Matti Pellonpää
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's and Mika Kaurismäki's films; particularly being a regular in Aki's films, appearing in 18 of them.
Also recorded as Matti Pellonpaa · Matti Kalervo Pellonpää
Matti Pellonpää

Kai Honkanen · http: Image record page in Finna: musketti.M012%3AHK7590%3A202.6 · CC BY 4.0
- Name
- Matti Pellonpää
- Born
- 28 March 1951
- Birthplace
- Helsinki, Finland
- Died
- 13 July 1995
- Place of death
- Vaasa, Finland
- Occupation
- * Actor
- Full name
- Matti Kalervo Pellonpää.
- Nationality
- Finland.
- Education
- Theatre Academy Helsinki.
- Honours
- Jussi Award for Best Leading Actor and European Film Award for Best Actor.
- Languages
- Finnish.
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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's and Mika Kaurismäki's films; particularly being a regular in Aki's films, appearing in 18 of them.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q1351575 · wikipedia · Matti Pellonpää
In this article
Biography
Biography
Pellonpää worked between 1951 and 1995 across actor, singer and film actor. This article rests on 1 catalogued composition, 7 published texts and 2 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Matti Pellonpää • Born — 28 March 1951 • Birthplace — Helsinki, Finland • Died — 13 July 1995 • Place of death — Vaasa, Finland • Occupation — * Actor • voice actor • writer • Years Active — 1962–1995
Career
Career
He was born in Helsinki and started his career in 1962 as a radio actor at the Finnish state-owned broadcasting company YLE. 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'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 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 in Vaasa on 13 July 1995 at the age of 44. He was buried in the 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).
Filmography
Filmography
• Pojat (1962), director Mikko Niskanen • Akseli and Elina (1970), director Edvin Laine • Kesän maku (1975), director Asko Tolonen • Antti the Treebranch (1976), director Katariina Lahti, Heikki Partanen, Riitta Rautoma • Viimeinen savotta (1977), director Edvin Laine • Ruskan jälkeen (1979), director Edvin Laine • The Liar (1981), director Mika Kaurismäki • 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 (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 • 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
Albums
Albums
• Peltsix / Lihaa Ja Leikkeleitä (Megamania Music, 1991) • Peltsix / Silkkaa Kryptoniittia (Flamingo Music, 1993)
Identity
Identity
Matti Pellonpää is recorded with the occupation film actor. Recorded as a citizen of Finland. Established in Library of Congress under no2001057648. Established in Discogs under 1685810. Pellonpää received Jussi Award for Best Leading Actor in 1991. Pellonpää received European Film Award for Best Actor in 1992. Identity and origins. Recorded at birth as Matti Kalervo Pellonpää. The authorities additionally record the headings Matti Pellonpaa and Matti Kalervo Pellonpää. His recorded language was Finnish.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1951–1995
The full dated record · 7 entries
1951
Matti Pellonpää was born on 28 March 1951.
1991
Receives Jussi Award for Best Leading Actor.
1991
Matti Pellonpää received Jussi Award for Best Leading Actor in 1991.
1992
Receives European Film Award for Best Actor.
1992
Matti Pellonpää received European Film Award for Best Actor in 1992.
1995
Dies at Vaasa.
1995
Matti Pellonpää died on 13 July 1995.
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.
Helsinki.
Birth place
Vaasa.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
reference work
- “Matti Pellonpää”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
institutional register
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1351575: Matti Pellonpää
General reference · Wikimedia Foundation
Literature
• Lähikuvassa Matti Pellonpää (Lauri Timonen, Otava 2009)
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Wikidata, structured authority record Q1351575: Matti PellonpääWikimedia Foundation
General reference
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 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Matti GeschonneckPerson
- Matti IjäsPerson
- Matti KassilaPerson
- Matti OravistoPerson
- Matti RaninPerson
- Matti WuoriPerson
- Mattias InwoodPerson
- Mattie DoPerson
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