Uuno Turhapuro is a Finnish comedy character created by

Spede Pasanen Pertti Olavi "Spede" Pasanen (10 April 1930 – 7 September 2001) was a Finnish film director and producer, comedian, and inventor. During his career he directed, wrote, produced or acted in about 50 movies and participated in numerous TV p ...

and played by

Vesa-Matti Loiri Vesa-Matti "Vesku" Loiri (4 January 1945 – 10 August 2022) was a Finnish actor, musician and comedian, best known for his role as Uuno Turhapuro, whom he portrayed in a total of 20 movies between the years 1973 and 2004. According to Yle Ne ...

. Originally appeared in ''Spede Show'' during 1971–1973, the character gained popularity through the Uuno Turhapuro films.

Dramatis personae

Uuno Daavid Goljat Turhapuro is a ragged man, characterised by his tattered string vest, sparse row of teeth and untidy face, perhaps depicting a Finnish stereotype of a loser. His wife Elisabeth Turhapuro (played by Marjatta Raita) is the daughter of rich industrialist Councillor Tuura (

Tapio Hämäläinen Eemil Tapio "Tapsa" Hämäläinen (18 June 1922, in Uukuniemi – 28 January 2008, in Helsinki) was a Finnish actor and theater counsellor. Career Hämäläinen's best known roles were as Salo in '' The Unknown Soldier'' (''The Unknown Soldier'') ...

). In the beginning of the first film, in the couple's wedding, Uuno is tidy and cleanly, but gets ragged and lazy immediately after marrying a rich woman. Uuno's main pastime is lying on the couch, overeating, and acquiring his father-in-law's money. His biggest virtue is his gift of gab that he uses in settling marital problems, cadging free hot dogs from the stand and seducing other women. The conventional plot of the films is based on the tension between Uuno and his father-in-law: the mining executive Councillor Tuura, disgusted by his dirty son-in-law, faces constant misfortune on his career, when Uuno pops up in the wrong places. When Tuura, just appointed as defence minister, orders Uuno into the army ('' Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä''), he attains the rank of major in a couple of days. When Tuura takes part in the presidential election ('' Uuno Turhapuro – herra Helsingin herra''), Uuno becomes President of Finland by accident. Uuno's regular helpers are his auto mechanic friends Härski-Hartikainen (

) and Sörsselssön (

Simo Salminen Simo Veli Atte Salminen (8 November 1932 – 2 September 2015) was a Finnish comic-actor best known for his many performances in movies and television shows by Spede Pasanen, usually playing his sidekick in some fashion. Salminen alongside Vesa- ...

), who help Uuno mainly because he has promised them a small share of Tuura's possible heritage. The films also contain numerous

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

s by Finnish politicians and celebrities, often as themselves. A total of twenty Uuno Turhapuro films were made between 1973–2004. Originally there were plans for only one film, but due to its success, the film got 19 sequels. The two latest Uuno films are directed, produced and written by

Ere Kokkonen Erkki Olavi "Ere" Kokkonen (7 July 1938 – 16 October 2008), born in Savonlinna, was a Finnish film director and screenwriter. He worked closely with Spede Pasanen all the way from the 1960s until Spede's death, as a director, writer and also ...

. The most popular Uuno film is ''Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä'' (1984), seen by more than 700,000 people in the theatres – an impressive figure in a country of 4.9 million inhabitants. It remains Finland's most seen domestic film made since 1968.The Finnish Film Foundation, Top 10 Films of All Time in Finland
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Uuno Turhapuro films

* ''

Uuno Turhapuro Uuno Turhapuro is a Finnish comedy character created by Spede Pasanen and played by Vesa-Matti Loiri. Originally appeared in ''Spede Show'' during 1971–1973, the character gained popularity through the Uuno Turhapuro films. Dramatis personae ...

'' (1973) * '' Professori Uuno D.G. Turhapuro'' (1975) * '' Lottovoittaja UKK Turhapuro'' (1976) * '' Häpy Endkö? Eli kuinka Uuno Turhapuro sai niin kauniin ja rikkaan vaimon'' (1977) * '' Rautakauppias Uuno Turhapuro – presidentin vävy'' (1978) * '' Uuno Turhapuron aviokriisi'' (1981) * '' Uuno Turhapuro menettää muistinsa'' (1982) * ''

Uuno Turhapuron muisti palailee pätkittäin Uuno is a Finnish and Estonian male given name, and may refer to: *Uuno Kailas Uuno Kailas, born Frans Uno Salonen (29 March 1901 – 22 March 1933) was a Finnish poet, writer, and translator. Together with Kaarlo Sarkia, Kailas was the most ...

'' (1983) * '' Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä'' (1984) * '' Uuno Epsanjassa'' (1985) * '' Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle'' (1986) * '' Uuno Turhapuro – kaksoisagentti'' (1987) * '' Tupla-Uuno'' (1988) * '' Uunon huikeat poikamiesvuodet maaseudulla'' (1990) * '' Uuno Turhapuro – herra Helsingin herra'' (1991) * ''

Uuno Turhapuro – Suomen tasavallan herra presidentti ''Uuno Turhapuro – Suomen tasavallan herra presidentti'' is a 1992 Finnish comedy film written and directed by Ere Kokkonen. It is the sixteenth film in the Uuno Turhapuro series. Its name translates to "Uuno Turhapuro – the Mister President ...

'' (1992) * ''

Uuno Turhapuron poika Uuno is a Finnish and Estonian male given name, and may refer to: *Uuno Kailas (1901–1933), Finnish poet, author, and translator *Uuno Klami (1900–1961), Finnish composer *Uuno Laakso (1896–1956), Finnish actor *Uuno Montonen (1891–1973), ...

'' (1994) * '' Johtaja Uuno Turhapuro – pisnismies'' (1998) * ''

Uuno Turhapuro – This Is My Life ''Uuno Turhapuro – This Is My Life'' is a 2004 Finnish comedy film, made as a tribute to Spede Pasanen. It is the twentieth and last installment in the Uuno Turhapuro film series. Plot Uuno disguises as an old man and infiltrates a nursing ...

'' (2004) (A tribute film to

, who died in 2001)

Other film appearances

* ''Koeputkiaikuinen ja Simon enkelit'' (1979) * ''Tup-akka-lakko'' (1980) * ''Vääpeli Körmy ja vetenalaiset vehkeet'' (1991)

TV series

* ''Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä'' (1986) (The film as a seven-part, extended TV series) * ''Uuno Turhapuro (television series)'' (1996) * ''Johtaja Uuno Turhapuro – pisnismies'' (1999) (The film as a five-part, extended TV series) * ''Uuno Turhapuro – This is my Life'' (2006) (The film as a five-part, extended TV series)

Unofficial films

* ''Uuno Turhapuron veli'' (1994) **Uuno Turhapuro is not seen in this film ("Uuno Turhapuro's Brother"). Spede was having a falling-out with Loiri, and so Loiri wouldn't act in it. Later Spede considered the film a mistake, and has commented it by saying "forget the whole film".

Other related products

* '' Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle'' (1986) (a game for the Commodore 64 home computer, based on the movie with the same name)

References

External links

Official homepage
(in Finnish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Turhapuro, Uuno Finnish comedy Comedy television characters Comedy film characters Male characters in television Male characters in film Television characters introduced in 1973 Film characters introduced in 1973 Fictional Finnish people Spede Pasanen