“Where have I seen him anywhere?”. Peter Viitanen, 42, is the archetype for such reactions from the TV couch as an actor with a long string of supporting roles in film and on television without getting the big breakthrough for the public.
He has also rarely had to play likeable characters but many times the shady ones.
“I often have to make dubious figures, so I guess I have such an aura,” he says with a smile.
In recent years, the supporting roles have become larger. He played Kenneth Gärdestad in the film “Ted – for love’s sake”, Clark Olofsson’s father Sten in the Netflix series about the bank robber and portrayed Olof Palme in “The Unlikely Killer”.
Now comes the first major lead role on television in the SVT drama “Missing people”, which premieres on November 7.
Peter Viitanen as the truck driver Erwin in “Missing people”.
Peter Viitanen plays the truck driver Erwin, who has a stressful life. He is going through a divorce and the future ex-wife wants to sell his parents’ home. At the same time, he smuggles refugees to Sweden and during such transport something happens that turns Erwin’s life upside down even more.
Even before it started airing, “Vsvrunna männer” has been hailed as one of the best European TV series of the year by the radio and television union EBU – and it was a rewarding role for Peter Viitanen to play Erwin.
“As an actor, you are happy as soon as you are offered film roles and when you are offered a role like this in a story like this, you rejoice,” he says.
Peter Viitanen has taken time off from the stage to film for television.
In recent years, Peter Viitanen has been involved in the Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm, but has several other projects underway. It’s fine now.
– Yes exactly. I have taken a break from the stage precisely because I am filming so much now. I have a recording now, a great fun project that I can’t tell you anything about, and then there is a TV series on TV4, the second season of “Top dog”.