Matti Pellonpää (28 March 1951 – 13 July 1995) was a Finnish actor and a musician. He rose to international fame with his roles in both
Aki Kaurismäki
Aki Olavi Kaurismäki (; born 4 April 1957) is a Finnish film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the award-winning '' Drifting Clouds'' (1996), '' The Man Without a Past'' (2002), ''Le Havre'' (2011), '' The Other Side of Hope'' (201 ...
's and
Mika Kaurismäki
Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director.
Early life and education
Mika Kaurismäki was born in Orimattila. He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki.
After high school, Kaurismäki worked as a painter of ...
's films; particularly being a regular in Aki's films, appearing in 18 of them.
Career
He was born in
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
and started his career in 1962 as a radio actor at the Finnish state-owned broadcasting company
YLE
Yleisradio Oy (; ), abbreviated as Yle () (formerly styled in all uppercase until 2012), translated into English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founded in 1926. It is a joint-stock comp ...
. He performed as an actor during the 1970s in many amateur theatres, at the same time that he studied at the Finnish Theatre Academy, where he completed his studies in the year 1977.
He was nominated Best Actor by European Film Academy for his role as Rodolfo in ''La Vie de Boheme'' and won the Felix at the European Film Awards in 1992. He also starred in
Jim Jarmusch
James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician.
He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...
's 1991 film '' Night on Earth''.
His private life melded seamlessly with his acting work. He was considered a natural bohemian, and a genuine everyman without ego. He frequently used his own life as a basis for his acting, eschewing wardrobe provided, acting in his own clothes. He had a tattoo of
Snoopy
Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of ...
on his left bicep.
Pellonpää was the frontman for the band ''Peltsix'' (1989–1995). Peltsix gained cult following with its tragic, and at the same time, comic songs. Peltsix's songs were composed by Pale Saarinen, Kari Makkonen and Jukka Haikonen.
Matti Pellonpää died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
in
Vaasa
Vaasa (; , ), formerly (1855-1917) known as Nikolaistad (; ),Malmi Cemetery.
In 1996, Pellonpää was one of the people commemorating 100 years of Finnish Cinema on a stamp.
A Finnish documentary film ''Boheemi elää/Bohemian Eyes'' on Pellonpää's life was made in 2011 (directed by Janne Kuusi).
Mika Kaurismäki
Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director.
Early life and education
Mika Kaurismäki was born in Orimattila. He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki.
After high school, Kaurismäki worked as a painter of ...
* '' Sign of the Beast'' (1981), director Jaakko Pakkasvirta
* ''Jackpot2'' (1982), director Mika Kaurismäki
* '' The Worthless'' (1982), director Mika Kaurismäki
* ''Regina ja miehet'' (1983), director Anssi Mänttäri
* ''Huhtikuu on kuukausista julmin'' (1983), director Anssi Mänttäri
* ''
Crime and Punishment
''Crime and Punishment'' is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal '' The Russian Messenger'' in twelve monthly installments during 1866.
'' (1983), director Aki Kaurismäki
* '' The Clan – Tale of the Frogs'' (1984), director Mika Kaurismäki
* ''Kello'' (1984), director Anssi Mänttäri
* ''Aikalainen'' (1984), director Timo Linnasalo
* ''Rakkauselokuva'' (1984), director Anssi Mänttäri
* ''Viimeiset rotannahat'' (1985), director Anssi Mänttäri
* '' Calamari Union'' (1985), director Aki Kaurismäki
* ''Ylösnousemus'' (1985), director Anssi Mänttäri
* '' Shadows in Paradise'' (1986), director Aki Kaurismäki
* '' Rocky VI'' (1986), director Aki Kaurismäki
* ''Kuningas lähtee Ranskaan'' (1986), director Anssi Mänttäri
* ''Näkemiin, hyvästi'' (1986), director Anssi Mänttäri
* '' Hamlet Goes Business'' (1987), director Aki Kaurismäki
* '' Ariel'' (1988), director Aki Kaurismäki
* ''Cha cha cha'' (1989), director Mika Kaurismäki
* '' Leningrad Cowboys Go America'' (1989), director Aki Kaurismäki
* ''Kiljusen herrasväen uudet seikkailut'' (1990), director Matti Kuortti
* ''Räpsy ja Dolly'' (1990), director Matti Ijäs
* '' Zombie and the Ghost Train'' (1991), director Mika Kaurismäki
* '' Night on Earth'' (1991), director
Jim Jarmusch
James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician.
He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...
* ''Kadunlakaisijat'' (1991), director Olli Soinio
* '' La Vie de Bohème'' (1992), director Aki Kaurismäki
* ''Missä on Musette?'' (1992), director Veikko Nieminen
* ''Papukaijamies'' (1992), director Veikko Nieminen
* ''Det var väl själva fan också'' (1993), director Peter Östlund
* '' The Last Border'' (1993), director Mika Kaurismäki
* '' Hobitit'' (1993), director Timo Torikka
* '' Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses'' (1993), director Aki Kaurismäki
* '' Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana'' (1993), director Aki Kaurismäki
* ''Iron Horsemen'' (1995), director Gilles Charmant
* ''Sirpaleita'' (1996), director Aku Louhimies