Helmi Lydia Lindelöf ( Helenius; 1884–1966) was a leading Finnish actress of the first half of the 20th century.

Career

Lindelöf's debut performance (under her maiden name Helenius) came in 1901 at the age of 17, and already the following year she was attached to the

Finnish National Theatre The Finnish National Theatre (), established in 1872, is a theatre located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki Central Railway Station Square. The Finnish National Theatre is the oldest Finnish speaking professional thea ...

, where she remained for the next 45 years. Lindelöf was regarded as a versatile actor, with a repertoire ranging from classical roles to more modern character acting as well as comedy. She received both critical and popular acclaim for her meticulously prepared acting, regardless of whether she was playing a lead or supporting role. She made study trips to Germany and France before WW I, and to France and Italy after the war. Although mostly remembered as a stage actor, Lindelöf also performed in five films between the World Wars.

Awards and recognition

In 1946, Lindelöf was awarded the ' medal of the

Order of the Lion of Finland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

upon her retirement.

Personal life

Helmi Helenius was born to the middle-class family of Enok and Ida ( Oxén) Helenius, later Heinilä. In 1906, she married the

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (; ; literal English translation: Helsinki City Orchestra; commonly abbreviated as HPO) is an orchestra based in Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 1882 by Robert Kajanus, the Philharmonic Orchestra was the first p ...

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German language, German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (UK) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (clarinet or oboe in a concert band). After the Conducting, conductor, the concertma ...

; the couple had three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindelöf, Helmi 20th-century Finnish actresses Pro Finlandia Medals of the Order of the Lion of Finland 1884 births 1966 deaths Actors from Helsinki