Jasper Pääkkönen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jasper Pääkkönen
Pääkkönen in 2022
Born	Joona Jasper Pääkkönen (1980-07-15) 15 July 1980 (age 45) Helsinki, Finland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Alexandra Escat ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2

Joona Jasper Pääkkönen (born on July 15, 1980) is a famous actor from Finland. He has starred in many movies and TV shows.

After working in Finnish films for over twenty years, Jasper became well-known around the world. This happened in 2015 when he joined the TV series Vikings. He played the character Halfdan the Black. Later, he also appeared in the films BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020).

About Jasper Pääkkönen

Early Life and School

Jasper Pääkkönen was born in Helsinki, Finland. His father, Seppo Pääkkönen, is also an actor. His uncle, Antti Pääkkönen, is an actor too and does many voice roles.

When Jasper was a child, he helped out at the theater. He also went to a special school for performing arts in Helsinki. When he was 17, he spent a year in Maryland, USA, as an exchange student. He studied at Owings Mills High School during the 1997–98 school year.

Acting Career Highlights

Aku Louhimies, the director of Frozen Land, and Pääkkönen in 2005

Jasper's first movie role was in The Glory and Misery of Human Life in 1988. He was only seven years old then. He became very popular in Finland for playing Saku Salin in the TV show Salatut elämät from 1999 to 2002.

Many of Jasper's films have been very successful in Finland. These include Bad Boys, which is one of the most popular Finnish films ever. Other successful movies he starred in are Frozen Land (2005), Matti: Hell Is for Heroes (2006), Lapland Odyssey (2010), and Heart of a Lion (2013).

For his role in Bad Boys, Jasper won the Best Actor Award at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival. Critics have also praised his acting. In 2006, he was named the "Shooting Star of Finland" at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2013, Jasper won his first Jussi Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was for his role in the Finnish drama film Heart of a Lion.

International Roles

Pääkkönen with Spike Lee and the cast of BlacKkKlansman at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival

In 2015, Jasper joined the TV series Vikings on the History Channel. He played the character Halfdan the Black in seasons four, five, and six.

He also worked with director Spike Lee in the film BlacKkKlansman, which came out in 2018. He then starred in Lee's 2020 Netflix movie Da 5 Bloods.

Other Interests and Businesses

Jasper Pääkkönen in 2012

In 2009, Jasper started a poker magazine called Pokerisivut.com with film producer Markus Selin. This magazine won an award in London in 2010.

Jasper is also a big fan of fly fishing. He is part of the Vision fly fishing team and has appeared on TV shows and DVDs about fishing. He cares a lot about protecting endangered fish species in Finland, especially salmon. He also helped start Superflies.com, a company that sells fishing flies and raises money to help native fish.

Jasper has also started other businesses. With MP Antero Vartia, he built a large sauna and restaurant complex called Löyly in Helsinki. It cost about €6 million to build. He is also one of the owners of a company that bought the old Nummela Sanatorium. He plans to turn this old building into a hotel.

Personal Life

Since 2017, Jasper Pääkkönen has been married to Alexandra Escat, who is a model. They welcomed their daughter on Christmas Day in 2021. Their second child, a son, was born in January 2024.

Filmography

Television credits

See also

In Spanish: Jasper Pääkkönen para niños