Timo Koivusalo

Pekko Aikamiespoika

The 6 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in (196.9 cm) Koivusalo rose to fame with his character Pekko Aikamiespoika, which he had developed while working as a stand-up comedian. As Pekko Aikamiespoika, he has also twice won the Finnish joketelling championships and made two cassettes with Pekko material. In 1992, Koivusalo appeared in the TV series Pekko Aikamiespoika, followed by a full-length movie called Pekko Aikamiespojan poikamiesaika the next year. All in all, five Pekko movies were made and already while making those, Koivusalo showed his desire to master all of the subareas of making movies: he produced, directed and wrote the script for his movies in addition to playing the lead.

Film director

After the movie Pekko ja unissakävelijä (1997), Koivusalo hung up Pekko's hat and moved behind the camera full-time. His next films were biographies: Kulkuri ja joutsen (1999), about Tapio Rautavaara and Reino Helismaa, Rentun ruusu (2001) about Irwin Goodman and Sibelius (2003), which was the first full-length biographical movie about Jean Sibelius. Koivusalo's second-to-last movie Kaksipäisen kotkan varjossa (2005), which is an adventure and musical set in Finland during the period of its russification. Koivusalo and his common-law wife, Susanna Palin, composed the soundtrack for the movie.

Finnish movie critics have not appreciated Koivusalo's movies; for example, nearly all of them lambasted Kaksipäisen kotkan varjossa. The Finnish public, however, loves them and they have come in droves to see his movies.

The name of Koivusalo's latest movie is Kalteva Torni (The Leaning Tower), which debuted in Finland on 20 October 2006. Kalteva torni is the story of a benevolent man who does not know he has multiple personalities. His greatest fear is that he will not be able to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa before it falls. The leading roles in the movie are played by Martti Suosalo, Seela Sella, Liisa Kuoppamäki, Siiri Suosalo, Esko Nikkari, Mats Långbacka, Laura Jurkka, Jemina Sillanpää and Risto Salmi.

TV host

Timo Koivusalo also has considerable experience as a TV host. From 1992 to 2002, he co-hosted the popular couple's show on TV2 called Tuttu Juttu Show with Joel Hallikainen. Hallikainen left the show, however, already in the spring of 2000, after which Koivusalo co-hosted the show with various presenters. The Tuttu Juttu Show originated from a set that was called Elämäntoveri that Hallikainen and Koivusalo used to perform on the ships between Finland and Sweden. The theme song of the Tuttu Juttu Show, Kuurankukka, has become a classic and which made Hallikainen one of Finland's most popular artists at the beginning of the 1990s. From 2002 to 2006, Koivusalo hosted another show on TV2; this game show was called Leikin varjolla.

Writer

Koivusalo has also written 2 books: Pekko ja outolintu in 1997 and Rysän päältä – siikahyvä ruokakirja in 2005. The latter he wrote with restaurateur Jani Lehtinen and reporter Mikko Peltola. He has also had a column in the Helsingin Sanomat.

Miscellaneous

Despite Timo Koivusalo's long career in the arts, he has been educated as a chef and a mental nurse.

Television