Emmi Jurkka ( originally Bergström, later Tuomi; 21 April 1899 — 17 October 1990) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

actor and theatre manager, with a career in stage, film and TV spanning over 60 years.

Career

Emmi Jurkka has been described as "legendary" in the world of Finnish theatre. As an actor, she was physical, sensual, expressive and immersive. She performed a wide range of roles, from tragic to comic, and serious to lighthearted.

Stage

During her career, Jurkka was attached to several Finnish theatres, including

Turku City Theatre Turku City Theatre is a theatre in the City of Turku. It was founded in 1946, when "Turun Teatteri" and "Turun Työväen Teatteri" merged. It was the oldest fully municipality owned theatre in Finland, until 2014, when it became a joint-stock co ...

, Tampere Theatre

Helsinki City Theatre The Helsinki City Theatre ( fi, Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri; sv, Helsingfors stadsteater) is a theatre located in Helsinki, Finland. Owned by the Helsinki Theatre Foundation, it calls itself a "modern popular bilingual repertoire theatre." The ...

and the

Finnish National Theatre The Finnish National Theatre ( fi, Suomen Kansallisteatteri), established in 1872, is a theatre located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki Central Railway Station Square. The Finnish National Theatre is the oldest Finnish ...

. In 1953, Emmi Jurkka, together with her daughter Vappu, founded a small studio theatre, , which continues to operate to this day.

Film

Jurkka appeared in over 40 films, mainly in the 1940s and 50s. Among her more notable roles was as Hilda Husso in the 1954 ', for which she received the Best Supporting Actress

Jussi Award The Jussi Awards are Finland's premier film industry prizes, awarded annually to recognize the achievements of directors, actors, and writers. History The first Jussi Awards ceremony was held on 16 November 1944 at the Restaurant Adlon in Hels ...

. She is also credited with directing five short films.

Honours and awards

In 1954, Jurkka received the ' medal of the

Order of the Lion of Finland The Order of the Lion of Finland ( fi, Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Lejons orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The President ...

, and in 1977, Finland's premier theatre award, the .

Personal life

Emmi Jurkka was married to fellow thespian , and the couple had three children, Sakari,

Jussi Jussi () is a male given name. In Finnish originally it is short for Juhani or Juho, Finnish for Johannes/John, but is also recognized as a name in its own right for official purposes. It can also be short for Justus, or a Finnish form of Justin. ...

and , each of whom also went into acting.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jurkka, Emmi 20th-century Finnish actresses Finnish film actresses Finnish theatre people Pro Finlandia Medals of the Order of the Lion of Finland Actors from Helsinki 1899 births 1990 deaths