Biography
Kersti Heinloo (born September 26, 1976) is an Estonian actress known for her work on stage, film, and television, who initially started her career in radio.
Hailing from Tartu, Heinloo completed her secondary education at Pärnu Koidula Gymnasium in 1994. She studied radio direction at Tallinn Pedagogical University (now Tallinn University) from 1995 to 1996 before enrolling in the performing arts program at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn, graduating in 2000. Her classmates included actors Maarja Jakobson, Margus Prangel, Eva Püssa, Katrin Pärn, Tambet Tuisk, Piret Simson, and directors Urmas Lennuk, Tiit Ojasoo, and Vahur Keller. Between 2005 and 2006, she completed a one-year motion picture production course at Brighton Film School in the United Kingdom.
Heinloo began her professional stage career in 2000 with a five-year tenure at the Vanemuine theatre in Tartu, debuting in Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. During her time there, she portrayed characters in works by international authors such as William Shakespeare, Mikhail Bulgakov, Roberto Zucco, Jerry Bock, Emily Brontë, Anton Chekhov, August Strindberg, Henrik Ibsen, and Willy Russell. She also performed roles in plays by Estonian writers including Mati Unt, August Gailit, Juhan Smuul, Johann Voldemar Jannsen, Jaan Kaplinski, Urmas Vadi, Loone Ots, Ivar Põllu, and Kauksi Ülle.
After leaving Vanemuine, Heinloo spent two years working as a freelance actress. In 2007, she joined the Estonian Drama Theatre (Eesti Draamateater), where she debuted as Annikki in Antti Tuuri's A River Flows Through the City. Her notable performances there include works by Lauri Lagle, Anton Chekhov, Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Enda Walsh, Madis Kõiv, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Eugene O'Neill, and Andrus Kivirähk.
Additionally, Heinloo has appeared on stages at the Tallinn City Theatre, Tartu New Theatre, MTÜ Tuulekell, and Kell Kümme theatres.
