Since the mid-1990s he mostly appeared on television.
At the age of 16 he moved to Helsinki where he tried to work as an electrician, factory worker and car mechanic. During this time he played occasionally at the theater.
In 1958 he tried to join the Navy and was instead stationed in Kontiolahti.
After his military service, he was admitted to the Theater Academy in Helsinki, where he successfully studied acting from 1960 to 1963.