Lasse Pöysti

Lasse Erik Pöysti (24 January 1927 – 5 April 2019)[1][2] was a Finnish actor, director, theatre manager and writer. He was born in Sortavala.

Lasse Pöysti
Lasse Pöysti in a moomin troll costume in 1960
Born(1927-01-24)24 January 1927
Sortavala, Finland
Died5 April 2019(2019-04-05) (aged 92)
Helsinki, Finland
Occupation
  • Actor
  • director
  • theatre manager
  • writer

Biography

Pöysti began his career as a child actor, becoming known to the Finnish public as Olli Suominen in the "Suominen family" films.[3][4] The first of these films as Suomisen perhe (1941). Pöysti was 14 years old at the time of the film. Pöysti matriculated in 1945 in the Helsinki Normal Lyceum.[5]

From 1967 to 1974, Pöysti served as manager of the Lilla Teatern,[6] with ex-wife Birgitta Ulfsson, and also acted in many roles in Swedish. During 1974–1981 he was the manager of the Tampere Workers' Theatre, and during 1981–1985 the manager of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm.[4][6] In his later career he has had many speaking roles in musical plays. He also had many roles on television, including the leading roles in the Strindberg plays Gustav III (Finnish: Kustaa III) and Erik XIV.[6][7] Another performance was the title role in the stage play Galileo by Bertold Brecht, which won critical acclaim. He also read bedtime stories in children's programs.[8]

In addition to his stage career, Pöysti wrote several books, including his own memoirs.[9] In 2002, Pöysti chose the book Juoksuhaudantie by Kari Hotakainen as the winner of the Finlandia Prize.[10] Pöysti once lived in Paris, but later lived in Lauttasaari, Helsinki. His son Tom Pöysti has also acted in many film and theatre roles.[11][12] In 2010, Pöysti received the Concrete-Jussi for lifetime achievement (the Jussi Awards are the equivalent to the Oscars in Finland).[3]

His son Erik Pöysti and granddaughter Alma Pöysti are both actors in Helsinki.

Filmography

References
  1. Lasse Pöysti at The Finnish National Filmography
  2. Petäjä, Jukka. "Näyttelijä ja ohjaaja Lasse Pöysti on kuollut" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  3. Lasse Pöysti pokkasi Betoni-Jussin, Ilta-Sanomat, 31 January 2010 (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 November 2010
  4. Banham, Martin (ed.) 1995. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge University Press. P. 371. ISBN 0-521-43437-8
  5. Anneli Vuorikoski: Kulttuuria vanhasta Viipurin läänistä. Wiipurin arkistoyhdistys ry. (in Finnish)
  6. Peter von Bagh: Pöysti, Lasse (yle.fi) (in Finnish)
  7. Kustaa III. Yle Elävä arkisto (yle.fi) (in Finnish)
  8. Radio Nova (in Finnish)
  9. Sibelius Piano Quintets and Melodramas. Booklet, page 8. BIS-CD-1412 2007, BIS Records AB, Åkersberga.
  10. Kari Hotakainen wins Finlandia Prize for Literature. Helsingin Sanomat, International Edition, Culture, 5.12.2002 Archived 17 February 2013 at Archive.today
  11. Lasse Pöysti päätti uransa – Itku tuli. Iltalehti, October 27, 2012 (in Finnish)
  12. Tom Pöysti at The Finnish National Filmography
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