Timo Koivusalo turns 60 – This is how he comments on the highlights of his life

– Is it someone else who turns years old when my head is still like a bad brat?

This is how the culture and entertainment all-rounder laughs Timo Koivusalo, which seems miraculous to turn 60 on October 31st. Only now does he understand what the old saying “a person never changes, but is always the same” means. According to the man, more sense has come over the years, but his mental age has remained youthful.

Koivusalo does not have an age crisis, and he does not understand why aging should be feared. For him, aging is great.

– I am so excited about the world and the fact that I can still be here. Especially when he has been able to stay healthy for now, he tells Iltalehte.

With an optimistic attitude, Koivusalo admits that life has not always been fun, and he would certainly do some things differently. Instead of worrying about them, the director rather makes sure that he doesn’t repeat his stupid actions.

– On the business side, there may have been some wrong draws, so to speak, when you wondered if it would have been worthwhile to do a certain thing differently or at a certain time. However, it takes unnecessary energy if they were to be wasted, the man says.

– It is important to keep a positive mind and a bright head in such a way that you don’t worry unnecessarily. At least not things that can’t be helped. You can’t influence everything, but you can, how you react to them, he adds.

Highlights of life

Koivusalo has a long list of highlights in his life. One of them is, for example, getting chef training and mental health nurse training, and having the courage to move from those jobs to jobs in the entertainment industry. From there, a place opened up for both presenting TV programs and directing films.

However, the highlights for Koivusalo are not only success or Jussi awards.

– Of course, it has been that there are three healthy children who are now adults and in their right mind. The real highlights are actually the smallest things, like enjoying the moment, he reflects.

However, Koivusalo cannot deny it A familiar thing -program’s great importance in his life. Koivusalo hosted the legendary relationship quiz show between 1992 and 2002, as well as its return season in 2019.

The host says that when people recognize him on the street, they might expect Koivusalo to make funny jokes. Despite this, Koivusalo doesn’t feel the need to shake off the “Tuttu tuttu” label.

– Thanks to the program, people have gotten a positive image of me, and fortunately that’s the case. It would be miserable if people only showed the middle finger, says the director.

– It was a privilege to be able to do such a thing. All the top celebrities of that time visited the program and there were always more interesting guys entering the studio. I still deal with Osa, he continues.

Memories of an ex-colleague

Koivusalo’s active contacts are not read Joel Hallikainen, who ran the Tuttu story with him. The relationship between the two has varied over the years, but now Koivusalo reveals the current side of the matter.

– Now we haven’t been in contact, but our relationship is neutral. We don’t do any dune or anything else. I don’t know if they (our relationship) got inflamed, we just don’t do things together. I have nothing more to say about it, he says.

However, Koivusalo fondly remembers their collaboration. He found out when the Yle Tv2 channel aired the legendary episode of the program on October 20, in which Martti Ahtisaari appeared his spouse Eve with. The episode was shown in honor of Ahtisaari, who died recently.

Seeing the episode in question brought back good memories of him and Hallikain to Koivusalo.

– It was wonderful to make a program together with him. We never had a script, because you guessed what the guy was thinking from half the words and the position of the nose. It was incredible – it worked great, he recalls.

Rules of the game for love

Through a familiar story, Koivusalo also met his current partner Susanna Palin, 54, who sang in the show’s backing chorus. Now the couple has been together for 24 years.

Koivusalo ponders what is the secret of their long relationship.

– We have the same way of looking at the world and treating other people. It’s surprisingly important. In addition, we have the same sense of humor, he opens.

The two constantly spend time together – including at work. Koivusalo feels lucky that working with Palin is going great. But even that has required certain rules of the game.

– We have formed our own clear roles: if we are making a film, I am the director and he works as production manager and assistant director. The division of labor is natural when both make arrangements in advance.

Big party

Koivusalo’s 60 years have thus included many job titles and a large number of lessons learned. For him, the most important of the lessons is to maintain an optimistic attitude.

– You shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, you have to know how to laugh at yourself. But duni must be done seriously and to the fullest, the man emphasizes.

– In addition, it is extremely important to know how to treat other people and behave. You realize that when you look at the things happening around you, that you are not the center of the world, he continues.

A varied life has led to the fact that Koivusalo is satisfied with his current situation. His directing work Pelle Hermanni and the hypnotist opens in December, and he still has plenty of ideas for future movies.

Koivusalo reveals what he would still like to achieve in his life.

– Maybe that everything would continue as well as it is now. Things are pretty much in order, he rejoices.

The man’s birthday celebration culminates in his celebratory concert at the Savoy Theatre. They are performing there, among other things Pepe Willberg, Arja Koriseva and Koivusalo’s beloved Susanna Palin and the legendary Tuttu Juttu orchestra.

– Of course, after the concert, we will move on with a small group to continue somewhere. But parties are always held for even the smallest reason – I love parties, he adds.