Ester Pajusoo (born Ester Lage; 1 July 1934) is an

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 stage, film, radio and television actress whose career has spanned nearly six decades.

Early life

Ester Pajusoo was born Ester Lage in the small village of Nõmme in rural Tuhala Parish (now, Kose Parish; not to be confused with Nõmme, one of the urban administrative districts of

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 ' ...

), she was the youngest of three daughters of Johannes Lage and Marie Johanna "Anni" Lage (''née'' Kull). She had three older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage. She graduated from secondary school in Tallinn in 1953 and attended the Estonian Drama Theatre's training studio, graduating in 1957. In 1956, she began using the surname Pajusoo after her marriage to Jüri Pajusoo.

Stage career

Ester Pajusoo began an engagement at the Estonian Drama Theatre in 1958, the year following her graduation. Pajusoo has been with the theatre ever since. She made her stage debut at the theatre in

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's '' Mr Puntila and his Man Matti'' in 1958. During her years at the theatre, she has performed in a number of stage productions by such international playwrights and authors as:

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

, Evgeny Schwartz, Hjalmar Söderberg,

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 ...

, Yukio Mishima, Arthur Miller and

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

, among others. Notable performances in works by Estonian playwrights and authors include those of:

Oskar Luts Oskar Luts ( – 23 March 1953) was an Estonian writer and playwright. Biography Oskar Luts was born into a middle-class family in Järvepera, central Estonia, at that time in the governorate of Livonia (Russian Empire). His younger brother was ...

, Mats Traat,

Andrus Kivirähk Andrus Kivirähk (born 17 August 1970) is an Estonian writer, a playwright, topical satirist, and screenwriter. As of 2004, 25,000 copies of his novel ''Rehepapp ehk November'' (''Old Barny or November'') had been sold, making him the most popul ...

, Jaan Kross and

A. H. Tammsaare Anton Hansen (18 (O.S.)/30 January 1878 – 1 March 1940), better known by his pseudonym A. H. Tammsaare and its variants, was an Estonian writer whose pentalogy '' Truth and Justice'' (''Tõde ja õigus''; 1926–1933) is considered one of ...

Film and television

Pajusoo made her film debut as the character Sirje in the 1960

Virve Aruoja Virve Aruoja (since 1978 Virve Aruoja-Hellström; 19 February 1922 Saduküla – 15 September 2013) was an Estonian television and film director and former actress. Aruoja graduated from the University of Tartu's Tartu Teachers' Seminary in 1941 ...

directed Estonian drama television film ''Näitleja Joller''. This was followed by a small, uncredited role in the 1972

Sulev Nõmmik Sulev Nõmmik (11 January 1931, in Tallinn – 28 July 1992, in Kuressaare) was an Estonian theatre and movie director, actor, humorist and comedian. He's mostly associated with the comical character of Kärna Ärni and the related fictional villa ...

directed television film comedy ''

Noor pensionär ''A Young Retiree'' ( et, Noor pensionär) is a 1972 Estonian comedy film directed by Sulev Nõmmik and written by himself and Enn Vetemaa. Together with ''Viimne reliikvia'', ''Siin me oleme!'' and ''Mehed ei nuta'', ''Noor pensionär'' is one o ...

''. In 1981, she made her screen debut in the

Arvo Kruusement Arvo Kruusement (born 20 April 1928) is an Estonian actor, theatre and film director who has made some of Estonia's classic novels into films; ''Spring'' (1969), ''Summer'' (1976), and ''Fall'' (1990) The movie ''Spring'' has been noted as the be ...

directed drama ''Karge meri''; an adaptation of the 1938

August Gailit August Gailit (9 January 1891 – 5 November 1960) was an Estonian writer.Endel Nirk, Arthur Robert Hone, Oleg Mutt, ''Estonian Literature: Historical Survey with Biobibliographical Appendix'', Published by Perioodika, 1987, p177 Life Georg ...

novel of the same name. She would not appear in another film until 2006; in the

Roman Baskin Roman Baskin (25 December 1954 – 13 September 2018) was an Estonian actor and director of stage and screen. His parents were Eino Baskin and Ita Ever. Baskin's credits as an actor included ''Lotte from Gadgetville'' (2006), '' 186 Kilometres'' ( ...

directed comedy ''

Vana daami visiit ''Vana daami visiit'' (English: ''The Visit of the Old Lady'') is a 2006 Estonian film directed by Roman Baskin and based on the 1956 play '' The Visit'' by Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was ...

''. Her appearance in ''Vana daami visiit'' would revive her film career and between 2006 and 2016, she would appear in eight films; including the title role of ''Astrid'' in the 2016 Sander Koit directed drama short. Among her more memorable roles in television was that of the recurring character Reet from 2008 until 2013 in the historical 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 aired on Eesti Televisioon. She has also made appearances on Estonian television series including ''Ohtlik lend'', '' Kättemaksukontor'' and ''IT-planeet''.

Personal life

Ester Pajusoo was married to Jüri Pajusoo from 1956 until his death in 2006. She currently resides in Tallinn.

Acknowledgements

* Väike Ants, Estonian Drama Theatre Prize, Supporting Actress (Imbi Rehepapp; ''Rehepapp ja näärisokk'' and Vihukse perenaine; ''Tagasi Vargamäel'') (2001) *

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star ( et, Valgetähe teenetemärk; french: Ordre de l'Etoile Blanche) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic ...

, IV Class (2004)Eesti Draamateater
Retrieved 30 November 2016.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pajusoo, Ester 1934 births Living people Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian television actresses Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 4th Class 20th-century Estonian actresses 21st-century Estonian actresses People from Kose Parish