Tatu Sinisalo is a Finnish actor known for lead roles in the award-winning biopics Born in Heinola (Teit meistä kauniin, 2016) and King of Hearts (Olen Suomalainen, 2019), both honoured with the Jussi Audience Award.

He recently appeared in Jalmari Helander’s internationally acclaimed and award-winning film Sisu (TIFF 2022, Sony & Lionsgate 2023), and stars in the upcoming U.S. feature Love Is the Monster directed by Alex Noyer, alongside Hollywood talents, which is set to premiere in 2025.

Sinisalo is going to graduate with an MA in Acting for Screen at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London. His previous training includes work with Patsy Rodenburg (ex.prof. at Guildhall School of Music and Drama), AAFTA (American Arts Film and Television Academy) in L.A., and Näty at Tampere University.

His additional credits include prominent roles in: Helsinki Crimes (Netflix, ‘22) Welcome to Texas (Aallonmurtaja, C More, '21), Perfect Commando (Viaplay, Apple+, '20), The Invincibles (Rosvopankki, Ruutu, '23) and as one of the leads in Soulmates (Kaverikirja, C More, '22).

Multilingual and musically gifted, Tatu brings depth and versatility to his roles. In 2023, he played the lead in a musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at Finland’s biggest theatre house, Helsinki City Theatre.

Fluent in English, Finnish, Swedish and Standard American, with a basic understanding of Spanish, French and Northern Sami, Tatu’s range of talents make him a captivating and innovative choice.

Sinisalo is currently based between Helsinki, London and LA. Tatu holds a EU passport and a U.S. Talent O-1 Work Visa.

-Want to know more? Scroll down to read in Finnish.

With an excellent ear for accents and languages, Tatu graduated with MA in Theatre Arts, 2019, at NÄTY, Tampere University, Finland. In 2022 Tatu was awarded a full scholarship to American Arts, Film and Television Academy (AAFTA), Los Angeles. 

Has studied Acting under multiple mentors Universities & Conservatories in different countries: NÄTY, TEAK, KASK, LMTA, EAMT, StepUp, Patsy Rodenburg (Guildhall), Chekhov Studio International, Ivana Chubbuck Studio & AAFTA.

In the master’s thesis he explored ways to construct his own acting technique: Documentary Acting . The idea behind this research is to help an actor approach biopic film roles, that dramatize the life of a non-fictional person, with accountability and integrity.

His first lead role (Born in Heinola) was praised for sounding exactly like the real rock star he was playing, implementing deep character building in physique & voice. 

Having worked with musical theater, Tatu is a singer-songwriter for Kasualisti and has worked in some of the most distinguished and biggest theatre houses in the country, such as Helsinki City Theatre, Kotka City Theatre, Alexander’s Theatre and Zephyr Theatre (LA).

- Accents / Languages: Standard American, Finnish, Swedish, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Northern Sami

“Some experiences that I draw upon:

I believe empathy, sympathy and action are the keys to start making a difference in this world. In that order.

When trying to understand a character and a story, one has to be open to empathy, compassion and dialogue. I’ve learned how inviting people in - to the team - creates detailed, representative and engaging new narratives: Stories that have the potential to connect us across borders, communities, ethnicities and personal bias. I’m curious about the different worlds people live in, my own blind spots and about our inner default settings that we act upon to justify our needs.

I had an upbringing and education that fosters diversity and inclusivity. My relationship with a native Sami was a life-changing experience in learning about racial, colonial, climate, and political issues that indigenous people & all of us are still facing today.

I sailed across the Atlantic within a crew of 19 people of 14 different nationalities. That was a very rooting experience about team work, our blue planet and the very essence of oneself.

When my grandmother died I learned that hearing is often the last sense we're left with in the very end. Hence it's always worth the dialogue. It is the only way to tell stories, work or co-exist at 417,51 ppm atmospheric CO2 on the planet.

Things I enjoy:

Plant-based food, secondhand, horseback riding, writing, singing & songwriting, archery, surfing, sword fighting, mountain hiking, jamming, doing nothing at all for a minute and feeling content about it.”

Contact Tatu for more info.