Vesa-Matti "Vesku" Loiri (4 January 1945 – 10 August 2022) was 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.
Loiri made a strong impression early in his career with the role of Jake in the drama film The Boys. He later acted in notable films such as Rakastunut rampa, Pedon merkki, and The Howling Miller, as well as in the television series Rauta-aika. In the latter part of his career, Loiri appeared in several dramedies, including Tie pohjoiseen (Road North).
Loiri's comedic career began in collaboration with Spede Pasanen during the late 1960s. Together, they created the character Uuno Turhapuro, a slovenly antihero who entertained audiences and frustrated critics through his misadventures. Other comedic characters Loiri portrayed included Nasse-setä, Jean-Pierre Kusela, and Tyyne, all of whom were featured in television sketch shows in the 1980s and later expanded into films and music albums. Loiri, Pasanen, and Simo Salminen formed the popular comedy trio Spede, Vesku ja Simo.
In addition to his comedic roles, Loiri delivered critically acclaimed performances in theatre, such as his portrayal of Kosola in the Ylioppilasteatteri production of Lapualaisooppera and Tuomas in the Turku City Theatre adaptation of Seven Brothers. Loiri was also known for immersing himself deeply in his roles, sometimes to the detriment of his mental health. This was particularly evident with his roles in The Boys and Pahat pojat (Bad Boys), where he portrayed intense and troubled characters.
As a singer, Loiri gained acclaim for his interpretations of Eino Leino's poetry, alongside recording Finnish pop songs, including works by Reino Helismaa and Juha Vainio. Between 2006 and 2008, he released a trilogy of acoustic albums, Ivalo, Inari, and Kasari, which featured Finnish pop and rock classics.
According to Yle News, "Loiri was one of Finland's most beloved cultural figures over six decades, playing comic and tragic roles on screen and stage, alongside a musical career." Loiri died of cancer on 10 August 2022.
Loiri was born in Helsinki on 4 January 1945 to Taito Vilho Loiri (1911–1995) and Lily Ida Annikki Nylund (1916–2013). His father was a technical draftsman born in Lappee in 1911. His mother was born in Mustasaari in 1916 and grew up in Pori. Lily completed the household department of the Pori Girls' Vocational School. Taito and Lily became engaged in the spring of 1942. The family settled in Töölö, Helsinki, and a year after Vesa-Matti's birth, a younger brother, Veli-Pekka Loiri, was born. The Loiri family had relatives living in Kruununhaka, including Taito's sister Sigrid and her husband Hjalmar Berglund. Their son, Paavo Berglund, would later become a renowned conductor. As a child, Vesa-Matti was called Matti, had heterochromatic eyes, and was said to have learned to sing before he could talk.
Vesa-Matti was a sensitive child who could be moved to tears by a teacher's sharp remark in primary school. Music also evoked strong emotions in him; for instance, Johann Sebastian Bach's Air almost made him feel out of his body. He collected records, including stolen discs sold to him by Olavi Virta's son. However, his greatest inspiration came from films, especially director Ingmar Bergman's The Magician, which left a profound impression on him.
Vesa-Matti and his brother Veli-Pekka spent their summers at their grandmother's house, Lily's childhood home, located in a residential area near the centre of Pori. This offered a better environment for play than Töölö, where the urban setting and traffic limited their activities.
Growing up among the baby boomers, Vesa-Matti had many peers and was regarded as the leader of his group of friends. He led boys' games that often mimicked movies, especially westerns. In the early 1950s, Vesa-Matti sang in the B-section of the boys' choir Cantores Minores. However, by the time he was expected to move up to the A-section, his interests had shifted, and he gave up choir singing. During the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the Loiri family moved to Haaga, where Vesa-Matti made his debut in summer theatre. The 1950s educational system in Finland emphasized practical professions over creativity, which led to the Loiri brothers losing interest in school. After primary school, Vesa-Matti attended the newly established Pohjois-Haaga School. In Haaga, he befriended the Kuoppamäki brothers, Jukka and Mikko, with whom he performed as a Star Boy during their teenage years.
In the late 1950s, Vesa-Matti was part of the band Rock Brothers Loiri, which included his brother Veli-Pekka, Mikko Kuoppamäki, and Timo Juslin. Occasionally, he performed as Rock-Olga, a female rock persona. In early 1962, the band performed a youth musical titled Huipulla tuulee (The Wind Blows at the Top), which caught the attention of Paavo Hukkinen, an actor and organizer for Suomen Filmiteollisuus (Finnish Film Industry). Hukkinen inquired if Vesa-Matti would be interested in a film role. This led to his casting in the drama film The Boys.
Loiri had read the novel The Boys upon its release and dreamed of playing the role of Jake. However, he did not actively pursue the role; instead, he was discovered through the aforementioned musical. Loiri later noted that without The Boys, he might not have pursued theater school, as his interests at the time were more focused on music.
Loiri applied to the Finnish Theatre Academy in the spring of 1962 but was not admitted at that time. He decided to complete his military service instead. He volunteered for service at the age of 17, but a doctor had marked his fitness classification in a way that was misinterpreted. Loiri began his military service in the Coastal Artillery Regiment at Isosaari near Helsinki in October 1962, just a few weeks before the premiere of the film The Boys. At the same time, he held a trainee contract as a stagehand at the opera house, which had to be terminated due to his military commitment—a process that proved challenging. Loiri was granted leave from the military to travel to Oulu for the premiere of The Boys. He reapplied to the Theatre Academy in the spring of 1963 and was accepted. Loiri completed his military service in September 1963 with the rank of alikersantti.
Loiri grew significantly during his time in the army. When he began his service, he was 169 centimetres tall, and by the time he was discharged, he had grown to 183 centimetres. He also matured emotionally, although he described the overall experience as unpleasant; the military helped to curb his self-centeredness, preventing the popularity of The Boys from going to his head.
Loiri's acting career spanned approximately 60 years. He performed in theatre, film, and television, with his career often described as built from highly contrasting elements. While best known for his comedic roles, he also acted in serious dramas. Over 70 film roles are credited to him. Six films starring Loiri are in the top 20 list of the highest-grossing domestic films in Finland. The total number of tickets sold to the screenings of these six films is 3,715,948.
Loiri was part of the Helsinki City Theatre from 1966 to 1971 and the Turku City Theatre from 1973 to 1977. Between 1971 and 1973, he worked as a freelance actor.
Many actors of the previous generation were known for their heavy drinking. Leo Lähteenmäki helped the young Loiri connect with his small role in The Kurdish Prince by giving him alcohol, aiming to induce a mild hangover to help unlock the performance. Later, Loiri passed on this method to Aake Kalliala. One of the earliest mentions of Loiri's theatre roles appeared in Helsingin Sanomat in September 1964, describing his minor part in Under the North Star as a "feverish Singer Boy".
In the 1960s, Loiri's early career was marked by leftist influences, partly due to his connections to the political song movement. Notable roles included "God's Chosen Leader" Kosola in Arvo Salo's Lapualaisooppera, Tuomas in Kalle Holmberg's production of Seven Brothers, and Nikolai Stavrogin in Dostoevsky's Demons. Directors who influenced him included Matti Aro, Ralf Långbacka, and Arto af Hällström, but Holmberg was the most significant. Loiri would cancel lighter projects, such as films, to collaborate with Holmberg, finding the partnership creatively revitalizing.