Ester Pajusoo (born Ester Lage; 1 July 1934) is an

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n stage, film, radio and television actress whose career has spanned nearly six decades.

Early life

Ester Pajusoo was born Ester Lage in the small village of Nõmme in rural Tuhala Parish (now,

Kose Parish Kose Parish () is a rural municipality in northern Estonia. It is a part of Harju County. The municipality has a population of 5,737 (as of 1 January 2004) and covers an area of . The population density is 24.2 inhabitants per km2. In October 20 ...

; not to be confused with

Nõmme Nõmme ( Estonian for ' heath') is one of the eight administrative districts () of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It has a population of 39,422 () and covers an area of , population density is . The district is largely a middle-class, suburban ...

, one of the urban administrative districts of

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

), she was the youngest of three daughters of Johannes Lage and Marie Johanna "Anni" Lage (''née'' Kull). She had three older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage. She graduated from secondary school in Tallinn in 1953 and attended the

Estonian Drama Theatre The Estonian Drama Theatre () is a theatre in Tallinn, Estonia. It has the role of a national theatre for Estonia. The Estonia Theatre is located next door. History The building that houses the Estonian Drama Theatre was originally built for the ...

's training studio, graduating in 1957. In 1956, she began using the surname Pajusoo after her marriage to Jüri Pajusoo.

Stage career

Ester Pajusoo began an engagement at the Estonian Drama Theatre in 1958, the year following her graduation. Pajusoo has been with the theatre ever since. She made her stage debut at the theatre in

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

's ''

Mr Puntila and his Man Matti ''Mr Puntila and His Man Matti'' () is an epic comedy by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. It was written in 1940 and first performed in 1948. The story describes the aristocratic land-owner Puntila's relationship to his servant, Ma ...

'' in 1958. During her years at the theatre, she has performed in a number of stage productions by such international playwrights and authors as:

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

Evgeny Schwartz Evgeny Lvovich Schwartz (, , Kazan, Russian Empire, January 15, 1958, Leningrad, Soviet Union) was a Soviet writer and playwright, whose works include twenty-five plays, and screenplays for three films (in collaboration with Nikolai Erdman). L ...

Hjalmar Söderberg Hjalmar Emil Fredrik Söderberg (2 July 1869 – 14 October 1941) was a Swedish novelist, short story writer, playwright and journalist. His works often deal with melancholy and lovelorn characters, and offer a rich portrayal of contemporary Stoc ...

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant- ...

Yukio Mishima Kimitake Hiraoka ( , ''Hiraoka Kimitake''; 14 January 192525 November 1970), known by his pen name Yukio Mishima ( , ''Mishima Yukio''), was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, Ultranationalism (Japan), ultranationalis ...

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

and

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

, among others. Notable performances in works by Estonian playwrights and authors include those of:

Oskar Luts Oskar Luts ( – 23 March 1953) was an Estonian writer and playwright. Biography Oskar Luts was born into a middle-class family in Järvepera, central Estonia, at that time in the governorate of Livonia (Russian Empire). His younger brother was ...

Mats Traat Mats Traat (23 November 1936 – 27 June 2022) was an Estonian poet, poetry translator, and author. Career Traat was born in Arula, Otepää Parish. He debuted in 1962 with a collection of poetry. He published over 20 anthologies of poetry. ...

Andrus Kivirähk Andrus Kivirähk (born 17 August 1970) is an Estonian writer, a playwright, topical satirist, and screenwriter. As of 2004, 25,000 copies of his novel ''Rehepapp ehk November'' (''Old Barny or November'') had been sold, making him the most popul ...

Jaan Kross Jaan Kross (19 February 1920 – 27 December 2007) was an Estonian writer. He won the 1995 International Nonino Prize in Italy. Early life Born in Tallinn, Estonia, son of a skilled metal worker, Jaan Kross studied at Jakob Westholm Gymnasi ...

and

A. H. Tammsaare Anton Hansen (18 (O.S.)/30 January 1878 – 1 March 1940), better known by his pseudonym A. H. Tammsaare and its variants, was an Estonian writer whose pentalogy '' Truth and Justice'' (''Tõde ja õigus''; 1926–1933) is considered one of t ...

Film and television

Pajusoo made her film debut as the character Sirje in the 1960 Virve Aruoja directed Estonian drama

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

''Näitleja Joller''. This was followed by a small, uncredited role in the 1972

Sulev Nõmmik Sulev Nõmmik (11 January 1931, in Tallinn – 28 July 1992, in Kuressaare) was an Estonian theatre and movie director, actor, humorist and comedian. He's mostly associated with the comical character of Kärna Ärni and the related fictional villag ...

directed television film comedy ''

Noor pensionär ''A Young Retiree'' () is a 1972 Estonian comedy film directed by Sulev Nõmmik and written by himself and Enn Vetemaa. Together with ''Viimne reliikvia'', ''Siin me oleme!'' and ''Mehed ei nuta'', ''Noor pensionär'' is one of the most influenti ...

''. In 1981, she made her screen debut in the

Arvo Kruusement Arvo Kruusement (born 20 April 1928) is an Estonian actor, theatre and film director who has made some of Estonia's classic novels into films; '' Spring'' (1969), ''Summer'' (1976), and ''Fall'' (1990) The movie ''Spring'' has been noted as the b ...

directed drama ''Karge meri''; an adaptation of the 1938

August Gailit August Gailit (9 January 1891 – 5 November 1960) was an Estonians, Estonian writer. Life Georg August Gailit was born in Lossiküla, Kuiksilla (near Sangaste Castle), Sangaste Parish (now Otepää Parish), Kreis Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia, ...

novel of the same name. She would not appear in another film until 2006; in the

Roman Baskin Roman Baskin (25 December 1954 – 13 September 2018) was an Estonian actor and director of stage and screen. His parents were Eino Baskin and Ita Ever. Baskin's credits as an actor included '' Lotte from Gadgetville'' (2006), '' 186 Kilometres' ...

directed comedy ''

Vana daami visiit ''Vana daami visiit'' (English: ''The Visit of the Old Lady'') is a 2006 Estonian film directed by Roman Baskin and based on the 1956 play '' The Visit'' by Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was ...

''. Her appearance in ''Vana daami visiit'' would revive her film career and between 2006 and 2016, she would appear in eight films; including the title role of ''Astrid'' in the 2016 Sander Koit directed drama short. Among her more memorable roles in television was that of the recurring character Reet from 2008 until 2013 in the historical mini-series ''

Tuulepealne maa ''Tuulepealne maa'' ("Windward Land") is a twelve-part Estonian television mini-series about the pre-World War II history of Estonia, its birth as a country, the Estonian War of Independence, post-war life throughout 1920 up to 1941 and World ...

'', which aired on

Eesti Televisioon Eesti Televisioon (ETV) () is an Estonian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Estonian Public Broadcasting. It made its first broadcast on 19 July 1955. History Eesti Televisioon (''Estonian Television'') was launched on ...

. She has also made appearances on Estonian television series including ''Ohtlik lend'', ''

Kättemaksukontor ''Kättemaksukontor'' or in English ''The Vengeance Bureau'' and even ''Revenge Office'' is an Estonian comedy-crime television series. In the series, a group of women have a organization called "Kättemaksukontor". This organization helps to solv ...

'' and ''IT-planeet''.

Personal life

Ester Pajusoo was married to Jüri Pajusoo from 1956 until his death in 2006. She currently resides in Tallinn.

Acknowledgements

* Väike Ants, Estonian Drama Theatre Prize, Supporting Actress (Imbi Rehepapp; ''Rehepapp ja näärisokk'' and Vihukse perenaine; ''Tagasi Vargamäel'') (2001) *

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star (; ) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state. Design Classes The Order of the White Star ...

, IV Class (2004)Eesti Draamateater
Retrieved 30 November 2016.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pajusoo, Ester 1934 births Living people Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian television actresses Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 4th Class 20th-century Estonian actresses 21st-century Estonian actresses People from Kose Parish