Actor Antti Litja has died
The actor died of a sudden illness. Antti Litja was a master of self-irony, who was no stranger to any form of acting. The beloved actor passed away in a nursing home at the age of 84 on the night before Wednesday.
ACTOR Antti Litja has died. She died of a sudden serious illness in a nursing home at the age of 84 last night, Litja's relatives tell STT.
Lilja made a career both in the theater and on the big screen.
As a long-time actor, he impressed Finns even in his last years of work with his leading role in the movie Mielsänpahoidad.
His career ended with cerebral infarction in 2014.
A big shock was experienced already in the fall of 2014 when Litja had a brain infarction, which caused her to miss theater performances.
When Litja got sick, she had just been in the spotlight because of her leading role in the movie Mielsänpahoidat. He was also supposed to play a madman at the National Theatre, but he was unable to return to the stage due to a recurrence of the illness.
Antti Litja's last theater role was at Kansallisteatteri in the play Saturday based on Ian McEwan's novel.
In 2016, the beloved actor announced publicly that "the work is now done", because his speech and memory never returned to what they were before.
ANTTI LITJA was born in Antrea, from where the family left for evacuation. Litja left Tervakoski for Helsinki when she was only 16 years old. Among other things, he worked as a car mechanic. In the theater school's entrance exams, Litja imitated James Dean, whom she admired, so well that she had to be admitted to the school.
Litja was a master of self-irony, funny and wise. His laconic humor was always insightful. He was also quite funny, and certainly not least to those close to him.
Litja only rarely agreed to interviews. On the phone, he could be a grumbler of few words, but when we met face to face, he was brutally honest, wickedly funny, and charismatic. Above all, he was critical of himself.
Litja spoke very beautifully about her female friend Eve, who was by her side for several years, but they did not live at the same address.
Litja had three sons from different relationships. He was together with his ex-wife Leila for a long time. The actor was very close to his grandson Leo, who was cast in the lead role in the film Mielsäpahoittar. Litja had played Mielsänpahoittar on the radio and didn't immediately get excited by the idea that the old ram would also be seen on the big screen.
2015 Leo Litja won Betoni-Jussi and best actor for the lead role of Jussi Mielsänpahoidat.
At the end of her life, Litja lived in Thalian Torpa, run by the actors' nursing home foundation. In the theater, after his illness, he was apparently not even seen in the stands.
When she was younger, Litja was quite wild in her lifestyle, but she closed the lid once and for all in the 1980s. "I was a merciless drinker", he stated himself later and wondered how he survived his job even though the wet phase of his life.
Litja acted in the Tampere Workers' Theater (1963–1975), the Finnish National Theater (1975–1985, 2012–2014), and the Helsinki City Theater (1985–1987, 1995–2011).
Antti Litja joined the Quartet four together with Lasse Pöysti (left), Kyllikki Forssell and Ritva Valkama. PHOTO: TAPIO VANHATALO / HELSINKI CITY THEATRE
Antti Litja played many great men in the theaters. He also played a great role in the Helsinki City Theater Quartet, which he joined after Pentti Siimes retired from working life.
Litja played SIGNIFICANT FILM ROLES IN Risto Jarva's blockbusters: The Year of the Rabbit (1977), The Man Who Couldn't Say No (1975), and Holiday (1976). He received the Jussi award for the leading actor for the main role in the movie Man who could not say no.
If Jarva hadn't died so early in a traffic accident, Litja would probably have starred in many more of his films.
The heartbreaker sealed Antti Litja's popularity as the star of the entire nation. PHOTO: AINO KORPELA
Antti Litja was also very popular as the main actor in the film Mielsäpahoidadita. When the film was being filmed, Litja was often driven to a theater show in Turku for the evening. It would have been a challenge even for a younger person, but Litja also enjoyed playing good roles.
Antti Litja was a great storyteller. There are certainly many stories about Antti Litja, who was impressive not only in his roles but also as himself.
