Content powerhouse, Banijay, today confirms Endemol Shine Finland will produce Supporting Actor, known locally as Kurjen Kirous, for Nelonen and Ruutu. Written and directed by Niklas Lindgren (Idiomatic, Bad Women), this eight-episode dramedy stars Kari Ketonen and Antti Holma, and will be distributed globally by Banijay Rights.
Kari Ketonen (Wingman, Lapland Odyssey trilogy, Ketonen & Myllyrinne) stars as Aki Kurki, a talented but difficult actor who has been stuck in supporting roles, never landing the leading parts. When a fortune teller reveals this is due to a curse that has been placed on him, he must begin a process of self-reflection. However, his lifelong focus on fame has led to a lot of burnt bridges that he now has to mend to find out who is responsible. One of the only people he can truly trust is his manager played by Antti Holma (Love and Order, Tatu and Patu). Endemol Shine Finland’s (a Banijay company) Max Malka and Unne Sormunen will serve as the show’s executive producers.
Niklas Lindgren, Writer/Director says: “Kari Ketonen and Antti Holma are Finnish comedy royalty who have never before been seen in a scripted series together. It has been a great pleasure to finally unite them. Together with the other great actors on the show, we’ve created a dramedy that makes you laugh, but hopefully also makes you think about what success is and why we have such a compulsive need to pursue it.”
Max Malka, Head of Scripted at Endemol Shine Finland/Producer comments: “This series offers a satirical take on the industry and what success really means. Talented comedic actors combined with Niklas Lindgren’s exceptional writing and directing, makes this project a fresh dramedy for large audiences. After several years of attentive development, I’m so pleased to work on this as our next scripted project for Nelonen.”
Supporting Actor is the second scripted show from Endemol Shine Finland and follows Dance Brothers, a co-production with Netflix and Yle, which was Netflix’s first Finnish original series to premiere globally, and will air later on Yle.