Ville Haapasalo

• Name — Ville Haapasalo • Birth Name — Ville Juhana Haapasalo • Born — 28 February 1972 • Birthplace — Hollola, Finland • Occupation — Actor, television • Years Active — 1995–present • Children — 3 • Awards — (2003)

Haapasalo was educated in St. Petersburg at the Academy of Performing Arts of the Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy. He knew no Russian when he began studying. He studied there from 1991 to 1995. It was a difficult period in the 1990s Russia; he was mugged nine times in 1992, tried to commit suicide three times, and because of his financial problems he worked as a driver for the mafia.

Haapasalo's career got a huge lift immediately after his graduation for his appearance in 1995 in a Russian comedy Peculiarities of the National Hunt. But this sudden fame turned out to be stressful for him and he temporarily returned to Finland to work as a truck driver. In 2002, he won the Best Actor award at the 24th Moscow International Film Festival, for his role in the Russian-made film The Cuckoo. Although his fame comes mostly from film, he also writes for the screen, acts in theaters, and does TV cinema. He also appeared in Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications' 1998 campaign National Features of Driving instructing Russians on Finnish road rules. He is more widely recognized in Russia than in his country of origin Finland. He has hosted and starred in a number of travel shows on Finnish and Russian TV. He appeared in the first season of ice show contest Ice Age. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Haapasalo strongly condemned the war, effectively ending his multi-decade acting and media career in Russia. He also shut down his Soviet-themed restaurant in Helsinki. Haapasalo was labelled a traitor by Russian government-aligned media.

Haapasalo was born in Hollola, Finland. He speaks four languages fluently: Finnish, Russian, Swedish, and English. His hobbies include playing trombone, ice-hockey, skiing, and skating. In 2016, Haapasalo opened a Georgian restaurant called Purpur in Helsinki.

Haapasalo married Saara Hedlund in 1995. They divorced in 2026. Haapasalo and Hedlund have two children. Haapasalo also has a son (born 2009) with Russian director Tina Barkalaya, who is of Georgian descent. In 2026, Haapasalo moved to Georgia and married Barkalaya.

• Year — Title of film / TV series — Title in English — Title in other languages — Role • 1995 — Особенности национальной охоты — Peculiarities of the National Hunt — Особенности национальной охоты (Russian) Metsästyksen kansallisia erikoisuuksia (Finnish) — Raivo • 1996 — Операция С новым годом (ТВ) — Operation Happy New Year (TV) — Russian — second Killer • 1998 — Elämän suola (TV-Episode: "Yksi lensi yli käenpesän") — Salt of life (TV series) — Finnish — Timppa • 1998 — Особенности национальной рыбалки — Peculiarities of the National Fishing — Особенности национальной рыбалки (Russian) Kalastuksen kansallisia erikoisuuksia (Finnish) — Raivo • 1998 — Samaa Sukua, eri Maata (TV) — The same family, different country (TV series) — Finnish — Jari Jokinen • 1999 — Lapin kullan kimallus — Lapin kullan kimallus — The glitter of Lappish gold (Finnish) — Frans Björklund • 2000 — Pakkaus (short) — The packaging — Finnish Packningen (Swedish) — Jaakko • 2000 - 2005 — Убойная сила (сериал) Uboynaya Sila (TV series) — Destructive force (TV series) — Russian — episode Kredit Doveriya • 2001 — Maamiehen Päiväkirja (short) — Maamiehen diary — Finnish — Maamies • 2002 — One Christmas morning (short film) — One Christmas Morning — Sweden Одно рождественское утро (Russian) • 2002 — Minä en ole kone (short film) — I'm not a machine — Finnish • 2002 — Кукушка Kukushka — The Cuckoo — Russian Käki (Finnish) — Veikko • 2003 — Pietarin Myytti — Saint Petersburg myth (Mini-series) — Finnish — Various • 2003 — Perjantai — Wednesday (TV) — Finnish • 2003 — Letters from Karelia — Letters From Karelia — Canadian — Aate Pitkänen • 2003 — Кукушкино гнездо (ТВ) Kukushkino gnezdo — Cuckoo's Nest (TV) — Russian Käen pesä/Käk - tähden synty (Finnish) • 2003 — Vieraalla maalla — in a strange land — Finnish — Tuomas Linna/Omar Ghaala • 2004 — Диверсант (мини-сериал) Diversant — The Saboteur (TV Miniseries) — Russian — Wilhelm • 2004 — Королева бензоколонки 2 (ТВ) Koroleva benzokolonki 2 — Queen of the petrol station 2 (TV) — Russian Королева бензоколонки 2 (Ukrainian) — Ruslan • 2005 — Yövuoro — Night Shift (TV series) — Finnish — Turvapäällikkö Jari Viirilä • 2005 — Tahdon Asia (TV-episode #1.6) — Matters of the Will (TV series) — Finnish — (voice) • 2005 — Гибель империи (сериал) Gibel Imperii — The Fall of the Empire (TV mini-series) — Russian — Tarvilainen • 2005 — КГБ в смокинге (сериал) KGB v smokinge — The KGB in a Tuxedo (TV series) — Russian — Eugene • 2005 — Domoi - Kotiinpaluu — Domoi - Homecoming — Finnish Домой (Russian) — The Warrior • 2006 — Priroda i zdorovie "Luonto ja terveys" (TV) — Nature and Health (TV) — Finnish Природа и здоровье (Russian) — Kostya • 2006 — Suden Arvoitus — Mystery of the Wolf — Finnish Vargens Hemlighet (Swedish) — Paulus Morgam • 2007 — Дочь генерала – Татьяна (мини-сериал) Doch generala — Daughter of General - Tatiana (Mini-series) — Russian • 2007 — Чужие тайны (сериал) Chuzhie tayny — Other people's secrets (TV series) — Russian — Jeff • 2007 — Ирония Судьбы: Продолжение Ironiya sud’by. Prodolzheniye — The Irony of Fate 2 — Russian Kohtalon ironiaa – jatkoa (Finnish) Số phận trớ trêu. Phần tiếp theo (Vietnamese) — Drunken Finn • 2008 — Lemmenleikit — Make love to (TV Series) — Finnish — Samuli Harjanne • 2008 — Luola (short film) — Cave — Finnish — Ilari's father • 2009 — Весельчаки Veselchaki — Jolly Fellows — Russian Joyeux compères (French) — Roza • 2009 — Любовь в большом городе Ljubov v bolšom gorode — Love in the Big City — Russian Кохання у великому місті (Ukrainian) — Olli (Sauna) • 2009 — Царь — Tsar — Russian — Andrey Staden • 2010 — Venäjän halki 30 päivässä (Documentary) — Across Russia in 30 Days — Himself • 2010 — Любовь в большом городе 2 Ljubov v bolšom gorode 2 — Love in the Big City 2 — Russian Кохання у великому місті 2 (Ukrainian) — Olli (Sauna) • 2011 — Tunarit (Short) — The Duffers — Finnish • 2011 — Sapuskaa - harashoo! (TV Series) — Himself • 2011 — Alamaailma-trilogia — Underworld Trilogy — Finnish — Artur Deminoff • 2011 — Беременный Beremennyy — The Pregnant — Russian — Rezhisser • 2012 — Самоубийцы Samoubiytsy — Suicides — Russian — Finn • 2012 — Silkkitie 30 päivässä (Documentary) — 30 Days on the Silk Road — Finnish — Himself • 2012 — Golfa straume zem ledus kalna — Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg — Latvian Гольфстрим под айсбергом (Russian) — Theophilius • 2013 — Rölli ja kultainen avain — Rolli, and the secret of all time — Finnish Ролли и золотой ключик (Russian) • 2013 — Три мушкетера — The Three Musketeers — Russian — Farmer • 2013 — Suomensukuiset 30 päivässä (Documentary) — Russian Tribes in 30 Days — Finnish — Himself • 2014 — Любовь в большом городе 3 Ljubov v bolšom gorode 3 — Love in the Big City 3 — Russian Кохання у великому місті 3 (Ukrainian) Каханне ў вялікім горадзе 3 (Belarusian) — Olli (Sauna) • 2014 — Папа напрокат (мини-сериал) — Dad for hire (Mini-series) — Russian — Philip • 2014 — Jäämeri 30 päivässä (Documentary) — Arctic Ocean in 30 Days — Finnish — Himself • 2015 — Kaukasia 30 päivässä (Documentary) — Caucasia in 30 Days — Finnish — Himself • 2016 — Volga 30 päivässä (Documentary) — Volga in 30 Days — Finnish — Himself • 2016 — Tappajan näköinen mies — The man who looks like a killer — Finnish — Aleksei Kornostajev • 2016 — Rölli ja kaikkien aikojen salaisuus — Rolli, and the secret of all time — Finnish — Seppä • 2017 — Altai 30 päivässä (Documentary) — Altai in 30 Days — Finnish — Himself • 2018 — Haapasalon Suomi (Documentary) — Haapasalo's Finland — Finnish — Himself • 2018 — Hölmö nuori sydän — Stupid Young Heart — Finnish — Janne • 2019– — Muumilaakso — Moominvalley — Finnish — Moominpappa