Jan Uuspõld

Jan Uuspõld was born on the 14th of December, in 1973 in Tallinn. Raised in Nõmme, he was a true urban boy, as his family had lived there for four generations. After Mai Street Kindergarten he went to Tallinn's 34th Middle School, where he went for five years. In 1986, he and his family moved to Keila and Jan went to Keila's 1st High School, where he graduated middle school.

After graduating middle school, Jan went to Tallinn's 1st Industrial High School and where he was trained as of offset printer. Jan has done everything in life with great dedication. He worked as a printer, salesman of pots and pans, and as a fox shepherd at Karjakül's fur farm. In the army, Jan learned how to work hard and have discipline. He sees his time in the army as a good experience, and had considered serving overtime. Instead, he was accepted to "Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre" and become an actor.

Jan went to EMA Higher Drama School in 1994 and graduated as a proud member of the 18th flight in 1998. This school in Tallinn is now named the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Jan's course instructor was Priit Pedajas, who offered him a job at the Estonian Drama Theatre. He gained success quickly and was offered many roles, becoming one of the busiest actors in the theatre. In 2005, Jan went to Tartu and played at the Vanemuine for two seasons. He was invited back to Estonian Drama Theatre in 2007.

In 2009, Jan and his partner Karl Kermes created a Monotheatre. This was Jan's first personal project in the private theatre business. Monotheatre revived a popular comedy play called "Defending the Caveman". It also staged two follow-up plays: "Father" and "Grandfather". The theatre ended its business in 2014. In 2013, Jan decided to leave the Estonian Drama Theatre and devote more time to develop his own theatre production company, Prem Productions.

Jan was a first year student in acting school when he got his first television role. He was invited to the humor show Wremja by Dan Põldroos and Ivar Vigla. This was the beginning of a long-term cooperation with Dan Põldroos. Jan gained more recognition thanks to his humorous role as a Zorro in Wremja, which was broadcasted until 2000.

In 2000, Jan was casted by YLE2, a Finnish television channel. He got the leading role in a "Siperian Nero". Thanks to a year of filming in Tampere, he speaks Finnish very well.

After ending the contract with Drama Theatre, Jan didn't feel like he had a place he belonged. Coming out of writer's block, he had the idea to make a road movie of him finding his place under the sun again. He introduced his idea to Rain Tolk and Andres Maimik, who were excited by the idea. And so it was done! In 2007, the premiere of the movie, called "Jan Uuspõld goes to Tartu", became the most viewed movie at that time. It brought a record number of people to the cinemas. It was a movie that made him an icon, which got carried into people's mind forever.

After ending the contract with Drama Theatre, Jan didn't feel like he had a place he belonged. Coming out of writer's block, he had the idea to make a road movie of him finding his place under the sun again. He introduced his idea to Rain Tolk and Andres Maimik, who were excited by the idea. And so it was done! In 2007, the premiere of the movie, called "Jan Uuspõld goes to Tartu", became the most viewed movie at that time. It brought a record number of people to the cinemas. It was a movie that made him an icon, which got carried into people's mind forever.

In 2011, he was persuaded to take part in a charity show Dancing with the Stars produced by Kanal 2. Jan felt highly hesitated about ballroom dancing, he didn't know how to dance and he thought he was only going to the show to lose the competition. But after his first dance lesson with his dance coach Aleksandra, his doubts faded and Jan started to feel passionate about dancing. And just like that, he won the last season of the show. One of the most popular TV shows in Estonia, since 2013, has been Your face sounds familiar and Jan attended the show in 2014. Jan's most talked-about roles were Justin Bieber, Shirley Bassey, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Vladimir Vysotsky, BB King and Fred Astaire.

In 2015, Jan got the leading role as a taxi-driver Urmas Kuldnokk, in a show Taxi. It is a comedy show on Kanal 2, shown every Tuesday evening.

A film writer Toomas Hussar created a character specially for Jan, who accepted the role of a spy in a new movie The Spy and the Poet. The movie was filmed in the fall 2015 and will be premiered in September 2016.

Private life

Jan is the eldest son of his parents, Heidi and Ingar Uuspõld. His mother is an accountant and his father was a long-distance driver. His two younger brothers are named Andrus and Jaanus Uuspõld. Jan has two kids, a daughter and son. In 2012, Jan moved back to Nõmme and lives there with his wife Gerli Tiganik. They got married in 2013.