Mikko Majnlahti's last years were sad - this is how he explained the death of his son and wife

The actor-director lost two of his dear ones in a very short span of time.

Sad news was heard on Tuesday when the news of the demise of famous theater director and actor Mikko Majnalahti became public. He was born in 1933 and was 89 when he died.

Read more: Theater manager and director Mikko Majnlahti has passed away

Majnalahti died of a sudden illness at home in Tampere on Sunday, his daughter, actress Sanna Majnalahti told STT on Tuesday.

The last years of Mikko Majnlahti, who had once worked as theater director at Tampere Tioven Theater and Turku City Theatre, were full of sadness.

In 2017, IS reported how Majnlahti’s son, Antti Majnlahti, who was also an actor-director, died suddenly at home in Turku at only 50 years old.

Mikko Majnlahti, who was overcome with grief at the time, said in an interview that the boy’s death came as a complete surprise to those around him.

– This came as a complete surprise. There were no signs whatsoever. Majnlahti said that no other reason for how this happened will be known until an autopsy is performed.

Later, the cause of death of Majnlahti child was said to be a heart attack.

Majnlahti’s year was extremely difficult at that time. In addition to the son’s death, his wife, Maija-Liisa Majnalahti, also known as an actress, died in January of the same year. Exhausted by a serious illness, the actor passed away at the age of 77.

Shall we say it hasn’t been easy, Majnlahti said sadly.

Mikko Majnlahti with his daughter Sanna. Photo: Rajo Hitenan

The actor-director did not reduce his enthusiasm for theater even in his retirement days. She told IS in 2018 that she has also learned to enjoy the role of a spectator.

The magic of the theater is still intact. I have gradually gotten rid of the fact that I watch plays not as a producer, but as a spectator. In the past, the viewing experience could be ruined when some little thing in the implementation got in the way, he described.

Majnlahti managed to act not only on the stage of the theater, but also on the big screen and television. For example, he starred in Mika Kaurismäki’s film Kalani (1984). On the TV side, he was seen in, among other things, the drama Art is Long, Life is Short (1967).