941 and World ...
'', which chronicles the history of Estonia through the early 20th-century of Estonia; the
Estonian War of Independence
The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westwa ...
, independence, and the inter-war period to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In 2010, he played the role of Helmut on the ETV series ''ENSV'', which humorously reflects on life during the 1980s in the
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...
. Between 2011 and 2016, he made several appearances on the TV3 comedy-crime series ''
Kättemaksukontor
''Kättemaksukontor'' (English: ''Revenge Office'') is an Estonian comedy-crime television series. In the series, a group of women have the organization called "Kättemaksukontor". This organization helps to solve murder cases for the police.
The ...
''.
To many Estonian television viewers, Spriit is possibly best recalled as the character Thor-Björn Margna on the popular, long-running ETV drama series ''
Õnne 13
Õnne 13 is an Estonian dramatic TV series that airs on ETV. The series first aired on 30 October 1993 and was written by Astrid Reinla and as of 1996 by Teet Kallas
Teet Kallas (born 6 April 1943, Tallinn) is an Estonian writer and former ...
''. Spriit joined the cast at the series' inception in 1993 and has remained a cast member ever since.
Producer and director
In 1999, Spriit began working as the head producer of entertainment at Eesti Televisioon (ETV). He worked at ETV as a producer and programming director until 2007. In 2008, Spriit was hired as the Deputy Head of the Editorial Board of Productions at
Eesti Rahvusringhääling
Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) – ''Estonian Public Broadcasting'' – is a publicly funded and owned radio and television organisation created in Estonia on 1 June 2007 to take over the functions of the formerly separate Eesti Raadio ...
(ERR), the publicly funded radio and television organisation. Since 2009, he has been a Board Advisor with the company.
Since 2016, Spriit has worked as a documentary film producer and production coordinator with ERR. He has produced approximately twelve documentary films focusing on global issues such as poverty, education, political corruption, and war and its aftermath in such places as
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
,
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, and
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
.
Spriit has been a member of the Estonian Producers' Union since 1993, and from 1995 until 1997 was the association's chairman.
Personal life
Eero Spriit has been married and divorced twice. He has two adult children and currently lives in Tallinn.