Kari Väänänen
Kari Kyösti Väänänen (born 17 September 1953 in Ivalo) is a Finnish actor and director. Domestically he is a member of the Ryhmäteatteri group of actors. He was introduced to international audiences by Aki Kaurismäki, and belongs to the list of his "trusted" stable of actors.
Also recorded as Kari Kyösti Väänänen · Kari Vaananen
Kari Väänänen
- Name
- Kari Väänänen
- Birth Name
- Kari Kyösti Väänänen
- Born
- 17 September 1953
- Birthplace
- Ivalo, Finland
- Occupation
- * Actor
- Full name
- Kari Kyösti Väänänen.
- Nationality
- Finland.
- Languages
- Finnish.
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Documentary summary
Kari Kyösti Väänänen (born 17 September 1953 in Ivalo) is a Finnish actor and director. Domestically he is a member of the Ryhmäteatteri group of actors. He was introduced to international audiences by Aki Kaurismäki, and belongs to the list of his "trusted" stable of actors.
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identity unresolved · checked 25 September 2026
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- Independent source families
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Authority files
wikidata · Q6227752 · wikipedia · Kari Väänänen
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
Väänänen has acted in more than 60 movies. He has received two Jussi awards, for best male actor in Jon (1983) and for best supporting male actor in Trench Road (2004). His performance as the monster Gollum in Yle's 1993 television series Hobitit was praised in Helsingin Sanomat. In 1992–1998 Väänänen was a professor at the Helsinki Theatre Academy.
• Name — Kari Väänänen • Birth Name — Kari Kyösti Väänänen • Born — 17 September 1953 • Birthplace — Ivalo, Finland • Occupation — * Actor • director • writer • Years Active — 1978—present Kari Kyösti Väänänen (born 17 September 1953 in Ivalo) is a Finnish actor and director. Domestically he is a member of the Ryhmäteatteri group of actors. He was introduced to international audiences by Aki Kaurismäki, and belongs to the list of his "trusted" stable of actors. Väänänen has acted in more than 60 movies. He has received two Jussi awards, for best male actor in Jon (1983) and for best supporting male actor in Trench Road (2004). His performance as the monster Gollum in Yle's 1993 television series Hobitit was praised in Helsingin Sanomat. In 1992–1998 Väänänen was a professor at the Helsinki Theatre Academy.
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• As actor • Jon (1983) • The Clan – Tale of the Frogs (1984) • Calamari Union (1985) • Rosso (1985) • Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987) • Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) • Amazon (1990) • Night on Earth (1991) • La Vie de Bohème (1992) • The Last Border (1993) • Hobitit (1993) • Ripa Hits the Skids (1993) • Drifting Clouds (1996) • Trains'n'Roses (1998) • The Tough Ones (1999) • Ambush (1999) • Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood (10 episodes, 2000–2005) • Bad Luck Love (2000) • Trench Road (2004) • Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning (2005) • V2: Dead Angel (V2 – Jäätynyt enkeli, 2007) • Joulutarina (2007) • The House of Branching Love (Haarautuvan rakkauden talo, 2009) • Master Cheng (Mestari Cheng, 2019) • The Missile (Ohjus) - 2024 • As director • The Quiet Village (Vaiennut kylä, 1997) • The Classic (Klassikko, 2001) • Backwood Philosopher (Havukka-ahon ajattelija, 2009)
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Kemijärvi.
Residences
Ivalo.
Birth place
Citations
References
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reference work
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Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 21 August 2026.
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