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Vesa-Matti Loiri
Born	(1945-01-04) 4 January 1945 (age 73) Helsinki, Finland
Other names	Vesku
Occupation	actor, musician
Awards	Jussi for Best Actor 1976 Rakastunut rampa Honorary Jussi 1963 Pojat Jussi for Best Supporting Actor 1982 Pedon merkki Telvis 1984 Best Actor 1986 Best Actor 1987 Best Actor 1999 Special Telvis Venla 1989 Special Venla

Vesa-Matti "Vesku" Loiri (born 4 January 1945, Helsinki) is a Finnish actor, musician and comedian, best known for his role as Uuno Turhapuro, whom he portrayed in a total of 20 movies between the years 1973 and 2004.

Life and career

Loiri became an actor in 1962, when he had a role in the movie Pojat, directed by Mikko Niskanen. Loiri did his most recognised work with comedian-director-producer Spede Pasanen, starting from Noin seitsemän veljestä. Spede and Loiri also developed his highly popular Uuno Turhapuro persona which would star in one of Finland's longest and most commercially successful film-series. In 2005, he starred in the film Shadow of the Eagle, which was directed by Timo Koivusalo. Six films starring Loiri are in the top 20 list of the highest-grossing domestic films in Finland.^{[citation needed]} Total number of tickets sold to the screenings of these six films is 3,715,948.^{[citation needed]}

As a musician, Loiri has performed compositions of Perttu Hietanen and Taisto Wesslin, Eino Leino's poems, Carl Michael Bellman's drinking songs and Juha "Watt" Vainio's songs. Loiri also plays the flute, a talent he put to use representing Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 in The Hague/Netherlands with the song "Huilumies", dedicated to his flute. He finished last in a field of 19 participating countries. During his career, Loiri has sold over 730,000 certified records in Finland and is currently the fifth-best-selling soloist and ninth-best-selling artist of all time in the country.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} He was the voice of the Genie in the Finnish dub of Disney's Aladdin, even performing the musical number Friend Like Me.

Loiri appeared in the premiere of Aulis Sallinen's opera Kullervo in Los Angeles in 1992, creating the role of the blind singer.^[7]

Loiri has also had a lifelong interest in sports.^{[citation needed]} He held the office of Chairman of the Finnish billiards association for multiple years.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

• Honorary Jussi Award 1963 for his role in the film Pojat
  


• Best male actor Jussi 1976 in Rakastunut rampa
  


• Best supporting male actor Jussi 1982 in Pedon merkki
  


• Jussi 1983 for his wide appearance in the year's films


• Concrete Jussi 1998


• 
  Festival International du Film Indépendant awarded Loiri in Brussels in 2003 for his role in Pahat pojat
  


• Best Actor Telvis in 1984, 1986 and 1987


• Special Telvis in 1999


• Special Venla in 1989


• 
  Black Nights Film Festival awarded Loiri in Tallinn for A Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010

Discography

Albums

• 1971: 4+20
  


• 1972: Vesku Suomesta
  


• 1973: Veskunoita
  


• 1974: Merirosvokapteeni Ynjevi Lavankopoksahdus
  


• 1977: Vesku Helismaasta
  


• 1978: Eino Leino
  


• 1980: Ennen viimeistä maljaa
  


• 1980: Eino Leino 2
  


• 1981: Vesa-Matti Loiri tulkitsee Oskar Merikannon lauluja
  


• 1983: Täällä Pohjantähden alla
  


• 1984: Lasihelmipeli
  


• 1985: Eino Leino 3
  


• 1986: Naurava kulkuri
  


• 1987: Voi hyvä tavaton
  


• 1988: Pim peli pom
  


• 1988: Sydämeeni joulun teen
  


• 1989: Unelmia
  


• 1990: Seitsemän kertaa
  


• 1994: Vesa-Matti Loiri
  


• 1995: Kaksin
  


• 1995: Uuno Kailas
  


• 1995: Nauravan kulkurin paluu
  


• 1997: Rurja
  

Compilations

• 1973: Laulu on iloni ja työni
  


• 1992: Lapin kesä
  


• 1996: 20 suosikkia – Lapin kesä
  


• 1996: 20 suosikkia – Saiskos pluvan
  


• 1999: Lauluja rakastamisen vaikeudesta
  


• 2001: Kaikki parhaat
  

Singles

• 2008: "Sydämeeni joulun teen" (reached No. 14 in the Finnish Singles Chart)
  


• 2009: "Hyvää puuta" (reached No. 19 in the Finnish Singles Chart)
  

Filmography

• 
  Road North (2012)


• 
  The Storage (2011)


• 
  Shadow of the Eagle (2005; Finnish: Kaksipäisen kotkan varjossa)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro – This Is My Life (2004)


• 
  Bad Boys (2003; Finnish: Pahat pojat)


• 
  Rumble (2002)


• 
  Hurmaava joukkoitsemurha (2000)


• 
  Talossa on Saatana (1999)


• 
  History Is Made at Night (1999)


• 
  Sokkotanssi (1999)


• 
  Johtaja Uuno Turhapuro – pisnismies (1998)


• 
  Kummeli: Kultakuume (1997)


• 
  Ruuvimies (1995)


• 
  Kesäyön unelma (1994)


• 
  Vääpeli Körmy – Taisteluni (1994)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuron poika (1993)


• 
  Ripa ruostuu (1993)


• 
  Kuka on Joe Louis? (1992)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro, Suomen tasavallan herra presidentti (1992)


• 
  Vääpeli Körmy ja vetenalaiset vehkeet (1991)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro, herra Helsingin herra (1991)


• 
  Uunon huikeat poikamiesvuodet maaseudulla (1990)


• 
  Tupla-Uuno (1988)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro – kaksoisagentti (1987)


• 
  Älä itke Iines (1987)


• 
  Pikkupojat (1986)


• 
  Liian iso keikka (1986)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle (1986)


• 
  Uuno Epsanjassa (1985)


• 
  Hei kliffaa hei! (1985)


• 
  Kepissä on kaksi päätä (1985)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä (1984)


• 
  Lentävät luupäät (1984)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuron muisti palailee pätkittäin (1983)


• 
  Jon (1983)


• 
  Ulvova mylläri (1982)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro menettää muistinsa (1982)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuron aviokriisi (1981)


• 
  Pedon merkki (1981)


• 
  Tup-akka-lakko (1980)


• 
  Koeputkiaikuinen ja Simon enkelit (1979)


• 
  Rautakauppias Uuno Turhapuro, presidentin vävy (1978)


• 
  Häpy Endkö? Eli kuinka Uuno Turhapuro sai niin kauniin ja rikkaan vaimon (1977)


• 
  Tykkimies Kauppalan viimeiset vaiheet (1977)


• 
  Lottovoittaja UKK Turhapuro (1976)


• 
  Seitsemän veljestä (1976)


• 
  Rakastunut rampa (1975)


• 
  Professori Uuno D.G. Turhapuro (1975)


• 
  Robin Hood ja hänen iloiset vekkulinsa Sherwoodin pusikoissa (1974)


• 
  Uuno Turhapuro (1973)


• 
  Lasinen eläintarha (1973)


• 
  Hellyys (1972)


• 
  Hirttämättömät (1971)


• 
  Kahdeksas veljes (1971)


• 
  Jussi Pussi (1970)


• 
  Pohjan tähteet (1969)


• 
  Leikkikalugangsteri (1969)


• 
  Näköradiomiehen ihmeelliset siekailut (1969)


• 
  Oma (1969)


• 
  Noin seitsemän veljestä (1968)


• 
  Luule kanssamme (1968)


• 
  Lapualaismorsian (1967)


• 
  Pojat (1962)

See also

• List of best-selling music artists in Finland

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vesa-Matti Loiri.

• 
  Vesa-Matti Loiri on IMDb