Biografia
Finnish actor and filmmaker Roope Olenius was born on April 17, 1987, in Pori, Finland. The eldest child in an entrepreneurial family, he initially studied business at the University of Applied Sciences of Tampere before choosing to follow a career in film. Olenius is best known for his roles in Tuftland (2017), Bunny the Killer Thing (2015), and Ex-onnelliset (2016).
In 2010, after completing a one-year acting course at the Voionmaa Institute near Tampere, Olenius moved to New York to advance his acting studies at the prestigious New York Film Academy. After his first year, he transferred to the Los Angeles campus, where he studied under instructors including Oscar-nominated Brenda Vaccaro. Before earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting for screen in 2013, Olenius began writing and producing his own projects. He worked on three intense and realistic short films in which he starred: two directed by Pekka Nordlund—Bro Code (2013) and Valinnan Vaikeus (2016)—and one directed by Marcus Metsala, Dia-Cide (2013).
Following graduation, Olenius returned to Finland and focused mainly on acting. He quickly secured roles in numerous films and television series, most notably portraying Jari in Joonas Makkonen's Bunny the Killer Thing (2015). During the filming of this internationally recognized horror-comedy, Olenius met actress Veera W. Vilo, who would later become his spouse. The two appeared as siblings in Sami Pöyry's thriller Punainen kohina (2021), a project they both produced under their production company, Bright Fame Pictures.
Olenius made his directorial debut with the hillbilly horror film Tuftland (2017), which he directed from his own adapted screenplay based on Neea Viitamäki’s stage play. Starring Veera W. Vilo, the film earned Olenius several awards, including Best Feature Director at the Other Worlds Austin Sci-fi Film Festival.
In 2019, Olenius began filming his second directorial project, Free Skate (2022), a thriller set in the figure skating world. Written by Veera W. Vilo and featuring notable Finnish actors such as Leena Uotila, Karoliina Blackburn, and Jevgeni Haukka, the film further established Olenius’s presence behind the camera. In 2020, he joined the cast of Ex-Onnelliset, one of Finland’s most acclaimed television series.
Roope Olenius lives in Espoo, Finland with Veera W. Vilo and their two children. Prior to his acting career, he pursued professional paths as an ice hockey goalkeeper and a heavy metal musician.
