Finnish Hollywood

Finnish Hollywood

Finnish artists in contemporary Hollywood and in international cinema and TV

	Tove Jansson 1914-2001. Finnish. Novelist, artist. A proud and happy, if reclusive, lesbian. Her world famous Moomin-books were the basis for the long running Japanese/international Moomin animation TV-series (1990). IMDb Biography
	George Gaynes. (George Jongejans) Born 1917 in Helsinki, Finland. Actor and stage musical star with a long and distinguished career in comedy and drama. In the US since childhood. Played the aging soap star who kisses Dustin Hoffman in the 1981 hit comedy Tootsie. Played Cousin Lars From Finland in an episode of Punky Brewster in 1987. IMDb Biography
	Lars Jansson 1926-2000. Finnish Cartoonist, artist, writer. Script supervisor for his sister Tove's Moomin-series (1990). quote: "When the production of Telecable’s animations started in 1989, Lars took an active part as a creative consultant and co-writer. Up until his death Lars supervised the artistic quality of commercially used Moomins: merchandising products, comic books and albums, theatre, opera, film, radio, television and multimedia." IMDb Biography
	Albert Karvonen, born 1931. Finnish-Canadian. Hugely prolific nature documentarist. Works with his wife Pirkko Karvonen, son Downy Karvonen and daughter Ava Karvonen. Journey Into The Finnish Forest (2003). Quote: "World renowned for his award-winning films on wildlife, has travelled the globe to film common and exotic animals in their natural habitats. His prime objective has always been to create an awareness of the wildlife and their threatened environment" Official site Bio IMDb
	Pirkko Karvonen. Finnish-Canadian. Born in Finland. During WWII was sent to safety in Sweden in 1939. In Canada since 1951. Documentarist and artisan. Works with her husband Albert Karvonen. People of Sointula (2001). Bio Official site
	Rauno Lehtinen, born 1932. Finnish. Composer. His 1965 continental dance craze Letkis (Let Kiss) has been featured in several films, like in the Italian drama I Knew Her Well in 1965, recently as the main musical motif in the French drama Who Plucked the Feathers Off the Moon? (1999). IMDb
	Jörn Donner, born 1933 (Bjorn Thunder). Finnish. Director, producer, novelist, actor, politician, of noble stock. Consul General in L.A. in the mid 1990s. Received the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award for the four times Oscar winning 1982 Ingmar Bergman film Fanny and Alexander as the producer of the film. IMDb Biography
	Jean M. Auel, born 1936 (Jean Marie Untinen). Second generation American with Finnish grandparents. Writer. Her blockbuster novel The Clan of the Cave Bear was made into a film in 1986 with Darryl Hannah as the cave woman Ayla. IMDb Biography
	Frej Lindqvist, born 1937. Finnish. Emigrated to Sweden. Actor in Swedish films since 1965. Played Yakov in Sidney Lumet's The Seagull (1978). quote: "Sidney Lumet kept his cast —headed by James Mason, Vanessa Redgrave, Simone Signoret and David Warner— immersed in matters Chekhovian on location outside of Stockholm, Sweden." IMDb
	Paul Kangas, born 1937. Finnish-American, born in Michigan. PBS Nightly Business Report host on TV since 1979. NNdb
	Birgitta Juslin (Brigitte Juslin, Birgitta Juslin-Ara). Finnish Model in Paris, appeared in several French films in the late 50s and early 60s. Played the lead, a decadent artist, in a lesbian cult film The Fourth Sex in 1961. IMDb
	Lena von Martens, born 1940 (Lena Ressler). Finnish. Actress in Italian films 1962-66. Later a prostitute. Played the Barbarian Princess Xenia in Anhony Mann's The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). IMDb Recently co-wrote her candid autobiography.
	Jorma Kaukonen, born 1940. American of Finnish descent. Rock musician. Member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Is a member of Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame since 1996. Appeared in Gimme Shelter (1970). IMDb Biography
	Tamara Lund, 1941-2005. Finnish. Operatic singer, actress. Starred in two German films. Had the title character in Victoria and Her Hussar (1982) Made a screen test in London for the James Bond film Thunderball in 1965 but didn't get the part. Daily Mirror gave her a big article with a pin-up photo "Big 'catch' for Tamara" 24.6.1965. IMDb
	Ingemo Engström, born 1941. Finnish Director in German films since the late 1960s. Has directed stars like Erika Pluhar, Lena Olin, Wim Wenders (at the Munich Film School) and Diego Wallraff. IMDb
	Paul Jyrälä, 1941-2007 (Paul "Pappa" Jyrälä) Finnish. Sound designer. Has worked on Patriot (2000), Proof of Life (2000), Hannibal (2001) and Windtalkers (2002). Jyrälä is the only Finn to participate in selecting the Oscar winners. IMDb
	Carita, born 1942 (Carita Järvinen). Finnish. Fashion model. Played the titular character of the 1967 Hammer epic The Viking Queen, being the first Finn to play a title role in a movie made outside of continental Europe. IMDb Review
	Eric Saarinen, born 1942. First generation American. Grandson of the famous Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and son of the famous Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. Cinematographer, director. Nominated the Academy Award for cinematography in Exploratorium, the Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter (1970) as well as in the Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau. His commerical spot as director Jeep "Snow Covered" won the Grand Prix/Gold Lion at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1994. IMDb Biography
	Pentti "Whitey" Glan. born Finnish, lives in Canada. Rock and jazz drummer in the U.S. and Canada. Played with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper among others. Plays drums in Bette Midler's band in the musical film The Rose (1979). IMDb
	Bobby Vee, born 1943 (Robert Thomas Velline). American (from Fargo, North Dakota) with a Finnish mother (Saima Tapanila) and a Norwegian (some sources say Swedish) father. Singing star of the 1960s. Starred as the leading man in the 1967 musical comedy Let's Live a Little. quote: "Vee remembers how he and his brothers would be in the Rolla area (Mt. Pleasant Township, Rolette County) for weeks every summer, and especially remembers how the older folks would talk in Finnish - especially when they would swear." IMDb
	Jeri Sopanen, Born in Helsinki, Finland, in the US since the 1960s.. Cinematographer. Credits since 1964. Louis Malle's My Dinner with André (1981). IMDb
	Marta Kristen, born 1945 (Birgit Annalisa Rusanen). Finnish-German. Born in Norway. Born to a Finnish mother and a German Nazi soldier and put tragically into a Norwegian orphanage. In America since 1949 as an adopted daughter. TV-actress. Starred as Judy Robinson in the original Lost in Space (1965). IMDb Biography
	David Lynch, born 1946. Second-generation American with a Finnish grandfather. Superb director of the weird outsider Americana. IMDb Biography
	Jessica Lange, born 1949. Second-generation American with Finnish grandparents. Oscar winning superstar. Spoke one line of Finnish in Sam Shephard's 1988 family drama Far North: "Hyvää syntymäpäivää, mummi." (Happy birthday, grandma.) IMDb Biography
	Minah Bird (1950-1995) Born in Nigeria, educated in Finland. Actress and beauty queen, in London in the 1970s. Played Molly in the Jackie & Joan Collins sex drama The Stud in 1978 with a full frontal nude scene. IMDb
	Christine Lahti, born 1950. Second-generation American. Brilliant star of movies and TV since 1978, and an Oscar winning director. quote: "My grandfather, his mother and dad were from Finland. Isa and Iti, we called them, which is Finnish for grandfather and grandmother. She started her own radio station in Finland, Finnish-speaking radion station. I never got to know her well but apparently she was a real feminist." IMDb Interview
	John Syrjamaki, (John Syriamaki, John Syrjämäki). American of Finnish immigrant stock. Assistant director, production manager. Worked on The Blues Brothers (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983). USC Film School director of physical production and the head of production administrator at the Loyola Marymount University film school in Los Angeles. IMDb
	Yanti Sommer (Kirsti Somersalo, Yanti Somer, Yanti). Finnish. Actress. Starred in several Italian films in the 1970s. Played a nurse in Billy Wilder's Avanti! (1972). Retired in 1982. Lives married with two children in Italy. IMDb
	David Hyry, Finnish-American. Actor, starred first-billed in the biker horror movie Northville Cemetery Massacre (1976). Later a San Francisco press agent.. "David Hyry and Associates (Marketing/Press Agent) is a public relations, marketing and artist management organization committed to expanding the role of innovative performance that challenges the boundaries of theater, music and dance in America and abroad. Clients have included Gina Wendkos, Diamanda Galas, George Coates Performances Works, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Irwin, the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, American Inroads and Antenna Theater." IMDb
	Antero Alli, born 1952. Finnish. In America since 1955. Director of idependent sci-fi features. The Drivetime (1995). Voted "Best Cult Filmmaker, 2002" SF Weekly. Uses Finnish mythology and themes in his films. Works also in theater, paratheater and astrology. Collaborates with her wife Sylvi Alli (Cyndia Pickering, Sylvie Pickering) , who is not of Finnish descent. IMDb Bio Filmography Interview
	Sirpa Lane 1952-99 (Syrpa Lane, Sirpa Salo, Sirpa Raysse). Finnish. Model and actress in French and Italian soft-core sexploitation films 1974-82. Died of AIDS. Discovered into films by Roger Vadim for the title role of his Charlotte (1974). IMDb Criticism
	Perry Pirkanen Starred third-billed as the photographer Jack Anders in the notorious Italian cult classic slasher movie Cannibal Holocaust in 1979. IMDb
	James Lahti Canadian of Finnish immigrant stock. Editor. quote:"James Lahti has edited almost every type of production imaginable. His extensive resumé includes commercials, music videos, documentary films, feature films, television dramas and miniseries. Since receiving his honours degree in film from York University in 1977, Lahti has worked as an editor, cutting film on projects such as the Emmy Award-winning miniseries Anne of Green Gables, as well as its sequel." IMDb Biography
	Amy Hill, born 1953. First generation American. TV-actress in Asian-American roles. quote: "I grew up with a very strong Japanese and Finnish cultural infusion. Definitely not Japanese-American. My mother hung out with ladies from Japan and my dad hung out with Finns. I, of course, wanted nothing to do with either and tried to be as "American" as Beaver Cleaver." IMDb Biography
	Johanna Raunio, born 1954. Finnish. Beauty queen. Starred in a handful of films in the Philippines in the mid 1970s. Later an actress domestically. quote: "Doll faced Johanna Raunio of Finland was the main star in a movie opposite local comedian 'Chiquito' in the mermaid classic, 'Lorelei.' For her part as the mermaid, Johanna had to wear a wig to cover her private parts and false rubber breasts just in case the wind and the sea did not cooperate!" IMDb and biography
	Mika Kaurismäki, born 1955. Finnish. Director and producer. Credits since 1981. Several international productions. L.A. Without a Map (1998). IMDb Biography
	Anne Marie Pohtamo, born 1955 (Anne Pohtamo, Anne Pohtamo-Hietanen). Finnish. Miss Universe of 1975. Fashion model in New York for Eileen Ford in the latter half of 1970s. In the character of Pauline Vandeveer she snorts cocaine and gets slashed in the opening scene of Wolfen (1981). Some domestic acting experience. Now a businesswoman and a Christian evangelist. IMDb
	Arja (Arja Töyrylä), born 1956. Finnish. Top fashion model in Paris in the latter part of the 1970s. Featured in portraits by Pierre et Gilles. Sole film credit, in France, was the 1981 comedy Men Prefer Fat Girls, in which Arja played one of the skinny ones. IMDb
	Lisa Niemi, born 1956 (Lisa Haapaniemi, Lisa Swayze). Second-generation American. Dancer and actress, credits since 1987. Married to actor Patrick Swayze since 1975. IMDb Biography
	Aki Kaurismäki, born 1957. Finnish. Director, screenwriter and producer. Credits since 1981. Oscar nominated in the category of Best Foreign Launguage Film for The Man Without a Past (2002), a winner of the Cannes Grand Prize. IMDb Biography
	Marsha Garces Williams, born 1957. Second-generation American. Philippino-Finnish descent with Finnish maternal grandparents. Producer. Wife of Robin Williams since 1989. His former personal assistant. IMDb
	Esa-Pekka Salonen, born 1958. Finnish. Conductor and composer. The musical director of The Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1992. Conducted music for the 1998 historical drama The Red Violin and the 1995 comedy drama Welcome to the Dollhouse. IMDb Biography Biography 02
	Renny Harlin, born 1959 (Lauri Harjola). Finnish-American. Successfull Hollywood director of the action genre since 1987. Also a producer. Directed his Oscar-winning actress wife (1993-98) Geena Davis in the fast paced action adventure Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). IMDb Biography
	Silvo Lahtela, born 1959. Finnish-German with a Finnish father (writer Markku Lahtela). Writer and screenwriter in German cinema. Worked with his director mother in Dazlak (1997). IMDb
	Gina Goldberg, born 1959 (Tina Virenius). Finnish. Playboy Playmate of May 1981. Played a Pool Beauty in the cheerleader undercover adventure Lovely But Deadly (1981). IMDb
	Hanoi Rocks (Michael Monroe [b. 1960 Matti Fagerholm], Andy McCoy [b. 1962 Antti Hulkko], Nasty Suicide [b. 1963 Jan Stenfors], Sam Yaffa [b. 1963 Sami Takamäki], Gyp Casino [b. 1961 Jesper Sporre], Razzle [1960-1984 Nicholas Dingley] and Terry Chimes b. 1955) Finnish glam punk heavy metal band of the 1980s. Their work has been featured in many films: The Burbs (1989), Far Out Man (1990), Harley Davidson And The Marlboro Man (1991), Coneheads (1993) and High Fidelity (2000). website
	Kari Rakkola, born 1960. Finnish Actor in Austrian films and TV since 1993, typecast as a bad guy. IMDb
	Karita Mattila, born 1960. Finnish. World famous opera soprano. Has starred in several major leads in televised productions. Played the title role in the New York Metropolitan Opera PBS Broadcast of Beethoven's Fidelio in 2002. IMDb
	Bonita Pietila (Bonnie Pietila). Second generation American with Finnish grandparents. Casting director (and producer) for The Simpsons since 1989. IMDb
	Pentti Halonen, born 1962. Finnish. Actor, screenwriter, playwright. Five years in the U.K. and the U.S. Appeared in uncredited bit parts in some international films during the 1990s. In Phillip Noyce's 1997 spy yarn The Saint he played the State Treasurer of Russia in the Kremlin scene as the right-hand man for the Russian president. Other credits: Stunt double for Patrick Monckton in The Borrowers (1997), one of the Lab Coats in Robert Ludlum's The Apocalypse Watch (1997). IMDb Biography
	Gary Lahti American of Finnish immigrant stock. Actor in American films and on TV. Co-starred in George A. Romero's action adventure Knightriders with Ed Harris in 1981. IMDb
	Sari Suominen. Finnish. Costume designer. Worked in the Cinecittà costume department for Milos Forman's Valmont (1989). Costume assistant for Lars von Trier's Manderlay in 2004. IMDb
	Scott Lautanen, American of Finnish immigrant stock. TV-director and producer. CSI: Miami (2002). Married to Michelle Lautanen, vice president of TV business affairs for 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. IMDb
	Tony Halme, born 1963 (Ludvig Borga, The Viking). Finnish. Boxer, all-star wrestler, writer, politician, actor, recording artist. 15 years in the U.S. and Japan. Credited in WWF videos and in three action films during his Hollywood years 1993-95. In 2003 was elected with a landslide into the Finnish Parliament as a representative of a populist extreme right-wing party, openly anti-gay and racist in his campaign. Suffered self-inflicted brain damage during a violent incident in his home. Played Roman in John McTiernan's Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). IMDb Biography
	Michael Mahonen, born 1964. Canadian of Finnish immigrant stock. Actor in American and Canadian films and on TV. Played an AIDS victim in the Canadian TV film The Facts Behind The Helsinki Roccamatios (1994). IMDb Biography
	Lisa Dalesandro, Second generation American with Finnish grandparents (Äystö). Screenwriter and producer. Shakespeare in the Park (1995). IMDb
	Jim Juvonen, born 1964. American of Finnish immigrant stock. Production assistant. Brother of Nancy Juvonen. IMDb
	Ava Karvonen, born 1965. Canadian of Finnish Immigrant stock. TV producer. Daughter of Albert Karvonen. quote: "She got her start in the business back in 1977 when she played the ongoing role of a child for three seasons of a science and nature multimedia radio series with her filmmaker father, Albert Karvonen. Ava Karvonen went on to produce the critically acclaimed children’s animated and live-action series "Stories from the Seventh Fire", the one-hour documentary specials "Return of the Peregrine" and "How the Fiddle Flows" (featuring Metis fiddlers and dancers), and several award-winning episodes of the series "Treasures of the Wild" (broadcast on Canada’s Discovery Channel)." Official site IMDb
	Downy Karvonen. Canadian of Finnish Immigrant stock. Sound recordist and editor. Won the National Film Board of Canada prize for best overall sound for the 1997 documentary Lost Over Burma: Search for Closure. IMDb
	Jennifer Salmi, born 1965. Second-generation American. Actress. Daughter of Albert Salmi. Starred as Jeanie Jessup in the 1992 independent psychological thriller The Ghosting. IMDb
	Devon Soles, born 1965. (Jari Mattila) Finnish Actor and saxophonist, lives in San Diego, CA, in the U.S.. Played the character Mike in A Book of Truth, a Book of Lies (2006). IMDb
	Jukka Hiltunen, born 1965. Finnish. Actor. Played one of the three Swedes in The Beach (2000) with Leonardo di Caprio. Bio IMDb
	Douglas Aarniokoski (Doug T. Aarniokoski). American of Finnish immigrant stock. Assistant director, director. Production credits since 1989. Directing debut Highlander: Endgame (2000). IMDb Biography
	Minna Aaltonen, born 1966. Finnish. Actress in international films and TV-series. Played White Bishop Vlad in scifi series Lexx (1997) IMDb
	Mika Salmi, born 1966. Finnish Co-founder and the CEO of Seattle based Atom Films distribution company. IMDb
	Nancy Juvonen, born 1967. American of Finnish immigrant stock. Producer for Drew Barrymore. In Charlie's Angels (2000) there was a whole scene with the dialogue in Finnish. IMDb
	Anne Riitta Ciccone, born 1968. Italian-Finnish with a Finnish mother. Born in Helsinki with Italian citizenship. Director and writer in Italy. Her 2002 film Marja's Love is based on her comic play Amarsi da pazzethe, which was based on the tragic life of her Finnish hippie mother. Finnish Laura Malmivaara plays Marja and Finnish girls Erika and Annika Lepistö play her two daughters. IMDb
	Pamela Anderson, born 1967 (Pamela Denise Anderson-Lee). Third-generation Canadian of Finnish descent [Hyytiäinen-family from Saarijärvi]. Wold-famous pin-up actress, Playboy centerfold and the ultimate Baywatch babe. quote: Toronto Sun: "She had declined through her lawyer to take part in a 1995 family gathering. But the family would renew efforts to bring their voluptuous relative to the land of her ancestors." IMDb Biography
	David Chokachi, born 1968 (David Al-Chokhachy). American, with a Turkish father and a Finnish mother. Actor. Played Cody, the 'bad boy' of Baywatch for four years. IMDb
	Kirsi Marie Liimatainen, born 1968. Finnish. Director in German films. Directed her second feature film Sonja in 2006. IMDb
	Marco Gómez, born 1968. Born in Finland. Finnish-Spanish producer. Film credits since 1989. Son of the celebrated Spanish Oscar winning producer Andres Vincente Gómez. IMDb
	Kata Kärkkäinen, born 1968 (Minna Katariina Kärkkäinen). Finnish. Playboy centerfold, screenwriter, novelist. Played an orally copulating hooker in the gross The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990). IMDb
	Brian Heidik born 1968. First-generation American with a Finnish mother (Tuulikki Siitonen). Actor. Winner of the American Survivor 2003. IMDb
	Antti Jokinen, born 1968. (Antti J.) Finnish. Now in Hollywood. An up-and-rising director. Has directed videos for Eminem and Celine Dion. Worked as 2nd unit director for the Renny Harlin Exorcist: The Beginning in 2004. IMDb
	Henric Nieminen (Heinric Niemenin, Henrick Nieminen, Martti Henric Nieminen) First-generation American. Parents in America since mid/late sixties. Visual Effects Producer, Production Manager, Assistant Director, Actor. U-571 (2000) Credits since 1992. IMDb
	Ted Griffin Third-generation American. Grandson of Marian Nixon. Screenwriter. Ocean's Eleven (2001). IMDb
	Nicholas Griffin Third-generation American. Grandson of Marian Nixon. Screenwriter. Worked with his brother Ted on the Ridley Scott -directed comedy screenplay Matchstick Men (2003). IMDb
	Susanna Puisto, Finnish. Costume designer. Hollywood credits since 1993. Co-desginer from the beginning of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) the TV Series. E! online: "So suspend disbelief, and enjoy the dazzling display by Finnish costume designer Susanna Puisto. She sews a lot of the unique vampire threads herself. And when Puisto goes out buying--after dark, of course--she skips mainstream looks in favor of innovative designers like Tom Mark and Serious Clothing; vintage from American Rag; and designer labels Agnes B and Romeo Gigli. Most leather jackets are vintage. Do the clothes make the cast members stand out? Definitely. "We were taping at a high school, and you could really tell the difference between the extras and the real students," says Puisto, who wasn't trying for realism. "High school kids dress very plain, very much alike." The same can't be said for Buffy's crew." IMDb
	Jari Kinnunen, Finnish. Played the Swedish Björn Gunderson in James Cameron's epic Titanic (1997), as the guy whom Leonardo DiCaprio manages to swindle the doomed Titanic boarding pass from in the port of Southampton but who ends up as the cabin mate of Jack and Fabrizio. IMDb Biography
	Tuomas Kantelinen, born 1969. Finnish. Composer. Composed the original music score for Renny Harlin's Mindhunters (2004). Has been signed by the prestigious Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency in Los Angeles. News article IMDb
	Mika Ripatti, born 1969. Finnish. Animator. Worked for Ice Age (2002). IMDb
	Nina Sallinen, born 1969 (Nina Sallinen-Ladegaard). Finnish-American. Born in Sweden. Actress. In America since 1998. Played a pathologist in the 2002 crime thriller Watch. IMDb
	David Salo, born 1969 (David I. Salo). Second generation American. Tolkien language experet on Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) quote: "Tolkien was so delighted with the Finnish language that he gave up inventing a language for his Middle-Earth elves and “became heavily Finnicized (sic) in phonetic pattern and structure.” He actually taught himself Finnish so that he could read the Kalevala for himself in the original Finnish. This way he also was more and more influenced by Finnish mythology. There are parallels between the Kalevala and Tolkien’s own saga - in characters, as well as in the hero’s journey." IMDb Biography
	Jani Blom, born 1969. Finnish. Actor in Sweden and the US. Played a Finnish character in Spike Lee's Bamboozled (2000). IMDb
	Apocalyptica (Paavo Lötjönen b. 1969, Eicca Toppinen b. 1976, Perttu Kivilaakso b. 1979) Finnish cello rock band. Their music has been used on the soundtacks of the comedy drama Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), the horror film Dark Night (2000) and the French crime thriller Vidocq (2001). IMDb official site
	Linda Brava, born 1970 (Linda Lampenius). Finnish. Classical violinist. Playboy Playmate of April 1998. Guest starred in Baywatch in the 1999 episode Water Dance as the kidnapped violinist. IMDb Biography
	Matt Damon, born 1970 (Matthew Paige Damon). Second-generation American. Superstar actor. Oscar-winning screenwriter. quote: Q: Who's the most impressive person you know? A: Probably my grandfather. He's Finnish, a very proud man, who would never take help from anybody. He came to America when he was a little boy, grew up during the Depression and sold shoes. He always used to tell us the story about getting a raise of three and a half cents, and how that was an incredible moment of success. He's extraordinary. IMDb Biography
	Jouko Ahola, born 1970. Finnish. The stongest man in the world. Stars with Tim Roth as the blond Jewish strongman who passes for Aryan in Werner Herzog's Invincible (2001). IMDb Biography
	Timo Väänänen, born 1970. Finnish Kantele player (a traditional Finnish musical instrument). Performs on the The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) soundtrack. He is a member of the phenomenal Loituma-group who scored an international web-hit with Ievan polkka in 2006. website Loituma
	The Bomfunk MCs, formed in 1997 (Raymond Ebanks b. 1970, Ismo Lappalainen b. 1975 Toikka b. 1972, Ville Mäkinen b. 1976, Riku Pentti, Okke Kuomulainen). Finnish hip-hop band. Their music was featured on the soundtrack of Haggard: The Movie in 2003. IMDb website
	Peter Franzén, born 1971. Finnish. Big domestic star, credits since 1993. Sporadically in Hollywood since 2000 with his actress spouse Irina Björklund. Appeared as a German character in the Pamela Anderson show V.I.P.'s episode Val's Big Bang (2001). IMDb Biography
	Lars Canty, born 1971 in Helsinki American key artist, production designer, producer and actor, in splatter horror, comedies and adult entertainment. Produced the comedic Carolina Cheerleaders Exposed! (2006). IMDb
	Kevin Kangas, born 1971 in Maryland. American of Finnish descent. Director of horror films, Fear of Clowns (2004) IMDb
	Anna Falchi, born 1972 (Anna Kristiina Palomäki). Finnish-Italian with a Finnish mother. Nude model. Actress in Italian films since 1993. Hugely popular in Italy as a sexy pin-up. IMDb Biography
	Leah Salomaa, Finnish-Canadian. Born in Toronto. Actress. A Town Torn Apart (1992). Also a singer. IMDb
	Scott Rader, born 1972 (Scottie Thornton Rader II). Finnish. In Sweden since childhood. Hammer thrower, rodeo clown. Visual effects artist in Hollywood blockbuster films and TV-series since 1993. Multiple Emmy winner (team) for Outstanding individual achievement in special visual effects: 1994 Compositing Animator, Star Trek: The Next Generation, episode All Good Things. 1995 Visual Effects Compositing Editor, Star Trek: Voyager, episode Caretaker (Pilot) IMDb
	Angelika Kallio, born 1972 in Latvia. Emigrated to Finland in 1986. An international supermodel. Had a bit-part as "a model" in the 1993 Michael J. Fox comedy For Love Or Money. IMDb
	Mikko Alanne, born 1972. Finnish. Screenwriter. Co-wrote Notorious (2004) with Sylvester Stallone. Mikko Alanne and actor Ari Solomon (now Ari Alanne) were the first West Hollywood gay couple to marry in San Francisco in the spring of 2004. IMDb
	Irina Björklund, born 1973. Finnish, born in Sweden. Big domestic star since 1995. Sporadically in Hollywood since 2000 with her actor spouse Peter Franzén. Appeared as baby Hamlet's young mother Gertrud in the 2002 historical drama Yorrick. IMDb Biography
	Laura Malmivaara, born 1973. Finnish. Actress and photographer. Played the titular character in the Italian film Marja's Love in 2002. IMDb
	Minna Haapkylä, born 1973. Finnish. Actress. In 2006 appeared in two French films, as Hélène in the film noir Le Serpent and as Nora in the drama Selon Charlie. IMDb
	Michael Kallio. American of Finnish immigrant stock. Independent horror film maker. Bruce Campbell prodced his Hatred of a Minute in 2002. IMDb
	Paul Alexander Juutilainen. Born in Finland to Finnish & Greek/Macedonian parents. Raised in Denmark. Documentary film maker in San Diego, CA. Herbert's Hippopotamus: Marcuse and Revolution in Paradise (1996). IMDb
	Matti Ristinen, born 1974. Finnish. Actor. Played Medieval Priest in Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) IMDb
	Ella Kanninen, born 1974. Finnish. TV journalist. In travel show Il Viaggiatore on Italian television since 2003. website
	Lordi, born 1974 (Tomi Putaansuu). Finnish Leader of the hard rock band with the same name. Winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. A story-board artist. IMDb
	Husky Rescue, formed 2002 (Marko Nyberg b.1974, Reeta-Leena Korhola, Ville Riippa, Anssi Sopanen and Miika Colliander) Finnish ambient rock band. Their song "New Light of Tomorrow" was featured on the soundtrack of the TV-series Sopranos episode #73 Johnny Cakes (2006). IMDb official site
	Natasha Allas, born 1975. First-generation American with Finnish parents. Miss World USA 2000. Acting credits since 1996. IMDb Biography
	Vera Jordanova, born 1975. Bulgarian-Finnish, born in Finland for Bulgarian parents. Model and actress. Stars as Axelle, the "gorgeous European" artist's model, in the horror sequel Hostel: Part II (2007). IMDb
	Tapio Salmi. Finnish Make-up artist and hair stylist. Long time assistant to the famous London-based hair and make-up designer Daniel Phillips. Was the supervisor of the Bafta-nominated and Emmy-winning Best Make Up & Hair Design department for Bleak House in 2006. IMDb
	Darude, born 1975 (Ville Virtanen). Finnish. Trance dance music artist and producer. His music was featured in the 2002 Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu action thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. IMDb website
	Jeremy Juuso. First generation American with Finnish parents. Actor, played the part of Stephen in the independent scifi romance 11 Minutes Ago (2007). Son of Professor Markku Linnoila (1947-1998) who played the young Markku Tammela in Me Tammelat (1961-1969) on Finnish TV. IMDb
	Kurt Mattila. American (from Boston) of Finnish immigrant stock. Special effects artist and director (with Matt Checkowski). Worked with Steven Spileberg on Minority Report (2002) and directed their first feature Alibi in 2006. IMDb official site
	Sarah Manninen. Canadian of Finnish immigrant stock. Actress in American and international films and on TV. Played Jerry's wife Patti Lewis in CBS TV-movie Martin and Lewis (2002) IMDb
	Sonya Salomaa. Canadian of Finnish immigrant stock. Actress in Canadian films and TV-series. Playd Rachel against Stephen Baldwin in Firefight (2003) IMDb
	Eric James Niemi, born 1976. Finnish-American. Writer, actor, director, cinematograper. What is Surfing? (documentary, 1997) IMDb website
	Ilona Elkin, born 1976. (Ilona Utriainen) Finnish-Chilean with a Finnish mother. Born in Finland. In Canada since 1994. Actress in Canadian films and TV-series. Starred as Merril Young, one of the students in Vampire High (2001). IMDb Biography
	Anna Shemeikka, born 1976. Finnish. Actress in American independent films and TV-series. Played the part of Bimbo in Blood Orgy of the Damned (2001). IMDb website
	Justin Ament, born 1976. American, with one Finnish grandparent. Actor. Played the lead character Deputy Jake Barker in two slasher flicks Harvest of Fear (2004) and The Path of Evil (2005). IMDb
	HIM, formed 1997 (Ville Valo b. 1976, Burton b. 1974, Gas b. 1971, Linde b. 1976, Mige b. 1974) Finnish Gothic metal rock band. Their music was featured in the Jackass movie Haggard: The Movie (2003) (6 songs altogehter) and in the skateboarding films CKY2K (2000), CKY 3 (2001), CKYand SKY 4 Latest and Greatest (2002). IMDb website
	Christy Neuman, born 1977. (Christy Seppala). Finnish-American. Actress Chad Effect (2001). Miss Jacksonville 1995, Miss University of North Florida 1996, Miss Florida 1997. IMDb
	Sasha Maxime, born 1977 in London, England, to a Finnish mother and Persian father. Actor, plays the lead in Futbaal: The Price of Dreams (2007), about an Iranian soccer player in America. IMDb
	Nightwish, formed 1996 (Tarja Turunen 1996-2005 b. 1977, Tuomas Holopainen b. 1976, Marco Hietala b. 1966, Erno Vuorinen b. 1978 and Jukka Nevalainen b. 1978) Finnish operatic metal rock band. Their song "Wish I Had An Angel" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 horror film Alone in the Dark starring Christian Slater and Tara Reid. IMDb website
	Johann Urb, born 1977. Estonian. Lived his childhood in Finland from the age of ten to seventeen. Actor and model in the U.S. Plays the character Johnny Gage in the Coutney Cox TV-series Dirt (2007) about tabloid journalism. IMDb
	Hanna Haarala, born 1980. Finnish. Dancer in the UK in Strictly Come Dancing (2005). IMDb
	Lisa Evastina, (Liisa Mannerkoski) born 1980. Finnish. Actress in Hollywood since 2002. Plays a Finnish au-pair in HBOs comedy series 12 Miles of Bad Road with Lily Tomlin and Gary Cole. IMDb
	Satu Rautaharju, (Satu Miriam Rautaharju) born in Canada to a Finnish father and Trinidadian mother. Actress, singer. Serious contender to play the new Wonderwoman. IMDb
	Annemaria Rajala, Finnish. Finnish actress who works in theater in Florida and had the female lead in an independent feature film My Lucky Stars in 2006. Amazon
	Anya Lahiri, born 1982 in London, England to a Finnish mother and Indian father. Model, singer and actress. Played Zoe in US/UK action drama series Keen Eddie in 2003. IMDb
	Erika Mustonen, born 1983 in Lohja, Finland. (Sara Paula Erika Mustonen). Lives in Oulu, Finland. Actress. Appeared in Korn's music video Falling Away From Me (1999) and as the lead charcter on Canadian TV in They Will Laugh (2000). IMDb
	Laura Lagercrantz, born 1983. Finnish. Model and actress in Hollywood. Had a bare-chested part as a girlfriend in the 2007 action film Urban Assault. IMDb
	Anna Korenius Finnish. Model and actress in the U.S. Girlfriend of Madonna's daughter's father in 2007. IMDb

Other Hollywood and international cinema Artists with Finnish names:

Deanna Aho actress, set designer Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish (1999)
Gilette Aho actress Les Rois du gag (1985)
Mike Aho documentary director Pierre and Gilles, Love Stories (1997)
Robert Ahola actor Dakota (1988)
Cheryl Ahonen producer Alive (2003)
Aino Bergo actress Thistledown (a lost British film, 1938)
Janet Laine Green actress Earth: Final Conflict (1997)
Natalie Finland actress Labyrinth (1986)
Henry Halonen voice actor Fallen Angels (1996)
Lars-Joar Halonen actor DNA (1997)
Kelly 'K-2' Heikkila location manager Feeling Minnesota (1996)
Carol Heikkinen writer, producer The Thing Called Love (1993)
Aki Hirvonen actor Manderlay (2005)
Matti Huhta script supervisor The Five Senses (1999)
Arthur Huotari actor Pretty Baby (1950)
Anne Hyvarinen scenic artist Sideways (2004)
Tuukka Jantti actor Jarhead (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Irja Jensen actress Operation Manhunt (1954)
Sam Jouppi actor Citizen Duane (2006)
Paul J. Kangas actor and visual effects artist in Kevin Kangas's films.
Aili King actress Operation Cross Eagles (1969)
Eric Koivisto executive producer Dopamine (2003)
Chris Korhonen actor Rag Nymph (1997)
Henry Korhonen stuntman X-Men (2000)
Diane Koskela actress Black Scorpion II: Aftershock (1996)
Kim Robert Koscki (Kim Koski) stuntman, actor Goldmember (2002) images
Albert Koski producer Albert Suffers (1992)
George Koski actor King, Murray (1969)
William K. Koski electrician, actor Independence Day (1996)
Erkki Lamppu construction foreman Forrest Gump (1994)
Ed Lahti producer Runaway Car (1997)
Kitty Lehtinen actress played the part of a Finnish Girl in the Hungarian film Europa Camping (1992)
Craig Lehto actor Cool Runnings (1993)
Fred Lehto actor Bugsy (1991)
Al Leinonen actor Best Man in Grass Creek (1999)
Laurie Leinonen producer The Ride (1997)
Edward J. Lakso screenwriter, producer Charlie's Angels (1975) Worked for several of the most popular shows of 1950s, '60s and '70s.
Hilkka McCallum production assistant Hindsight (2000)
Harry Makela actor Albino(1976)
Aaron Makinen actor Prison for Children (1987)
Karl Makinen actor Conspiracy Theory (1997)
Margaret Makinen actress One Night Stand (1997)
Markus Manninen digital effects artist Over the Hedge (2006)
Steven Mattila actor The Silencers (1996)
Tauno Metsisto actor Stuck On You (2003)
Ann Mikkola actress Cutting Loose (1980)
Erik Minkkinen soundman 1, 2, 3, Whiteout (2007)
Lauri Moorman lighting director The Bold and the Beautiful
Al Niemela producer, animal supervisor King of the Grizzlies (1970)
Collin Niemi art director, production designer The Red Violin (1998)
Lars Niemi actor Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets (documentary, 1984)
Vicki Niemi production manager Mouse Hunt (1997)
Inga Ojala actress Wild Life (1984)
Jon Ojala actor More Dead than Alive (1969)
Julie Pitkanen script supervisor Ordinary People (1980)
Nathan Pitkanen actor The Number 23 (2007)
Whitney Pitkanen production assistant Dracula (1992)
Jane Pulkkinen actress Crucible (1996)
Theresa Repola Mohammed negative cutter Forrest Gump (1994)
Michael Saari actor Master of My Life (2002)
Ted Saari actor Tightrope (1984)
Eric Saarinen cinematographer Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Matt Saha actor Two Shades of Blue (2000)
Peter Salmi screenwriter, producer Blue Juice (1995)
Robert Thomas Salmi actor The Island (1980)
Alexandra Salo actress Goosed (1999)
Jessica Salo director Pride (1999)
Harri Siitonen actor in the San Francisco region.
Adam Tuominen actor Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003)
Lauri Vassinen videographic desinger Die Another Day (2002)
Suzanna Virtanen camera assistant, producer If These Walls Could Talk (1996)