#maikkari

(some info in Finnish below)

Yay, I’m allowed to talk about this! You read right, I will be appearing on a TV show that will be aired on Finnish television next winter and is currently being filmed.

I was in Amsterdam late March/early April, and I was walking towards the central station in the rain when I get a phone call from a Finnish number.

I had auditioned a couple times for this production company before moving to the UK, and they had me on file from that time, so they called me if I wanted to audition for a new show. It was kinda mind-blowing, because the way I have been taught was, that this never happens; you need to seek out for your own opportunities. Maybe you could argue, that I did the foundation work when auditioning the other times.

It was one of the more embarrassing phone calls of my life because it took me a while to understand what the lady on the phone was asking, and I kind of forgot to tell her that I don’t live in Finland anymore.

Anyway, after I sent them a few self-tapes, I got the part, it being my first professional role, and now I finally have the guts to officially call myself an actress.

The show is called Hotel Swan Helsinki. It’s a relationship drama show, with the main character Ella Kallio, who, after a few twists becomes the CEO of a Hotel. A hotel is the kind of place where anything can happen, a place where every aspect of human life is present every day. (Do I sound like a press release yet?)

I play a character called Jessica Nevala, who is one of the receptionists, and the main character’s foster sister. She is resourceful, and curious and tends to know everything that goes on in the Hotel. I think she has an interesting character arc, and I hope we get as many seasons as possible, so we can see it unfold :3

I’m really excited to work on my first professional role and to add onto the very few black and POC characters in Finnish television history.

I honestly struggle with talking about this without saying anything I’m not supposed to. But if you live in Finland, I hope you’ll turn on Hotel Swan Helsinki on MTV (3) in the winter of 2020! And if you have any questions please ask me, I’ll try my hardest to answer sans spoilers :)

Katsokaa Hotel Swan Helsinkiä maikkarilla talvella 2020! Sitä tähdittää Oona Airola, ja muita tuttuja ovat mm. Eppu Salminen, Lauri Tilkanen, Minka Kuustonen, Roope Salminen ja vaikka kuka. Voit lukea pari julkaisua tästä: x

Here’s an article in English as well: x  (I’m not mentioned, but there was one reporter lady during the press day that asked me about my career history, and knew about PGG, when I mentioned it @localobnoxiousbisexual)

I’m off to learn my lines for Monday -->