Raine Loo (28 March 1945 – 16 May 2020) was 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, television and film actress.

Early life and education

Raine Loo was born in the former Taevere Parish in

Viljandi County Viljandi County ( or ''Viljandimaa''; ) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties as well as Latvia. History Viljandimaa, under the German name of ''Krei ...

, which is now part of

Põhja-Sakala Parish Põhja-Sakala Parish () is a rural municipality in Viljandi County.http://www.pohja-sakala.ee/ (accessed 7 March 2020) Settlements ;Towns Suure-Jaani, Võhma Võhma is a List of cities and towns in Estonia, town in Põhja-Sakala Parish, Vil ...

. She attended No. 8 School in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

(now, the Tartu Forselius School), graduating in 1963. Afterward, she studied acting at the

Vanemuine Vanemuine () is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It is the first Estonian language, Estonian-language theatre. Stemming from the Vanemuine Society (1865), the theatre's first performance was Lydia Koidula's ''Saaremaa Onupoeg'' ("The cousin from S ...

teaching studio, where she graduated in 1965.

Stage career

In 1965, Loo became engaged at the Vanemuine theatre as an actress. Her first major role at the Vanemuine was that of Ingrid in a 1965 production of

Mati Unt Mati Unt (1 January 1944 in Linnamäe, Voore Parish ow Voore, Jõgeva County, Voore, Mustvee Parish Jõgeva County – 22 August 2005 in Tallinn) was an Estonian writer, essayist and theatre director. Biography His first novel, written at ...

's ''See maailm või teine''. Notable performances at the Vanemuine have included roles in works by such varied international authors and playwrights 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 ...

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 ...

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

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 ...

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

Ion Druță Ion Druță (3 September 1928 – 28 September 2023), also known as Ion Drutse, was a Moldovan writer, poet, playwright and literary historian. He was an honorary member of the Romanian Academy. Biography Ion Druță was born on 3 September 192 ...

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalism, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, ...

and

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 ...

, among others. Roles in productions of Estonian authors and playwrights include:

Lilli Promet Lilli Promet (16 February 1922 – 16 February 2007) was an Estonian author. Life Promet was born in Petseri to the Estonian painter Aleksander Promet. After graduating from Tallinn Primary School No. 18, she entered the State Industrial Art S ...

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 ...

August Kitzberg August Kitzberg ( in Laatre Parish, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 10 October 1927 in Tartu) was an Estonian writer. Life Until 1863, August Kitzberg was known as August Kits. He grew up in Niitsaadu farmstead in Penuja village, A ...

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 ...

Karl Ristikivi Karl Ristikivi ( – 19 July 1977) was an Estonian writer. He is known as one of the best Estonian writers for his historical novels. Ristikivi was one of the first Estonian writers to create a comprehensive panorama of his country's urbanizat ...

, and

Mart Kivastik Mart Kivastik (born 4 March 1963 in Tartu) is an Estonian film director, screenwriter, playwright and novelist. In 1981–1991 he worked as an editor in Tallinnfilm Tallinnfilm () is the oldest surviving film studio in Estonia. It was found ...

. Raine Loo would remain at the Vanemuine until her dismissal from the theatre in 2004, nearly forty years after she began her engagement.

Film and television

Loo made her film debut in the 1975 Virve Aruoja and

Jaan Tooming Jaan Tooming (28 March 1946 – 5 April 2024) was an Estonian actor, theatre and film director and writer. Life and career Jaan Tooming was born in Tallinn on 28 March 1946. In 1968, he graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory (now, the Eston ...

-directed drama ''Värvilised unenäod'' 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 ...

. This was followed by the role of Epp Loona in the 1981

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 film 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 ''

Karge meri '' Karge meri'' (The Harsh Sea) is a novel by the Estonian author August Gailit. It was first published in 1938. In 1981 the novel was adapted into a film of the same name, directed by Arvo Kruusement and starring Merle Talvik, Tõnu Kark, Mikk ...

'', which chronicles the lives of seal hunters living on the coast of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. Other prominent film roles include Proua Fisch in the 1989 Peeter Simm-directed drama ''Inimene, keda polnud''; Kristiine in the 1990

Jaan Kolberg Jaan Kolberg (born 21 November 1958) is an Estonian film director and producer. Jaan Kolberg was born in Pärnu, where he attended primary and secondary schools. In 1976, he enrolled at Tartu State University, majoring in English. While at univ ...

-directed drama ''See kadunud tee'', starring Tarmo Koidla; Teresa in the

Rainer Sarnet Rainer Sarnet (born March 3, 1969) is an Estonian film director whose work started in animation. He then worked in advertising and publishing. His works include ''November November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the J ...

-directed science fiction film ''Kass kukub käppadele: Pauli laululaegas'', starring

Taavi Eelmaa Taavi Eelmaa (born 15 June 1971) is an Estonian stage and film actor. Biography Career Born and raised in Tallinn, he is the son of actor Aleksander Eelmaa and Reet Eelmaa. Taavi Eelmaa began studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, ...

; and as Mare Nurk/Vanaema in the 2005 Rainer Sarnet-directed thriller ''Libahundi needus'', starring Katariina Lauk. In 2007, she appeared as Lydia in the Peeter Simm-directed biographical film ''

Georg Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker * Spiders Georg "Spiders Georg" is an Internet meme that began circulating on the mic ...

'', which chronicled the life of Estonian singer

Georg Ots Georg Ots (21 March 1920 – 5 September 1975) was an Estonian baritone. He sang at the Estonian National Opera from 1951 to his death in 1975. Ots gained wider recognition with his roles at the Bolshoi Theatre, particularly with his lead role in ...

. Loo has also appeared in a number of feature-length, made-for-television films, including the 1970 Virve Aruoja-directed historical drama ''Kolme katku vahel'', which starred

Ants Eskola Ants Eskola (17 February 190814 December 1989, known until 1935 as Erhard-Voldemar Esperk)Eskola 1986: 7 was a Soviet and Estonian actor, singer and artist. He appeared in 25 films from 1930 to 1979. People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist ...

and

Ants Lauter Ants Lauter ( – 30 October 1973) was an Estonian actor, theatre director and pedagogue, People's Artist of the USSR (1948). He was born in Veski, Rapla County, Veski, Wiek County, and died, aged 79, in Tallinn. Since 1974 the has been given ...

; she also appeared in the 1978 telefilm musical ''Imelugu'', directed by Irene Lään.

Personal life

Raine Loo was married to Estonian

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and

ecologist Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...

Hans Trass, who died in February 2017. The couple had a son, composer and organist Toomas Trass.Teater. Muusika. Kino / 08-09 / 2000 -Persona Grata Toomas Trass ...
Retrieved 17 December 2016. She died on 16 May 2020, aged 75, and was buried in Raadi cemetery in Tartu.

Acknowledgements

Meritorious Artist Merited Artist, Honored Artist, etc., is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Union Republics, and autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern Bloc states, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states. In Russian language ...

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 ...

(1976) *Estonian Actors' Union honor (2004)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Loo, Raine 1945 births 2020 deaths People from Põhja-Sakala Parish Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian television actresses 20th-century Estonian actresses 21st-century Estonian actresses Burials at Raadi cemetery