Esa Saario
Esa Saario was a Finnish actor whose career spanned more than four decades on stage and screen. He began his studies at the Helsinki Theatre Academy in 1956. Recognizing his exceptional talent, headmaster Wilho Ilmari and the faculty allowed him to skip a full year of training, enabling him to graduate in just two years. Saario joined the Finnish National Theatre in 1956, where he remained until 1997. Over the course of his career, he performed in more than 100 productions at the theatre, taking on roles that ranged from classical interpretations to children’s plays, as well as modern dramas, musical performances, and recitations. His voice also became familiar to audiences through animated films and recordings, cementing his place as a versatile and much-loved figure in Finnish culture.
Life and career
Saario worked as an actor for the Finnish National Theatre from 1958 until his retirement in 1997. The first role he played was in 1954 and the last in 2001. Saario performed in over 200 different roles during his career. Some of his most memorable roles on stage were Orgon in Tartuffe, Malcolm in Macbeth, actor/priest in Hamlet and Amiens in As You Like It.Saario had also played in multiple radio dramas broadcast by the Finnish National broadcaster Yleisradio. His radio drama roles included Police officer Karhunen in Noita Nokinenä, Marvin in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and several roles in The Men from the Ministry.
Some of Saario's most famous cinema roles included politician Janne Kivivuori in the movies Here, Beneath the North Star and Akseli and Elina. Saario's first roles on screen were seen in the movies Sven Tuuva the Hero and Kankkulan Kaivolla.
In the beginning of 1960s Saario recorded many children's songs, such as "Hottentottilaulu", together with actress Maikki Länsiö. Hottentottilaulu is originally a Norwegian children's song called Visen om vesle Hoa. It was translated into Finnish by Jukka Virtanen.
Saario had also been a member of the Finnish Actor Union, the Board of the Actors of the Finnish National Theatre and the Board of the Finnish National Theatre. Honorary membership of Nummi-Seura Ry, the local Heritage association in Nummi, was given to Saario on 9 June 2020. The board of Nummi-Seura recognised Saario's significant and long lasting work for Nummi-Seura and for preserving the local heritage in Nummi for future generations.
Saario died on the 26th of September 2025, at the age of 93.
Theatre
| Role | Play | Year |
| One of the wise men | Sleeping Beauty | 1954 |
| Fedótik/Rode | Three Sisters | 1956 |
| Actor/Priest | Hamlet | 1957 |
| Jupp | Captain of Köpenick | 1957 |
| I Marquis/I Poet/Soldier | Cyrano de Bergerac | 1958 |
| MP of the 3rd Party | Mr. Party Secretary | 1958 |
| Jesper | When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town | 1958 |
| Theramenes | Phèdre | 1959 |
| IV Citizen/Pindarus | Julius Caesar | 1959 |
| Pugovitsyn | The Government Inspector | 1959 |
| Sung Ju | Tsu Yuan | 1959 |
| I worker | Miljoonavaillinki | 1959 |
| Father/Dean | A Dream Play | 1959 |
| Naahar | Nilkkarengas | 1960 |
| Doctor/General's friend | L'Hurluberlu, ou Le Reactionnaire amoureux | 1960 |
| Pedersen | Swedenhjelmit | 1960 |
| Herra | Täyttyneiden Toiveiden Maa | 1960 |
| Mr. Fauques | Ihana Seikkailu | 1960 |
| Don Sancho | Cantar de Mio Cid | 1960 |
| Singer/Musician | Suuri Rakkaus | 1960 |
| Gardener | Sleeping Beauty | 1960 |
| Monsieur Marquis | Der Talisman | 1961 |
| Meri-Jussi | Rintatasku | 1961 |
| Benvolio | Romeo and Julia | 1961 |
| Nicholas Gadspy | A Touch of the Poet | 1961 |
| Ruprecht | The Broken Jug | 1961 |
| One of the Elders of Argos | Oresteia | 1961 |
| Ugo | Narri | 1962 |
| Zépo | Pique-nique en campagne | 1962 |
| Soldier | Myrskylintu | 1962 |
| King | Becket | 1962 |
| Sakeus | Lea | 1962 |
| Hearse driver | Palanut tontti | 1962 |
| Toivo Uljas | Totuuden Helmi | 1962 |
| Old Musician | Caesar and Cleopatra | 1963 |
| Juoppi | Naisten Hurmaaja | 1963 |
| Mekaanikko | Kaksi Maanantaita | 1963 |
| Vincentio | The Taming of the Shrew | 1963 |
| Galy Gay | Man Equals Man | 1963 |
| Singer/Lyonnaise | Danton's Death | 1963 |
| Into Viiriläinen | Tuntematon Potilas | 1964 |
| Malcolm | Macbeth | 1964 |
| Princess Grace | The Hostage | 1964 |
| The Papal Nuncio of Berlin | The Deputy | 1964 |
| Caius Caracchus | Muuttohaukat | 1965 |
| Mickey | Jälkeen syntiinlankeemuksen | 1965 |
| Velkavanki | Jokamies | 1965 |
| Singer | The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat As Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of Monsieur de Sade | 1965 |
| Lawyer | Miss Alice | 1965 |
| Pekka | Uudenvuodenyö | 1966 |
| Aigisthos | Electra | 1966 |
| Chief of the society | Päämajassa | 1966 |
| Sparky | Serjeant Musgrave's Dance | 1967 |
| Intonen | Herra Johtaja | 1967 |
| Matthews/captain Eckert/Wood | the Death of the President | 1968 |
| Guard | Antigone | 1968 |
| Captain | Agenttilaiva | 1968 |
| Johtaja Judas, Koronkiskuri | Omena Putoaa | 1968 |
| La Flèche | The Miser | 1969 |
| Joas | Lea | 1969 |
| Mäntti | Peter Pan | 1969 |
| Peter Cauchon/Bishop of Beauvais | Saint Joan | 1970 |
| Frans | Nuorempi Veli | 1970 |
| Francois | Naistenryöstäjät | 1970 |
| Kreivi Hufnagel | Operetti | 1971 |
| Oskar | Tales from the Vienna Woods | 1971 |
| Vasili Vasiljevitsh Soljonyi | Three sisters | 1971 |
| Antoine | Dear Antoine: or, the Love That Failed | 1972 |
| Valee | Tukkijoella | 1972 |
| Kortesuo | Anna-Liisa | 1972 |
| Krouvari | Kristiina | 1973 |
| Orgon | Taruffe | 1973 |
| Juhani, Niskavuoren isäntä | Niskavuoren Heta | 1973 |
| Arje | Miten Kalat Suutelevat | 1974 |
| Matti Aaltonen | Puntilan Isäntä ja Hänen renkinsä Matti | 1975 |
| Haudy | Sotilaat | 1976 |
| Jahvetti | Arkielämää | 1976 |
| Glupp/Man with a bowler hat/Revolutionist | Drums in the Night | 1977 |
| Count | Les Fausses Confidences | 1977 |
| Captain Shotover | Heartbreak House | 1978 |
| Törnskjöld | Kanneviskaali Samuel Kröll | 1978 |
| Hoviherra Koipelin | Hyrrä | 1979 |
| Hurttanen | Mitta Mitasta | 1979 |
| Thesleff | Jääkäri Ståhl | 1979 |
| Duke of Alba | Don Carlos | 1981 |
| The Prospector | The Madwoman of Chaillot | 1981 |
| Johan Ludvig Heiberg | Rain snakes | 1982 |
| Malmberg, Niiles Kustaa, Lapuan apulaispappi | Kolmekymmentä hopearahaa | 1982 |
| Jermolinski | Punainen Virta | 1983 |
| Anton Tšehov | Tšehov Jaltalla | 1983 |
| James Tyrone | Long Day's Journey into Night | 1984 |
| Karri | Nummisuutarit | 1984 |
| Nikolai | Breaking the Silence | 1986 |
| Sheriff Talbott | The Fugutive Kind | 1987 |
| Ville | Omena Putoaa | 1987 |
| Captain Smollett | Treasure Island | 1988 |
| Doctor Bradman | Blithe Spirit | 1988 |
| J.K.Paasikivi | Tie Talvisotaan | 1989 |
| Hieroja | Särkelä itte | 1989 |
| Nimismies | Pohjanmaa | 1990 |
| Tsyganov, Michail Nikolajevitsh, engineer | Barbarians | 1991 |
| Iisakki Kiukoo | Amerikan Morsian | 1992 |
| Grand Duke Aleksandr Mihailovits | Keisarin perhe ja pyhä paholainen | 1993 |
| Adjutantti | Presidentin Dementia | 1994 |
| Alonso - King of Naples | The Tempest | 1995 |
| Kansleri Bestuzev | Katariina Suuri | 1996 |
| Aadolf | Tohvelisankarin rouva | 1997 |
| Oskari | Mäntyranta se oli | 1997 |
| Leo Fairchild | The Lady in the Van | 2001 |
Books
Saario wrote two books about the dialect of Nummi. In addition to telling about the Nummi dialect, the first book also tells about the poets and songwriters of the past in Nummi. The first book is called Nummilaist kiälentampaamist. Saario's second book, Sana on jalkava -se menee pian ja pitkält, is a dictionary between words that are only used in Nummi dialect and words in standard Finnish language. A short booklet was also written by Saario to add more words to the second book. The booklet is called Ei lisä pahitteeks ol, paitti velas ja selkään saamises.The books were published by Esa Saario and Nummi-Seura, the Association of Nummi Local Area.
| Title | Publishing year and place | Pages |
| Nummilaist Kiälentampaamist | 2013, Nummi | 115 |
| Sana on jalkava -se menee pian ja pitkält | 2016, Nummi | 134 |
| Ei lisä pahitteeks ol, paitti velas ja selkään saamises | 2016, Nummi | 16 |