Jasper Pääkkönen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jasper Pääkkönen
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![]() Pääkkönen in 2022
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Born |
Joona Jasper Pääkkönen
15 July 1980 Helsinki, Finland
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Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1988–present |
Spouse(s) |
Alexandra Escat
(m. 2017) |
Children | 2 |
Jasper Pääkkönen (born July 15, 1980) is a famous actor from Finland. He has been acting in movies and TV shows for a long time.
After many years in Finnish films, Jasper became known around the world. This happened when he starred in the TV series Vikings. He played the character Halfdan the Black. Later, he worked with director Spike Lee in movies like BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Jasper Pääkkönen was born in Helsinki, Finland. His father, Seppo Pääkkönen, is also an actor. His uncle, Antti Pääkkönen, is an actor too and often does voice acting.
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. He was an exchange student there.
Acting Career Highlights
Jasper Pääkkönen started acting very young. His first movie role was in 1988 when he was just seven years old. He became well-known in Finland for playing Saku Salin in the TV show Salatut elämät.
Many of Jasper's films have been very popular in Finland. Some of his big hits include Bad Boys and Frozen Land. Bad Boys is one of the most successful Finnish films ever. Other popular movies he starred in are Matti: Hell Is for Heroes and Lapland Odyssey.
For his role in Bad Boys, Jasper won an award for Best Actor. Critics from other countries have also praised his acting. In 2006, he was named a "Shooting Star" from Finland at a big film festival in Berlin.
In 2013, Jasper won his first Jussi Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was for his role in the movie Heart of a Lion. In 2015, he joined the cast of the popular TV series Vikings. He played the character Halfdan the Black.
Later, he worked with famous director Spike Lee. Jasper played a member of the KKK in Lee's movie BlacKkKlansman. This movie was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. He also starred in Spike Lee's 2020 movie Da 5 Bloods.
Other Activities and Businesses
Besides acting, Jasper Pääkkönen has other interests. In 2009, he started a poker magazine called Pokerisivut.com. This magazine even won an award in London.
Jasper is also very passionate about fly fishing. He is part of a world team for fly fishing. He has appeared on TV shows and DVDs about this hobby. He cares a lot about protecting endangered fish species in Finland, especially salmon. He also helped start Superflies.com. This company sells fishing flies and helps raise money to protect native fish.
Jasper has also started some businesses. He and a partner built a large sauna and restaurant complex called Löyly in Helsinki. It cost a lot of money to build. He also bought an old sanatorium building. He plans to turn it into a hotel.
Family Life
Since 2017, Jasper Pääkkönen has been married to Alexandra Escat. She is a model from Spain and the Philippines. They had their first child, a daughter, on Christmas Day in 2021. In January 2024, they welcomed their second child, a son.
Selected Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
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1988 | The Glory and Misery of Human Life | Arvi Hongisto | Matti Kassila | |
2003 | Bad Boys | Eero Takkunen | Aleksi Mäkelä | |
2004 | Vares: Private Eye | Jarmo | Aleksi Mäkelä | |
2005 | Frozen Land | Niko Smolander | Aku Louhimies | |
2006 | Matti: Hell Is for Heroes | Matti Nykänen | Aleksi Mäkelä | |
2007 | V2: Dead Angel (Vares 2) | Dante Hell | Aleksi Mäkelä | |
2008 | Moomin and Midsummer Madness | Moomintroll (Finnish voice) | Maria Lindberg | |
2008 | Kummeli Alivuokralainen | Kikke | Matti Grönberg | |
2009 | Hellsinki | Korppu | Aleksi Mäkelä | |
2010 | Moomins and the Comet Chase | Moomintroll (Finnish voice) | Maria Lindberg | |
2010 | Lapland Odyssey | Kapu | Dome Karukoski | |
2011 | The Kiss of Evil (Vares 3) | Kyypakkaus | Anders Engström | |
2011 | Vares – Huhtikuun tytöt | The Girls of April (Vares 4)Kyypakkaus | Lauri Törhönen | |
2011 | Vares – Sukkanauhakäärme | Garter Snake (Vares 5)Kyypakkaus | Lauri Törhönen | |
2012 | Naked Harbour | Anders | Aku Louhimies | |
2012 | Vares – Uhkapelimerkki | Gambling Chip (Vares 7)Kyypakkaus | Lauri Törhönen | |
2012 | Vares – Pimeyden tango | Tango of Darkness (Vares 8)Kyypakkaus | Lauri Törhönen | |
2013 | Heart of a Lion | Harri | Dome Karukoski | Won the Jussi Award for Best Supporting Actor |
2015 | Vares – Sheriffi | The Sheriff (Vares 9)Kyypakkaus | Hannu Salonen | |
2016 | Jet Trash | Mike | Charles Henri Belleville | |
2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Felix Kendrickson | Spike Lee | |
2020 | Da 5 Bloods | Seppo | Spike Lee | |
2021 | Omerta 6/12 | Max Tanner | Aku Louhimies | |
2024 | Vares X | (Vares 10)Kyypakkaus | Tuukka Temonen |
Television Shows
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1999–2002 | Salatut elämät | Saku Salin | Regular role; 387 episodes |
2003 | Kaunis mies | Joonatan Kuusisto | |
2003 | Irtiottoja - Fragments | Johnny | |
2016–2018; 2020 | Vikings | Halfdan the Black | Main cast (seasons 4–5) Guest (season 6) |
2019 | Pihlajasatu | Saku Salin | 4 episodes |
TBA | The Dark Tower | Marten Broadcloak | Main role |
See also
In Spanish: Jasper Pääkkönen para niños