Martti Suosalo tells Iltalehti that as retirement age approaches, he plans to slow down his work pace a bit.
Martti Suosalo, 63, is known above all as a long-time actor from theaters and the big screen. Behind the scenes, he has perhaps a more versatile role than many know as an entrepreneur in the field of stage and film arts – and business is going smoothly.
In recent years, Suosalo’s bank account has remained rather plump. In 2024, Suosalo earned a total of around 243,000 euros in earned income and just under 3,000 euros in capital income.
In the 2020s, the combined sums of earnings and capital income have been 184,000–274,000 euros annually.
Suosalo has worked as an entrepreneur for almost his entire long career. After graduating from Teatterikorkeakoulu, he realized that he didn’t want to be a monthly wage earner. He has only had a monthly salary once: one year at the Helsinki City Theatre.
Johanna Venhon in the biography he is writing Martti Suosalo’s life so far (WSOY) Suosalo feels that for a long time it was not possible to talk about money in art schools.
When the children lived at home, money was spent on hobbies and musical instruments and equipment and clothes and food. All other extra money has gone into making movies. We don’t have anything left over, even though the income is huge according to the afternoon newspapers.
Now, however, the king is talking about money. Martti Suosalo answers his phone on the station platform. He is waiting for a train that is behind schedule, which hopefully will arrive as soon as possible. There is a show in Tampere in the evening.
The children are already adults and retirement age is approaching, but Martti Suosalo is not leaving the stage. Only perhaps slowing down the pace of work a little.
– Now I do a couple of hundred shows a year, so maybe then I’ll do something like 150. That’s enough to leave what the pension produces, Suosalo reflects.
He says he no longer does his job for the money. Everything necessary for living has been paid and the children have moved in on their own.
– Little by little, it will be managed.
“You shouldn’t be jealous”
Suosalo emphasizes that the income does not just pop into the account by itself.
– More than 200 performances, so yes, there must be a little left now. Usually an actor has maybe about 60 shows a year, so I even do triple. However, not to be confused with any Hollywood star who gets $6 million for a movie.
– Every single cent has gone to pick up from that countryside. This is no business life, Suosalo reminds.
In addition, together with his wife and business partner Virpi Suutari, Suosalo collects funding for film projects. Together they run the Euphoria Film production company.
The subsidiary Sirkus Suosalo Oy, on the other hand, runs Suosalo’s recently realized dream, i.e. a touring tent theater.
– Now it’s the case, for example, that you don’t get anything from the Center for the Promotion of Audiovisual Culture (AVEK). In order to get the film project started and material for potential financiers, admission tickets must be sold in those provinces.
– Finland’s financial policy is quite modest compared to other Nordic countries, which means that these films have to be made with much smaller budgets.
In his biography, Martti Suosalo told, among other things, about his long-term tent theater dream, which has since come true. PASI LEISMA
Suosalo points out that, for example, Circus Suosalo generates a lot of tax euros for society, up to around 1.5 million euros per tour.
By that amount, he means all indirect tax revenues. Theater customers use, for example, the services of taxis and hotels, or alternatively combine the theater experience with a restaurant dinner.
– You shouldn’t be terribly jealous. Those who earn a lot also pay a lot in taxes, he reminds.
It’s great for Suosalo that nowadays taxes paid are increasingly added alongside income.
– A few years ago, I had to explain that it’s okay, you’re such a bigot and stuff. This is all done at the entrepreneur’s risk and every penny has been claimed.
Suosalo collects the pennies he mentioned in close cooperation with his spouse.
– I’m used to walking around. Then the wife has those film projects and I help with that on the side, and Virpi helps with my theater work. Together we are a limited company, Suosalo sums up.
For example, the winner of two awards at the latest Jussi gala In the Coniferous Forest Children movie Virpi acted as director-producer, Martti as producer.
In 2024, the result of both of the couple’s companies grew rapidly. Euphoria Film made a profit of 120,000 euros in the accounting period, while Sirkus Suosalo made 48,000 euros.
The turnover of both companies has almost doubled from the previous year.
A recipe for success
When Suosalo is asked how the company’s profit has been increased last year, he reminds us that in an actor’s job you can’t really put your feet up on the table. Work has to be done, and even that is not enough by itself.
– It depends on what projects are being done. They are acquired by doing work and selling admission tickets. There is no duplicating, as in ingenious companies that duplicating makes you money for free.
Martti Suosalo and Virpi Suutari are a married couple, but also a limited company. Jenni Gästgivar
– It has to go to the theater every night to perform the show, which sells admission tickets, generates income for the company and part of which I withdraw as salary.
– We do not keep any work in stock that is not profitable.
The recipe for success is practically the result of decades of experience.
– Professionalism: good plays, good texts, well directed, well acted, well planned, well staged.
For Suosalo, it is important that their company also employs many other workers in the field in various projects.
– We always have employees for each production, and Sirkus Suosalo employs eleven people on its tour.
Silver lining
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about cuts in the cultural sector. Suosalo wonders if it has been completely forgotten that “the luxury product that you always want to cut first” generates tax money for the state.
– Like eating his own tail. It hasn’t been counted all the way to the end.
– There are a lot of small companies that have had to close the door when there just isn’t the work.
Suosalo also finds at least one silver lining in the cuts.
– It’s a good thing that a lot of actors have come back to the theater, when there aren’t so many series anymore.
– I like that young Actors come to the theater and this ancient ancient relic art remains alive.
The nice viewers of Suosalo are well aware of the plight of the industry.
– Performing arts is doing well. Fortunately, people have realized that culture must be consumed when it has been pushed to the limit.
And Suosalo is not only talking about the stands of his own shows. He says that he noticed when touring theaters that, in general, there are enough people in the theaters in the big theaters and in the theaters’ own performances.
“You can come and try”
Competent factors have been found around the couple over the course of 40 years. Suosalo recalls that after graduating from Teatterikorkeakoulu, he worked at a construction site.
– This has not fallen on me now, but I have been building this for 40 years. A job is not enough either, it has to be a long career.
– You can come and try to see if you can handle this kind of work. Stand here in the rain, just out of practice and quickly grab something to eat when you have time. Then the train is late and you wonder if you will make it to the theater and then to the same hotel. In the morning again on the early train to Helsinki for the day’s training.
After graduating, Martti Suosalo worked at a construction site. PASI LEISMA
– If you were to look at the income from there somewhere since the 1990s and add it up, then yes, I will allow myself that much time as well.
Suosalo has established his place and earned his living with his life’s work. However, he has not shied away from risks in recent years either.
In his biographical work, he told about his long-term dream of a theater marquee. A long-term dream finally came true in the fall of 2023.
– A huge risk was taken and there was a risk that it wouldn’t start. It went well. I put the last of my ropon in it.
He says that the tent project is hard physical work and describes the tent theater time as a year’s fitness sessions.
– Yes, when it has been doing this work for 40 years, it is so difficult to end it. It easily happens that if you stop, your condition deteriorates.
The italicized passages are direct quotations from Johanna Venho’s work Martti Suosalo’s life up to now (WSOY).