# Laura Malmivaara

Laura Pauliina Malmivaara (born 26 October 1973) is a Finnish actress. Her acting career began in 1993 and includes dozens of roles in film and television productions, as well as stage appearances. In addition to acting, she has also worked as a singer, photographer, television host, blogger and model.

## Career
### Early life and education

Malmivaara was born into a clerical family in Kajaanin maalaiskunta [fi] (now Kajaani), Finland. Before pursuing acting, she worked as a model in her youth. After graduating from the Sibelius Upper Secondary School [fi] in 1992, she lived and worked as a model in Athens, Greece, for a period of time. In 2002, Malmivaara graduated from the Helsinki Theatre Academy. She also studied photography at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki and theology at the University of Helsinki.

### Acting career: 1993–present

Malmivaara made her acting debut in the 1993 film Harjunpää and the Persecutors [fi] and has since appeared in dozens of Finnish film and television productions. Among her best-known roles are in the films Restless (2002), Lovers & Leavers (2002), Vares: Private Eye (2004) and FC Venus (2005). For her performance in FC Venus, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Award [fi] at the 60th [fi] Jussi Awards in 2006. Malmivaara is also well-known for her role in the drama television series Kotikatu, in which she played the priest Tuija Kangasharju from 2002 to 2012.
In addition to her roles in Finnish productions, Malmivaara has also played lead roles in two Italian films written and directed by Anne Riitta Ciccone [fi; it]: L'amore di Màrja [fi; it] (2002) and Thy Neighbor [it] (2008). She also appeared in the 2006 Swedish comedy film Baba's Cars [fi; sv], written and directed by Rafael Edholm.

#### Onstage

Malmivaara was a founding member of the theatre group Akseli Ensemble [fi], which was active from 2004 to 2008. Since 2008, she has been affiliated with KOM-teatteri, located in Helsinki.

### Musical career debut in 2005

Malmivaara's debut album, Myytävänä elämä [fi], was released in 2005 by Elements Music. The ten-track album features pop songs, and both before and after its release, the singles "Nukkumaan" and "Myytävänä elämä" were released in 2005 and 2006, respectively. "Nukkumaan" peaked at number seventeen on the Official Finnish Singles Chart, while "Myytävänä elämä" did not chart. Before her recording career, Malmivaara performed the song "Daa da daa da" with other actors in the film Restless and wrote and performed the song "Sadepilvet" for the film Lovers & Leavers.

### Photography

In addition to her film acting career, Malmivaara has worked as a still photographer for several films. Moreover, three exhibitions featuring her photographic works have been held: Mikä minusta tulee isona (2004), Lauran matkakuvia: Tukholma (2012, 2013) and Taiteilijakuvia (2015).

### Non-fiction television

Malmivaara has hosted two television programs. She hosted Peili, a show based on a board game, which ran for two seasons and aired on MTV3 AVA from 2009 to 2010. From 2012 to 2013, Malmivaara hosted the travel series Lauran matkakuvia: Tukholma [fi], which also ran for two seasons on Liv. In each episode of the series, she travelled to Stockholm, Sweden, with an alternating celebrity guest.
In 2017, Malmivaara participated in the tenth season of Tanssii tähtien kanssa, the Finnish version of Dancing with the Stars, with dancer Mikko Ahti [fi] as her partner.

### Blogging

Malmivaara frequently blogged for the women's magazine Evita [fi], published by Bonnier Publications Oy from 2010 to 2013.

## Personal life

Malmivaara's younger brother, Olli, is a former professional ice hockey player, and actress and singer Malla Malmivaara (also born Laura Malmivaara) is her second cousin.
Malmivaara has two daughters, born in 2004 and 2006, with director Aku Louhimies, to whom she was married from 2003 to 2012. As of 2017, she lives in Helsinki.

## Filmography
### Feature film performances

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Harjunpää and the Persecutors [fi] (Harjunpää ja kiusantekijät) | Model | |
| 1993 | The Romanov Stones [fi] (Romanovin kivet) | Girl at the party | |
| 2000 | Restless (Levottomat) | Tiina | Also performed the song "Daa da daa da" with other actors |
| 2002 | Lovers & Leavers (Kuutamolla) | Laura | Also wrote and performed the song "Sadepilvet" |
| 2002 | L'amore di Màrja [fi; it] | Màrja | |
| 2003 | Young Gods (Hymypoika) | Helena Pääkkönen | |
| 2004 | Vares: Private Eye (Vares – yksityisetsivä) | Eeva Sunila | |
| 2004 | Uuno Turhapuro – This Is My Life | Television show judge | |
| 2005 | Frozen Land (Paha maa) | Social worker | |
| 2005 | FC Venus | Carita | |
| 2006 | Baba's Cars [fi; sv] (Babas bilar) | Elena | |
| 2006 | Man Exposed (Riisuttu mies) | Vilma | |
| 2008 | Stormheart [fi] (Myrsky) | Mother | |
| 2008 | Late Fragments [fi] | Woman | Short film |
| 2008 | Thy Neighbor [it] (Il prossimo tuo) | Eeva | |
| 2009 | The Hour of Prayer (Rukoushetki) | Narrator | Short film |
| 2011 | Ella & Aleksi [fi] (Ella & Aleksi – Yllätyssynttärit) | Hely Huuhkaja | Animated film (voice role) |
| 2013 | Open Up to Me (Kerron sinulle kaiken) | Women's shelter's director | |
| 2013 | Miten meistä tuli ystäviä [fi] | Tiina | Also co-wrote the film |
| 2014 | The Island of Secrets [fi] (Lomasankarit) | Annika Oksala | |
| 2015 | Urban Family [fi] (Ollaan vapaita) | Party hostess | |
| 2016 | Ricky Rapper and the Nighthawk (Risto Räppääjä ja yöhaukka) | Klaudia Kämäräinen | |
| 2016 | Born in Heinola [fi] (Teit meistä kauniin) | Mervi Wirtanen | |
| 2017 | The Darkness Moment (Pimein hetki) | Elina | Short film |
| 2021 | Omerta 6/12 | Iiris Huovinen-Lång | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Kultainen salama [fi] | Janne Mäki's wife | TV series: 1 episode |
| 1994 | Love Story | Woman in the sailboat | TV miniseries: 1 episode |
| 1997 | Siivoton juttu [fi] | | TV film |
| 1997 | Tähtilampun alla [fi] | Annika Leino | TV series: 10 episodes |
| 1998–2000 | Samaa sukua, eri maata [fi] | Anne Kilappa | TV series: 48 episodes |
| 2002 | Jurismia! [fi] | Esmeralda | TV series: 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Isänmaan toivot [fi] | Irina | TV series: 1 episode |
| 2002 | Helsingin olympiakisat 1952 – Muistojuhla | Rauhanenkeli | TV special |
| 2002–2012 | Kotikatu | Tuija Kangasharju | TV series: 199 episodes |
| 2003 | Irtiottoja [fi] | Venla | TV series |
| 2003 | Me olemme taas | Various characters | TV film |
| 2006 | Ranta | Susanna | TV film |
| 2009–2010 | Peili | Herself as the host | Two-season game show |
| 2010 | SEX ABC, The Secret Files of Dr. Zukovski [fi] (Seksin ABC – tri Zukovskin salaiset kansiot) | | Animated documentary series (voice role) |
| 2012–2013 | Lauran matkakuvia: Tukholma [fi] | Herself as the host | Two-season travel series: 20 episodes |
| 2014 | Toisen kanssa [fi] | Helena Parikka | TV series: 6 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Ihon alla [fi] | Essi Salonen | TV series: 12 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Bordertown (Sorjonen) | Anneli Ahola | TV series: 22 episodes |
| 2017 | Presidentti | Anna Talvio | TV series: 12 episodes |
| 2017 | Tanssii tähtien kanssa | Herself as a competitor | TV dance contest: 10th season |
| 2018 | Bullets | Kerttu Kavén | TV series: 9 episodes |
| 2019 | Kellot soi [fi] | Anne Asikainen-Kariluoma-Ståhlberg | TV series: 10 episodes |
| 2020 | All the Sins (Kaikki synnit) | Anu Leinonen | TV series: 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Fast [fi] (Karkurit) | Maria | TV series: 1 episode |
| 2021 | Kentän laidalla [fi] | Kristiina Heiskanen | TV series: 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Detective Maria Kallio [fi] (Maria Kallio) | Katri Tanner | TV series: 1 episode |
| 2021 | Dough [fi; sv] (Deg) | Karita | TV series: 5 episodes |
| 2021 | Karuselli [fi] | Kaija Böök | TV series: 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Mobile 101 [fi] (Made in Finland) | Liisa Ollila | TV series: 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Poikani Joel [fi] | Roosa | TV miniseries |
| 2022, 2024 | Helsinki Syndrome | Anne Laukko | TV series: 14 episodes |

### Still photography

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1997 | The Blind Spot (Sokea piste) | Feature film |
| 2000 | Restless (Levottomat) | Feature film |
| 2003 | Irtiottoja [fi] | Television series |
| 2006 | Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki) | Feature film |
| 2006 | Man Exposed (Riisuttu mies) | Feature film |
| 2008 | Tears of April (Käsky) | Feature film |
| 2012 | Hush (Ja saapuu oikea yö) | Feature film |
| 2017 | Kuudes kerta [fi] | Feature film |

## Discography
### Albums

* Myytävänä elämä [fi] (2005)

### Singles

* "Nukkumaan" (2005) – peaked at #17 on the Official Finnish Singles Chart
* "Myytävänä elämä" (2006)

## Photography exhibitions

* Mikä minusta tulee isona (2004)
* Lauran matkakuvia: Tukholma (2012, 2013)
* Taiteilijakuvia (2015)