Jan Uuspõld

Jan Uuspõld (born 14 December 1973)[1] is an Estonian stage, television, radio and film actor and musician.

Jan Uuspõld
Born (1973-12-14) 14 December 1973
Tallinn, Estonia
OccupationActor, musician
Spouse(s)Marion Magdalena Poom (divorced)
Gerli Tiganik (2013-present)
Websitehttp://uuspold.ee/en/

Early life and music career

Jan Uuspõld was born in Tallinn, the eldest of three sons of Ingar and Heidi Uuspõld. His mother is an accountant and his father was a long-distance truck driver. He was raised mostly in Hiiu, Nõmme and attended schools in Keila and Tallinn.[2] In middle school was enrolled in music class and sang in a school choir. He graduated from Tallinn's 1st Industrial High School in 1991 where he trained as an offset printer.[3]

Jan Uuspõld performing with the Luxury Filters.

As a teenager, he wished to become a musician. Influenced in part by the Estonian punk rock band J.M.K.E., he formed a punk band called Trakulla at age fifteen with several classmates and younger brother Andrus after his mother gave him money to buy a guitar.[4] The band went through several music styles and incarnations until eventually being called Luxury Filters and playing predominately jazz and Texas blues inspired songs.[5] After recording several songs, the band appeared on the television Eesti Televisioon (ETV) program 7 vaprat and found a degree of success in Estonia. Their most popular single, "Tramm nr 66", sung by Uuspõld, was released in 1992 when Uuspõld was nineteen.[6] The band folded not long after, but reformed on several occasions, performing on ETV and the 2013 August Blues Festival in Haapsalu.[7][8]

Stage career

After Luxury Filters broke up, Uuspõld was inspired to become an actor after watching Estonian actor Tõnu Kark perform in a stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.[9] In 1994 he applied to and was accepted at the EMA Higher Drama School (now, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) in Tallinn, graduating in 1998. Among his graduating classmate were actors Harriet Toompere, Tiit Sukk, Veikko Täär, Liina Vahtrik, and Andero Ermel.[10] While still a student, his course instructor Priit Pedajas offered him an engagement at the Estonian Drama Theatre. He would perform at the Estonian Drama Theatre from 1996 until 2013 in roles by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Dostoyevsky, among many others.[11] From 2005 until 2007 he also performed for two seasons at the Vanemuine theater in Tartu [12][13] and from 2009 to 2014, with partner Karl Kermes, he created the Monoteater, which staged several plays. In 2013 he developed his own theater production company called Prem Productions.[14]

Television and film

Jan Uuspõld's first film role as an actor was in the 1999 Ervin Õunapuu directed short Kõrbekuu. His first television appearance as an actor was in the Kanal 2 comedy series Wremja in 2001. He would appear in the program as a regular until 2003.[15] This was followed by a dual role in the Finnish YLE2 television series Siperian Nero! He would go on to appear in roles for such television series as: Rikospoliisi ei laula (2006), Ohtlik lend (2006), Kelgukoerad (2007), Brigaad 3 (2007), Kättemaksukontor (2009-2012), among others. In 2004, he appeared on his own television program Jan E. Uuspõld Show on TV3. In 2014 he appeared on the popular reality television program Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt (English: Your Face Sounds Familiar) where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. Uuspõld's impersonations consisted of Justin Bieber, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Shirley Bassey, B.B. King and Fred Astaire.[16][17] In 2011, he also competed for charity and won performing on Tantsud tähtedega, the Estonian version of Dancing with the Stars.[18] Since 2015, he has appeared as the character Urmas Kuldnokk on the Kanal 2 weekly television comedy series Takso.[19]

Jan Uuspõld speaking at Arvamusfestival in 2015.

Shortly after leaving the Estonian Drama Theatre, Uuspõld had an idea to create a comedic road movie. After presenting his idea to directors and screenwriters Rain Tolk and Andres Maimik, the three collaborated in making the 2007 comedy Jan Uuspõld läheb Tartusse (English release title: 186 Kilometers). In the film Uuspõld plays a down-on-his-luck caricature of himself, trying to hitchhike from Tallinn to Tartu to perform in a role at the Vanemuine theater. Along the way, he encounters a vision of deceased opera singer Georg Ots, a perverse truck driver, a man kept as a slave, a hippie, neo-Nazis, the Estonian Army and Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in a cameo appearance, among others.[20] The film premiered in Estonia in 2007 and became the most viewed movie of the year, bringing a record number of people to the cinemas.[21][22]

Personal life

Jan Uuspõld currently resides in Nõmme with his wife, Gerli Tiganik. The two were married in 2013.[23] He has a daughter, Laura-Lisete, from a previous relationship with Margit Roosaar and was previously married to actress Marion Poom, with whom he has a son, Fred. He previously had a long-term relationship with actress Liina Vahtrik.[24]

Awards
  • Estonian Radio Theatre Actor Award for the best radio play (Jörgen - Linnud, Karl Raismik - Noored hinged, Ekke - Domini Cane) (2001)
  • Suur Ants, Estonian Drama Theatre Prize (Osvald Alving - Kummitused) (2003)
  • Baltic Theatre Festival OmaDRAAMA Actor Award (Eduard Wiiralt - Põrgu wärk) (2006)
  • Kaval-Ants, Estonian Drama Theatre Prize for promoting the theatre in a television show, Tantsud tähtedega (2011)
  • Oskar Luts Humor Prize (2014)
  • Estonian Radio Theatre Actor Award (Reading of A. H. Tammsaare 's novel Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan) (2018)

Selected filmography
  • Eesti matus (Estonian: Estonian Funeral) (2021)
  • Raggie (Estonian: Sipsik; animated feature, voice) (2020)
  • Asjad, millest me ei räägi (2020)
  • Vanamehe film (animated feature, voice) (2019)
  • Mehetapja/Süütu/Vari (2017)
  • Swingers (Estonian: Svingerid) (2017)
  • The Spy and the Poet (Estonian: Luuraja ja Luuletaja) (2016)
  • Free Range (Estonian: Free Range: Ballaad maailma heakskiitmisest) (2013)
  • Vasha (2009)
  • 186 Kilometers (Estonian release title: Jan Uuspõld läheb Tartusse) (2007)
  • Hundi agoonia (2006)
  • Ruudi (2006)
  • Frank & Wendy (voice, animated feature 2004)
  • Somnambulance (Estonian: Somnambuul) (2003)
  • Made in Estonia (Estonian release title: Vanad ja kobedad saavad jalad alla) (2003)
  • Ladybirds' Christmas (Estonian: Lepatriinude jõulud; animated feature, voice) (2001)

References
  1. Uuspõld.ee Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  2. Őhtulet.ee Jan Uuspõld: liigne töökoormus põhjustas ülepinge. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  3. temuki.ee. arhiiv. Persona Grata Jan Uuspõld. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. Őhtuleht.ee Jan Uuspõld: bänditegemine on nagu nakkus, mis välja ei lähe. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  5. Őhtuleht.ee Jan Uuspõld, 30rublane kitarr ja tramm nr. 66. 15 February 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  6. Õhtuleht.eeJan Uuspõld, 30rublane kitarr ja tramm nr. 66. 15 February 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  7. Augustibluus. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  8. Delfi.ee Delfi Video ja Fotod: Keila jaanitulel sütitas tantsu vihtuma Jan Uuspõld. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  9. Postimees. Tõnu Kark: film võiks anda lootust. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  10. Eesti Draamateater. Jan Uuspõld. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  11. Eesti Draamateater. Jan Uuspõld. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  12. Vanemuine.ee Jan Uuspõld kinnitab Vanemuise teatris kanda. 7 December 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  13. Vanemuine.ee Jan Uuspõld kirjutab artiklit moralist. 2 February 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  14. elu24. Postimees. Jan Uuspõld astub esimest korda üksi laste ette. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  15. Eesti Päevaleht. Jan Uuspõllu kehastatud Zorro kaob "Wremjast". 30 August 2002. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  16. elu24. Postimees. Jan Uuspõllu Bieberil tuli poole laulu pealt häälemurre. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  17. Õhtuleht.ee Kes kehastab keda järgmise nädala näosaates? 2 November 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  18. elu.24 Postimees. «Tantsud tähtedega» viienda hooaja võitis Jan Uuspõld. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  19. Kanal 2. Postimees. Takso. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  20. Eesti Filmi Andmebaas. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  21. Õhtuleht.ee "Jan Uuspõld läheb Tartusse" on kogunud üle 50 000 vaataja. 16 March 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  22. Õhtuleht.ee Homme esilinastub "Jan Uuspõld läheb Tartusse"! 21 February 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  23. Delfi.ee Delfi Video ja Fotod: Keila jaanitulel sütitas tantsu vihtuma Jan Uuspõld. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  24. elu.24 Jan Uuspõld tõi teatrisse kolm kaasat korraga. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 7 Mat 2016.
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