Karin Tammaru (born 27 January 1971) 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, television and film actress.

Early life and education

Karin Tammaru was born in

Paide Paide is a town in Estonia and the capital of Järva County, one of the 15 counties of Estonia. Etymology Paide's German name ''Weißenstein'' (originally ''Wittenstein'' or ''Wittensten'' in Low German) means "white stone". This name was de ...

, in

Järva County Järva County ( et, Järva maakond or ''Järvamaa''; german: Jerwen; la, Jervia) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in the central part of the country and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Jõgeva County to the south-east, ...

to Leonhard-Heinrich Tammaru and Linda Tammaru (''née'' Dröner). She has one sister. She studied at Tallinn 7th School between 1976 and 1986. Afterward, she attended secondary school at the Jakob Westholm Gymnasium, studying music, from 1986, until graduating in 1989. After graduating from secondary school, she studied at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute (now,

Tallinn University Tallinn University (TLU; et, Tallinna Ülikool, ''TLÜ'') is a public research university in Estonia. Located in the centre of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn University is one of the three largest institutions of higher education ...

) from 1990 until 1992 before continuing her studies at EMA Higher Drama School (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, graduating in 1996. Among her graduating classmates were

Taavi Eelmaa Taavi Eelmaa (born 15 June 1971) is an Estonian stage and film actor. Biography Career Born and raised in Tallinn, he is the son of actor Aleksander Eelmaa and Reet Eelmaa. Taavi Eelmaa began studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, ...

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" (telev ...

, René Reinumägi, Indrek Saar, Tarvo Sõmer, and

Ardo Ran Varres Ardo Ran Varres (born 19 March 1974 in Tallinn) is an Estonian composer and actor. Career Ardo Ran Varres studied at the Tallinn Music High School from 1981–1992, graduated in clarinet performance, and at the Higher Theatre School of Estonian ...

Stage career

In 1996, shortly after her graduation from EMA Higher Drama School, Tammaru began an engagement as an actress at the

Rakvere Theatre Rakvere Theatre is a professional theatre in Rakvere, Estonia. History Rakvere Theatre was established in the fall of 1921, when ''Rakvere Näitlejate Ring'' was formed. The building of the Rakvere Theatre was opened with a public ceremony on 2 ...

. She would remain at the Rakvere Theatre for two years, leaving in 1998 to join the

Vanemuine Vanemuine () is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It was the first Estonian language theatre. History ''1870–1906 The Beginning of the Beginning. Koidula’s Theatre, Wiera’s Theatre.'' On June 24, 1870 was the first day in Estonian theatre ...

theatre in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

. This would be Tammaru's longest engagement; lasting eight years before leaving in 2006. Following her departure from the Vanemuine, she joined the

Endla Theatre Endla ( et, Endla teater) is a professional theatre in city of Pärnu, Estonia. The theatre was opened in 1911. The first performance was "Libahunt" ("Werewolf") by Estonian writer August Kitzberg. The Estonian Declaration of Independence was p ...

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 ...

, where she is currently engaged. Some of her most notable performances at the Endla Theatre include roles in such works by authors and playwrights as:

Kaite O'Reilly Kaite O'Reilly FRSL is UK-based playwright, author and dramaturge of Irish descent. She has won multiple awards for her work, including the Ted Hughes Award (2011) for her version of Aeschylus's tragedy ''The Persians.'' O'Reilly's plays have bee ...

, Urmas Vadi,

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 ...

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...

William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ...

Donald Bisset Donald Bisset (30 August 1910 – 10 August 1995), was an English actor. He also wrote stories for children which he mostly illustrated himself. They have been translated into 16 languages. Selected filmography * ''Murder in the Cathedral'' ...

, Ervin Õunapuu,

Wajdi Mouawad Wajdi Mouawad, OC, (born 1968) is a Lebanese-Canadian writer, actor, and director. He is known in Canadian and French theatre for politically engaged works such as the acclaimed play ''Incendies'' (2003). His works often revolve around family t ...

, Bengt Ahlfors, Sacha Lichy,

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 ...

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

, Joanna Owsianko, Tiit Palu, and

Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...

, among others.

Television and film

Tammaru's first film role was as a voice actress and narrator for the 1996 Priit Tender directed short animated Estonian film ''Gravitatsioon'' for Eesti Joonisfilm. This was followed by the role of Milvi in the 2009 Andrus Tuisk directed dramatic feature film ''Pangarööv'' for Filmivabrik. In 2011, she appeared as Director Jaaksoo in the

Katrin Laur Katrin Laur (née Poola, born in 1955, in Tartu, Estonia) is an author, film director, and professor who currently lives in Estonia and Germany. In 1973 in Soviet-occupied Tallinn she graduated from a school that gave an excellent command of Eng ...

directed Estinfilm drama ''Surnuaiavahi tütar'', about the disintegration of a rural family. In 2014, she had a small role as a mother in the film short ''Lõunavalgus'', directed by Kairit Krass. This was followed by the role of Gert's mother in the 2022 period-drama ''Kalev'', directed by Ove Musting. Apart from films, Karin Tammaru has also appeared in a number of television productions. In 2006, she made an appearance on the

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 Televisi ...

(ETV) crime drama series ''Ohtlik lend''. The same year, she played the role of Natasha in the Tapio Piirainen directed

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 ...

feature-length television crime-drama film ''Bodomin legenda'' for

Yleisradio Yleisradio Oy (Finnish, literally "General Radio Ltd." or "General Broadcast Ltd."; abbr. Yle ; sv, Rundradion Ab, italics=no), translated to English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founde ...

(YLE). Other television appearances include the role of Maia on two episodes of the

Kanal 2 Kanal 2 is a privately owned Estonian television channel. Its literal name in English is "Channel 2". The channel was established by Ilmar Taska. The channel began broadcasting on 1 October 1993. History The channel started broadcasting on O ...

crime-drama series ''Kelgukoerad'' in 2010; as a teacher on the ETV political satire series ''Riigimehed'' in 2013; a 2014 role on the Kanal 2 crime-drama series ''Viimane võmm''; and several characters on the popular

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso *Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala *Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by EPTV ...

comedy-crime series ''Kättemaksukontor'' between 2009 and 2015.

Personal life

Karin Tammaru is in a long-term relationship with actor

Indrek Taalmaa Indrek Taalmaa (born 9 July 1967) is an Estonian stage, television, voice, film actor, and theatre director whose career began in the early 1990s. Early life and education Indrek Taalmaa was born and raised in the town of Viljandi. He graduated ...

. The couple have two sons and reside in Tallinn.Őhtuleht
''Paar: Karin Tammaru ja Indrek Taalmaa'' 28 April 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tammaru, Karin 1971 births Living people Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian television actresses People from Paide Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni 20th-century Estonian actresses 21st-century Estonian actresses