Mari Lill (born 21 December 1945) 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 and television actress whose career began onstage in the late 1960s.

Early life and education

Mari Lill was born in

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 ...

to Felix Lill and Asta Lill (''née'' Multer) just after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the Soviet occupation and annexation of Estonia. Her father Felix was arrested by

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

authorities and spent several years sentenced to forced labor in the

gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...

system in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

when she was still an infant. He was later able to return to the family when Mari was quite young. Lill is the middle child of three siblings; she has an older sister Kadri, and her younger brother was glass artist Ivo Lill. Lill grew up and attended schools in the district of Nõmme and spent time visiting her grandmother on the island of

Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...

. After graduating from secondary school, Lill studied acting under the supervision of course instructor Voldemar Panso at the Tallinn State Conservatory (now, the

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

). Her diploma production was in the role of

Helen Keller Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when ...

in a 1967 staging of

William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as cyberpunk. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ear ...

's ''

The Miracle Worker ''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography '' The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and sta ...

''. She graduated in 1968. Among her graduating classmates were actors Helle-Reet Helenurm, Ago Roo,

Katrin Karisma Katrin Karisma (also Katrin Karisma-Krumm; born on 21 August 1947) is an Estonian actress, singer and politician. She was a member of XI Riigikogu. Karisma born in Tallinn. She was married first to actor Peeter Jakobi and then to opera singer He ...

, Raivo Trass, Enn Klooren, Jaan Tooming, Peeter Jakobi, and Kalju Komissarov.

Stage career

In 1968, following her graduation from the Tallinn State Conservatory, she joined the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic National Youth Theatre in Tallinn (now, the

Tallinn City Theatre Tallinn City Theatre () is a repertory theatre located in the medieval old town of Tallinn, 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 ...

). Her first significant role at the Youth Theatre was in the role of Hedvig in a production of

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 ...

's 1884 play ''

The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It explores the complexities of truth and illusion through the story of a family torn apart by secrets and the intrusion of a ...

''. Lill remained with the Youth Theatre for nine years, leaving in 1977. Prominent roles during her time at the Youth Theatre include those in works by such playwrights and authors as:

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 natio ...

, A. H. Tammsaare, Henrik Ibsen, N. Richard Nash,

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 ...

, 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. In 1977, Mari Lill began performing at 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 ...

in Tallinn, where she is still currently engaged as an actress. Lill's stage career with the Estonian Drama Theatre has been prolific; performing in over seventy theatre roles. Some of her more memorable roles have been in productions of works by such varied international authors and playwrights as: Shakespeare, Ibsen,

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

Valentin Rasputin Valentin Grigoryevich Rasputin (; ; 15 March 193714 March 2015) was a Soviet and Russian writer. He was born and lived much of his life in the Irkutsk Oblast in Eastern Siberia. Rasputin's works depict rootless urban characters and the fight for ...

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

Edward Bond Thomas Edward Bond (18 July 1934 – 3 March 2024) was an English playwright, theatre director, poet, dramatic theorist and screenwriter. He was the author of some 50 plays, among them '' Saved'' (1965), the production of which was instrument ...

, Leonid Andreyev,

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

, Clare Boothe Luce,

Isaac Babel Isaac Emmanuilovich Babel ( – 27 January 1940) was a Soviet writer, journalist, playwright, and literary translator. He is best known as the author of ''Red Cavalry'' and ''Odessa Stories'', and has been acclaimed as "the greatest prose write ...

Marsha Norman Marsha Norman (born September 21, 1947) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play '' 'night, Mother''. She wrote the book and lyrics for such Broadway musicals as ''The S ...

Françoise Sagan Françoise Sagan (; born Françoise Delphine Quoirez; 21 June 1935 – 24 September 2004) was a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Sagan was known for works with strong romantic themes involving wealthy and disillusioned bourgeois ch ...

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the s ...

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 ...

Ray Cooney Raymond George Alfred Cooney Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 30 May 1932) is an English playwright, actor, and director. His biggest success, ''Run for Your Wife (play), Run for Your Wife'' (1983), ran for nine years in London's West E ...

, Ödön von Horvath,

Astrid Lindgren Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (; ; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil i Lönneberga, Emil of Lönneberga, ...

Frank Marcus Frank Ulrich Marcus (30 June 1928 – 5 August 1996) was a British playwright, best known for ''The Killing of Sister George''. Life and career Marcus was born 30 June 1928 into a Jewish family in Breslau (then in Germany). They came to En ...

, Tankred Dorst, Joseph Kesselring,

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for ''The Woman in White (novel), The Woman in White'' (1860), a mystery novel and early sensation novel, and for ''The Moonsto ...

Juan Rulfo Juan Nepomuceno Carlos Pérez Rulfo Vizcaíno, best known as Juan Rulfo (; 16 May 1917 – 7 January 1986), was a Mexican writer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is best known for two literary works, the 1955 novel ''Pedro Páramo'', and the ...

Antti Tuuri Antti Elias Tuuri (born 1 October 1944, Kauhava, Southern Ostrobothnia) is a Finnish writer, known for his works dealing with Southern Ostrobothnia. The ''Äitini-suku''-series tells the stories of the Finns who immigrated to the United State ...

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

Yasmina Reza Yasmina Reza (; born 1 May 1959) is a French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter best known for her plays ''Art (play), 'Art and ''God of Carnage''. Many of her brief satiric plays have reflected on contemporary middle-class issues. ...

, among many others. Memorable roles in works by Estonian authors and playwrights include those of: Madis Kõiv, A. H. Tammsaare,

Vaino Vahing Vaino Vahing (15 February 1940 – 23 March 2008) was an Estonian writer, prosaist, psychiatrist and playwright. Starting from 1973, he was a member of the Estonian Writers Union. Early life Vlahing was born in Aravu, Põlva County. In 1963 he ...

, Mart Kivastik, Urmas Lennuk,

, Oskar Luts, Eduard Vilde, Mats Traat, Jaan Kruusvall, and Jaan Kross, among several others.

Television career

In 1990, Mari Lill appeared in the Sulev Keedus directed feature-length television drama ''Ainus pühapäev''. This was followed the next year by the role of Maile in the Tõnis Kask directed television

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

film ''Vana mees tahab koju'', based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Raimond Kaugver. In 1995, she played the role of Mrs. Laasik in the

ETV ETV may stand for: Television * Educational television, the use of television in education * Enhanced TV, an interactive television application specification Africa * e.tv, South Africa * ETV (Ethiopia), Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation * ETV G ...

drama mini-series '' Wikmani poised'', which was based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Jaan Kross. Lill has also made appearances in a number of roles on Estonian television series, including; the popular, long-running ETV drama series ''

Õnne 13 Õnne 13 is an Estonian dramatic TV series that airs on ETV. The series first aired on 30 October 1993 and was written by Astrid Reinla and as of 1996 by Teet Kallas. Rainer Kerge. Vabandage, proua, kas see maja on Õnne tänav 13?'. Õhtule ...

'' in 1995; the ETV crime drama ''Ohtlik lend'' in 2006; the Kanal 2 mystery-horror serial ''Süvahavva'' in 2012; the ETV political satire series ''Riigimehed'' in 2013; the Kanal 2 crime drama ''Viimane võmm''; the TV3 serial ''Üheotsapilet'' in 2016; and several episodes of the popular TV3 comedy-crime series '' Kättemaksukontor'' in 2016.

Film career

In 1977, Lill made her feature film debut in the Kaljo Kiisk directed drama ''Surma hinda küsi surnutelt'' for

Tallinnfilm Tallinnfilm () is the oldest surviving film studio in Estonia. It was founded as Estonian Culture Film in 1931, and was nationalized in 1940 after Estonia was integrated into the Soviet Union. During the first year of Soviet occcupation (1940 ...

. Following this role, she returned to the stage and did not make another film appearance until the role of Robi's mother in the 1985 Leida Laius and

Arvo Iho Arvo Iho (born 21 June 1949) is an Estonian film director, cinematographer, actor and photographer, who has worked in the areas of documentary and drama.Rollberg, Peter (2016) ''Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema'', Rowman & Litt ...

directed drama '' Naerata ometi'', which chronicles the turbulent life of a teenage girl in a

orphanage. The film was based on the 1963 Silvia Rannamaa penned novel ''Kasuema''. In 1989, she would appear in two film roles: as Asta in the

Leida Laius Leida Laius (26 March 1923, in Horoshevo, Yamburgsky Uyezd, Russia – 6 April 1996, in Tallinn) was an Estonian film director. She is widely received as one of the most renowned filmmakers in Estonian cinema. In 1995 she was honored by the Esto ...

directed drama '' Varastatud kohtumine'', as well as in the Jaan Kolberg directed short ''Mardipäev'', both for Tallinnfilm. In 1990, she made an appearance in Uzbek director Khadzhi Akhmar's

Russian language Russian is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic languages, Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is ...

Soviet

science-fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, sp ...

film ''Sputnik planety Uran'' for

Uzbekfilm Uzbekfilm (; ) is the largest and oldest film studio in Uzbekistan. It was established on July 1, 1925. The company was initially called Sharq Yulduzi (Eastern Star). In 1936, it was renamed to Uzbekfilm. During the Soviet-German war against N ...

, which featured a multi-ethnic cast of

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

, Uzbek, Estonian, Kazakh, Georgian and Ukrainian actors. In 1992, Lill appeared in a small role in the Aare Tilk directed family drama ''Tule tagasi, Lumumba'', based on the Toomas Raudam story ''Lugu Reinust''. In 1994, she appeared in the Jaan Kolberg directed adventure period piece ''Jüri Rumm'', based on the real-life exploits of the 19th-century Estonian

folk hero A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythology, mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in Folk music, folk songs, folk tales ...

, thief and outlaw Rummu Jüri. Mari Lill would spend much of the late 1990s and early 2000s in the theatre. She would resume her film career in 2007, with a small role in the Veiko Õunpuu

black comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...

'' Sügisball''. In 2012, she would lend her voice to the Priit Tender animated film short ''Ussinuumaja'' produced by Eesti Joonisfilm. In 2016, she appeared in the René Vilbre directed Taska Film comedy ''Klassikokkutulek'' and the following year in the Sulev Keedus directed drama ''Mehetapja/Süütu /Vari''. In 2020, he had a starring role as Grandmother in the Rasmus Merivoo directed dark comedy-fantasy film ''Kratt''. Throughout her film career, Lill would also appear in a number of short films and student films.

Personal life

In 1968, Mari Lill married actor Tõnu Tamm. The couple have two daughters, pediatrician Katariina Rebane (b. 1974), and actress Elisabet Reinsalu (b. 1976). They currently live in the small village of Andineeme in

Kuusalu Parish Kuusalu Parish () is a rural municipality in northern Estonia, the largest in Harju County. After joining with the adjacent Loksa Parish in 2005, the municipality has now a population of 6,863 (as of 1 January 2009) and covers an area of . The po ...

Harju County Harju County ( or ''Harjumaa''), is one of the fifteen counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the southeast, Rapla Count ...

.uudised.tv3.ee
''Mari Lill meenutab: Lennart Merele ütlesin, et enam ma sind sülle võtta ei saa, sest ema ei luba'' 27 February 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2017.

Acknowledgements

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 ...

, V Class (2002) * Merited Artist of the

Estonian SSR The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit ( union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the occupied and annexed territory of Estonia ...

(1975)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lill, Mari 1945 births Living people Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian television actresses Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni 20th-century Estonian actresses 21st-century Estonian actresses Actresses from Tallinn Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 5th Class