Jorma Tommila
Tommila in 2020
Born1959 (age 64–65)
Rauma, Finland
Education
OccupationActor
Years active1987–present
Notable work
SpouseIda Helander-Tommila
ChildrenOnni Tommila

Jorma Tommila (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈjo̞rmɑ ˈtomːilɑ]; born 1959) is a Finnish actor. Winner of the Jussi Award for Best Actor in 1997, Tommila is best known for playing Aatami Korpi in the film Sisu (2022).

Early and personal life

Tommila was born in Rauma, Finland and spent his youth in Kiukainen. His father died when Jorma was four years old, after suffering from injuries to his lungs in World War II. Tommila was raised by his mother, and his older sister Kielo Tommila is also an actress. He lives with his family in Vaasa.[1] He is married to actress Ida Helander-Tommila, the sister of director Jalmari Helander.[2] He is the father of Onni Tommila, who is also an actor.[3]

Career

Whilst at Helsinki Theatre Academy in 1987, Tommila was one of four founding members of God's Theater, a Finnish theater group that made experimental and radical stage art, their performances including full frontal nudity, the setting off of fire extinguishers, and the performers throwing faeces into the crowd.[4] The four were arrested and fined, and given suspended prison sentences. They were also expelled from the college, the expulsion prompting protests from fellow students.[5]

In 1997, Tommila won the Jussi Award for Best Actor for his role in the film The Christmas Party, directed by his God Theatre's fellow founder Jari Halonen.[6]

Tommila's character in the film Sisu, filmed in Lapland with a budget of €6 million, has been compared with Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) in the 1982 film,[7] and with John Wick (played by Keanu Reeves).[8] He has also been described as a “new action cinema icon”.[9] Tommila portrays Aatami Korpi, an ex-commando and gold prospector who strikes gold but has his bounty stolen by Nazi soldiers. Korpi, with courage and "unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds", becomes "a one-man death squad who will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path."[10] For the role Tommila won the award for best actor at the Sitges Film Festival in 2022.[11][12]

Partial filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Back to the USSR – takaisin Ryssiin Reima Elo Also co-writer
1995 Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of Sodoma Lipton Cockton
1996 The Christmas Party Bona Merenkylä Also co-producer
2000 Bad Luck Love Ali
2003 Raid French Foreign Legionary
2004 Vares: Private Eye Antero Kraft
2007 The Year of the Wolf Jarkko Salminen
2009 The Visitor Father
2010 Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Rauno Kontio
2014 Big Game Tapio Kontio
2022 Sisu Aatami Korpi

References

  1. ↑ Mattila, Mattias (January 29, 2023). "Male model: Culture visitor, actor Jorma Tommila longed for a father figure as a child. Many of his role models were war veterans. From them, he carried with him elements for the main character of the film Sisu". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ Martikainen, Linda (January 26, 2023). "Uutta kotimaista Sisu-elokuvaa tähdittää komea porukka samaa perhettä – ohjaaja, päärooli, sivuosa, koira..." anna.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Onni Tommila ystävystyi lähes kymmenen vuotta sitten Samuel L. Jacksonin kanssa – sai näyttelijätähdeltä lahjan, joka on tallessa yhä". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Aunila, Seija. "Jari Halonen and God's Theater". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ Kolsi, Eeva-Kaarina (January 17, 2017). "30 years of God's theater - where are they now?". is.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Classic presentation: The homegrown cult classic will not be forgotten - "The Christmas Party is perhaps the best-acted film in the world"". Mesta.net (in Finnish). November 14, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  7. ↑ Topelus, Taneli (January 29, 2023). "Jalmari Helander's extremely violent Nazi lynching film caused an extraordinary reaction in Hollywood". is.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  8. ↑ Hudson, Kate. "A Finnish 'John Wick' Where the Bad Guys Are Also Nazis? I'll Take 10 Tickets". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  9. ↑ Billington, Alex (February 21, 2023). "Meet Finland's New Action Hero: Official Trailer for 'Sisu' Action Movie". Firstshowing.net. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ Godfrey, Jake (February 23, 2023). "Trailer released for action film Sisu". Film Stories. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "55th Edition Award Winners". Sitgesfilmfestival.com. October 15, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  12. ↑ Mayorga, Emilio (October 16, 2022). "Jalmari Helander's 'Sisu', Ti West's 'Pearl' win big at Sitges". Screen Daily. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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