Tiit Sukk (born 21 November 1974) 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, television, voice, and film actor, director and television presenter.

Early life and education

Tiit Sukk was born and raised in

Jõgeva Jõgeva is a small town in Estonia with a population of around 5000 people. It is the capital of Jõgeva Parish and Jõgeva County. History Jõgeva was first mentioned in 1599 as ''Jagiwa'' manor, being established only recently on the lands ...

Jõgeva County Jõgeva County ( or ''Jõgevamaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in eastern part of the country and borders Ida-Viru County to the north-east, Lake Peipus to the east, Tartu County to the south, Viljandi County to the south-we ...

, where he attended primary and secondary schools. He is a 1994 graduate of Jõgeva Gymnasium. Following graduation from secondary school, he studied drama at the EMA Higher Drama School (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 ...

) 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 ...

, graduating in 1998. Among his graduating classmates were Jan Uuspõld, Harriet Toompere, Veikko Täär, Hilje Murel, Liina Vahtrik, and

Andero Ermel Andero Ermel (born 6 August 1976) is an Estonian stage, film, television, and voice actor. Early life and education Andero Ermel was born in Tartu. His father was Meelis Ermel and his mother's maiden name was Uibopuu. He has two siblings. He att ...

Career

Stage

In 1998, shortly after graduation from the EMA Higher Drama School, Sukk began an engagement 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 he is still currently employed. During his career at the Estonian Drama Theatre, Sukk has appeared in over sixty roles in productions of such varied 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 ...

Frederick Loewe Frederick Loewe ( ; born Friedrich "Fritz" Löwe, ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

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 ...

Ödön von Horváth Edmund Josef von Horváth (9 December 1901 – 1 June 1938) was an Austro-Hungarian playwright and novelist who wrote in German, and went by the ''nom de plume'' Ödön von Horváth (). He was one of the most critically admired writers of his g ...

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription requ ...

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, ...

Hanoch Levin Hanoch Levin (; December 18, 1943 – August 18, 1999) was an Israeli dramatist, theater director, author and poet, best known for his plays. His absurdist style is often compared to the work of Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett. Biography Lev ...

Michael Cooney Michael Cooney may refer to: * Michael Cooney (musician), American folk and blues musician * Michael Cooney (screenwriter), British screenwriter, playwright, and director * Mike Cooney Michael R. Cooney (born September 3, 1954) is an American p ...

Selma Lagerlöf Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, ''Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she was ...

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh ( ; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright and filmmaker. He is known for his Absurdism, absurdist Black comedy, dark humour which often challenges the modern theatre aesthetic. He has won List of awards and no ...

, Roland Schimmelpfennig,

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

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 ...

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 ...

Halldór Laxness Halldór Kiljan Laxness (; born Halldór Guðjónsson; 23 April 1902 – 8 February 1998) was an Icelandic writer and winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote novels, poetry, newspaper articles, essays, plays, travelogues and sh ...

Enda Walsh Enda Walsh (born 1967) is an Irish playwright. Biography Enda Walsh was born in Kilbarrack, North Dublin on 7 February 1967. His father ran a furniture shop and his mother had been an actress. He is the second youngest of six children. Walsh ...

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

Simon Gray Simon James Holliday Gray (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a Academia, university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teach ...

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

, and

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 ...

. Memorable roles in works by Estonian authors and playwrights include those of:

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 ...

Madis Kõiv Madis Kõiv (5 December 1929 – 24 September 2014) was an Estonian writer, philosopher and physicist. Education Kõiv attended school in Tartu after the second World War, graduating in the early 1950s with a degree in nuclear physics. Kõiv wo ...

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 ...

, Toomas Kall,

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 ...

Voldemar Panso Voldemar Panso (30 November 1920 – 27 December 1977) was an Estonian stage and film actor, theatre director and pedagogue. Biography In 1941, he graduated from Tallinn Conservatory State Stage Art School and in 1955 the Moscow State Theatr ...

, and Indrek Hargla. In addition to his roles at the Estonian Drama Theatre, Sukk has also appeared in stage roles as an actor in productions at the

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 ...

Theatre Lab, the

Vanalinnastuudio Vanalinnastuudio (literally 'Old Town Studio') was a theatre in 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 Finland, to the west b ...

, and the MTÜ R.A.A.A.M.

Film

Sukk made his feature film debut as Arnold in the 2001

Peeter Simm Peeter Simm (born 24 February 1953 in Kiviõli) is an Estonian film director. In 1976 he graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). Selected filmography *''Ideaalmaastik'' (1980) *''Fed up!'' (2005) *''On the Other Si ...

-directed joint Estonian-

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

n comedy '' Head käed''. This was followed by an uncredited role in the Kaaren Kaer-directed 2005 comedy ''Malev''; a skewed interpretation of Estonia's history set in the year 1208. In 2006, he had a small role as Director in the

Jüri Sillart Jüri Sillart (29 May 1943 Tallinn – 10 September 2011) was an Estonian film operator, director, producer and pedagogue. In 1970 he graduated from Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. From 1971 to 1994 he worked as an operator-director in Tal ...

-directed melodrama ''Kuldrannake'', which was adapted from the Hans Luik play ''Tõe hetk''. The following year, he appeared in the small role of Hunt's Partner in the

Asko Kase Asko Kase (born 26 February 1979 in Tallinn) 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 acros ...

-directed ''Hundi agoonia''. In 2008, he appeared as Indrek in the Asko Kase-directed period drama '' Detsembrikuumus'', set during the 1924 Estonian coup d'état attempt. In 2011, Sukk played the role of Guardian Angel in the Andres Kõpper and Arun Tamm-directed comedy-thriller ''Vasaku jala reede'' for Tallinn Skyline Productions. In 2016, Sukk played the role of Priit in the

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 ...

-directed comedy-drama ''Õnn tuleb magades'', starring

Katariina Unt Katariina Unt (born Katariina Lauk; 6 December 1971) is an Estonian stage, television, and film actress. Early life and education Katariina Unt was born in Tallinn. Her mother is interior decorator Malle Lauk and her father is artist Tõnu Lauk, ...

and

Ivo Uukkivi Ivo Uukkivi (born 11 October 1965) is an Estonian stage, film, radio, and television actor, television producer and, under the nickname Munk, founder of and singer with the punk band Velikije Luki. Early life and education Ivo Uukkivi was born i ...

. In 2023, he appeared in the role of Peta in the Mart Kivastik-penned and directed comedy feature film ''Taevatrepp''. Sukk has also appeared in a number of short films throughout his career.

Voice

Sukk has also worked as a voice actor in several films; including the popular animated Estonian Lotte films ''

Leiutajateküla Lotte ''Lotte from Gadgetville'' (, ) is a 2006 Estonian/Latvian feature-length animated film directed by Heiki Ernits and Janno Põldma. The film's characters first appeared in ''Lotte reis lõunamaale'' (''Lotte Goes South''), an Estonian animated TV ...

'' in 2006, and ''

Lotte ja kuukivi saladus ''Lotte and the Moonstone Secret'' () is a 2011 Estonian animated film directed by Heiki Ernits Heiki Ernits (born 24 March 1953) is an Estonian animator, illustrator, and film director. He graduated from the Tallinn Pedagogical Institute a ...

'' in 2011. In 2007, he also provided his voice for the

Hardi Volmer Hardi Volmer (born 8 November 1957 in Pärnu) is an Estonian film director, puppet theatre set decorator and musician. Volmer is the singer in the Estonian punk rock band Singer Vinger. Animated cartoons *"Imeline nääriöö" (Wonderful New ...

directed animated short ''Lõpuõhtu''. Sukk has also provided voice dubbing for foreign animated films, including

Donkey The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...

in the American

DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio, owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal as part of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios, Inc, Universal Stud ...

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, loosely based on the 1990 children's picture boo ...

'' films and Joakim in the 2013

Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The Film genre, genre is considered a form of speculative fic ...

'' Frozen''. In 2008, Sukk provided his voice for the audiobook version of

's 2007 novel '' Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu''.

Television

Sukk made his television debut in 1997 as Rando on three episodes of the popular, long-running

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 ...

(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 ...

''. This was followed in 2003 with an appearance on the

-directed ETV political satire series ''

Pehmed ja karvased ''Pehmed ja karvased'' () is an ''Estonian'' TV programme. The programme, partially inspired by the (now cancelled) NTV programme of '' Kukly'', uses a number of puppets to depict Estonian politicians, celebrities and metaphors, and features sa ...

'', which was partially inspired by the Russian television series '' Kukly'' in its use of puppets to lampoon political figures. Sukk would go on to appear in numerous television roles. His most substantial roles on television include a starring role as Mati Tilbi/Mati Talvik in the 2005 Jaak Kilmi-directed ETV science fiction comedy television film ''Kohtumine tundmatuga''; a role in the 2006

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

''Säärane mulk ehk Sada vakka tangusoola'', based on the play of the same name by poet

Lydia Koidula Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen ( – ), known by her pen name Koidula, was an Estonian literature, Estonian poet. Her sobriquet means '(Lydia of) The Dawn' in Estonian language, Estonian. It was given to her by the writer Carl Robert Jakobson. Sh ...

; as Paavo Kadak from 2010 until 2012 in thirty-one episodes of the ETV comedy series ''ENSV: Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistlik Vabariik'', a humorous reflection on life in the

Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit (Republics of the Soviet Union, union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the Occupation o ...

, set in the early 1980s (Sukk also directed sixteen episodes of the series); as Kalev on the

Kanal 2 Kanal 2 is a privately owned Estonian television channel. Its literal name in English is "Channel 2". History The channel was established by Ilmar Taska. The channel started broadcasting on 1 October 1993, the first program seen on the new ...

comedy series ''Mägede varjud'' in 2013; and as Niklas Holm in the Kanal 2 crime series ''Viimane võmm'' in 2015. Other small appearances on serial television include the ETV crime drama ''Ohtlik lend'' in 2006; the Kanal 2 crime drama ''Kelgukoerad'' in 2008; one episode of the ETV period drama 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 ...

'' in 2008; two episodes of the popular TV3 crime-comedy ''

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 ...

'' in 2009; a 2010 episode of the ETV mini-series ''Klass - Elu pärast'', which was a follow-up on the 2007

Ilmar Raag Ilmar Raag (born 21 May 1968 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film '' The Class''. He was CEO of Estonian Television from 2002 to 2005. He is a well known ...

directed feature film drama '' Klass'' about high school bullying which resulted in a school shooting; the TV3 drama ''Elu keset linna'' in 2012; and the ETV drama ''Mustad lesed'' in 2015. In addition to acting, Sukk has worked as a television presenter. In 2004, he hosted the ETV reality comedy series ''Kuldsuu''. In 2012, he was a co-presenter for the finale of ''

Eesti laul Eesti Laul () is an annual music competition organised by Estonian public broadcaster (ERR). It determines for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged every year since Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, 2009. Eesti Laul was ...

''; Estonia's televised contest to choose an entry for the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

. In 2016, he hosted the Kanal 2 comedy series ''Suur Komöödiaõhtu'', in which Estonian celebrities perform weekly challenges in comedic sketches, musical numbers, fake news stories, and improvised parodies.

Automobile accident

On New Year's Day 2003, at approximately 2:30 am, Sukk was traveling in the back seat of his recently purchased

Audi 80 The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the Audi subdivision of the Volkswagen Group across four generations from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a Saloon (autom ...

on the

Puurmani Puurmani is a small borough () in Jõgeva County, Estonia, in Põltsamaa Parish Põltsamaa () is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Jõgeva County. It has a population of 2722 (2001) and an area of 416.9 km2 (161.0 mi2). Populate ...

- Tabivere road in

. His friend, 26-year-old Lauri Kreegipuu, a design analyst for the

Estonian Ministry of Justice The Estonian Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs () is the Ministry of Justice of Estonia, dealing also with digital affairs and its development. The Minister of Justice () is the senior minister at the Ministry of Justice and Digital Aff ...

, was driving, and 26-year-old Triin Voorel, a literary editor at the Estonian Puppet Theatre (

NUKU Nuku was a traditional province of the island of Hiva Oa in pre-European times. It did not function as a unified governmental unit, but rather as a confederation of local tribes during times of war with tribes from Hiva Oa's other province, Pepa ...

) in Tallinn, was in the front passenger seat. Kreegipuu was driving at a high speed near Kaave bridge in

Pajusi Parish Pajusi () was a rural municipality of Estonia, in Jõgeva County. It had a population of 1,623 (2003) and an area of 232.4 km². Villages Pajusi Parish had 23 villages: Aidu, Arisvere, Kaave, Kalana, Kauru, Kose Kose () is a small ...

while turning a corner and the car skidded out of control on the ice and crashed into a tree. Kreegipuu and Voorel were killed instantly, while Sukk suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries. It was later determined by police authorities that both Kreegipuu and Sukk were intoxicated, though Voorel was not. Sukk had no memory of the accident and only recalled waking in the hospital. Sukk spent seven weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries and had to undergo further rehabilitation to regain the ability to walk.

Personal life

Sukk is in a long-term relationship with secondary school science teacher Eliis-Beth Rosen. The couple have a daughter, Lisanne, and currently reside in Tallinn.menu.err.ee
''Tiit Sukk tütre kooliminekust: suurim ärevus on see, kuidas laps tuuakse aulasse'' 1 September 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sukk, Tiit 1974 births Living people Estonian male stage actors Estonian male film actors Estonian male television actors Estonian male voice actors Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni People from Jõgeva 20th-century Estonian male actors 21st-century Estonian male actors