Urho Somersalmi

Who was Urho Somersalmi?

Urho Somersalmi was a Finnish actor. He worked in the Finnish National Theatre from 1908 to 1958. Somersalmi was often seen in roles of masculine heroes or first-time lovers. His physical appearance was very suitable for such roles, and in the beginning of his career, he was often criticized for superficiality. Somersalmi was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal in 1948. He was married to actress Aili Somersalmi since 1912.

Somersalmi was involved in the Finnish film industry from the beginning. In 1913, he made his first small film role in a Teuvo Puro film Sylvi, the first Finnish drama film. His final appearance was in the Finnish-Soviet co-production film Sampo in which he played the role of Väinämöinen.

In April 1962, Urho Somersalmi killed his wife with an axe he had received as a gift from Finnish Actors' Union. After that, he hanged himself on the ceiling lamp hook.