Playing second fiddle
Finnish dramedy Supporting Actor explores society’s obsession with success through a frustrated actor striving to become a screen star. Producer Max Malka and writer-director Niklas Lindgren tell DQ about their partnership behind the scenes and what they wanted to say about the film and television business.
Fresh from exploring the clash between the artistic and commercial demands of the dance industry in Dance Brothers, producer Endemol Shine Finland (ESF) has turned to the film and television industry for its latest project.
Supporting Actor centres on Aki Kurki (Kari Ketonen), 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 broken many relationships that he now has to mend to find out who is responsible, with the support of one of the only people he can truly trust – his manager (played by Antti Holma).
Written and directed by Niklas Lindgren (Idiomatic), Supporting Actor is produced by ESF for broadcasters Nelonen and Ruutu, with ESF duo Max Malka and Unne Sormunen as executive producers.
Here, Malka and Lindgren discuss skewering the film and television business, and how Lindgren balanced writing and directing a series that blends comedy and drama.
Hi Max, please introduce us to the story of Supporting Actor.
Malka: Our lead character is Aki Kurki, a well-known but overlooked actor who is known for his high artistic standards and difficult personality. Despite his talent and hard work, he’s always relegated to supporting roles while less deserving actors land leading parts and achieve true success.
He feels like he’s cursed. Aki visits a fortune teller who confirms that he is, indeed, actually cursed. Aki has no choice but to embark on a quest to discover who cursed him and why. Unfortunately, he has a lot of burned bridges to cross before he gets to the truth – making the journey far more convoluted than he ever imagined.
What are the origins of the project?
Malka: Niklas wanted to explore society’s obsession with success, and how we even define it or measure it. He also had the idea of writing a role for the well-known actor Kari Ketonen to finally see him shine as the main character. Having known Niklas for 20 years and always being a fan of his work, I felt very lucky that he approached me with this project at an early stage.
What does the series say about the acting business?
Lindgren: I love actors and admire their perseverance in a business that can be very harsh and highly competitive. From a storytelling perspective, the drama largely comes from the competitiveness of the business, making it a natural backdrop for themes like success, ambition and envy. We were also interested in the versatility of a freelance actor’s career, and we see Aki Kurki performing in an art house drama, the theatre, a Nordic noir, a dystopian sci-fi film and even recording audiobooks, just to name a few.
Malka: It was fun to have our main character say the uncensored truths most people think but never dare to say. It’s not just about the film industry, but also balancing career ambitions with family responsibilities.
What can you tell us about Aki’s journey through the series?
Lindgren: Aki begins with selfish motives – he wants to achieve the success that’s always eluded him, and the only thing standing in his way is the curse. To break the curse, he must reconnect with those he has wronged in one way or another. This inevitably has an effect on him, especially when he tries to fix his relationship with his estranged teenage daughter. He begins to reassess his priorities and goals, and his personal journey becomes one of atonement. The tension between selfish desires and the need for redemption creates an interesting and original dynamic for both comedy and drama.
Malka: This show is a grounded dramedy, with the supernatural element of the curse introduced in the first episode. By the end of the season, we reveal the truth behind the curse, and Aki’s personal journey frames the story.
Do we meet any other important characters?
Malka: Aki’s journey to break the curse involves reconnecting with many people from his past. And being over 50, he’s had a lot of time to burn bridges. On his list of potential culprits are family members like his ex-partners Ronja and Erika; his estranged teenage daughter Aada; a younger actor apprentice named Benjamin, who has surpassed Aki in his success; some Samí people he most likely offended; and even the angered gods of theatre. The only ones Aki doesn’t suspect are his trusted friends: his ever-patient agent Hannu and his philosopher friend Tiitus, who remains completely uninterested in Aki’s work and the film industry at large.
What was the writing process on the show? Was it difficult to balance the humour with drama?
Lindgren: The show is a mix of drama and comedy. Writing solo, I found I naturally leaned towards comedy, and Max was an invaluable sounding board throughout the whole process. She especially helped when the script needed to take a more serious turn, ensuring the humour and drama were balanced, as my instinct as a writer is to approach scenes from a comedic perspective.
When the story headed in a more serious direction, I realised the jokes could undermine the emotional weight of key moments. So I shifted my approach, crafting it primarily as drama with moments of humour woven in, rather than a full comedy. Now when people ask me about the genre of the show, I call it a ‘drama with jokes.’
Malka: Niklas has a very distinct and sharp voice in his writing, and he knew what themes he wanted to explore with a strong thematic core. The curse gives the story a high-concept pitch and a forward-leaning engine. We had a very long development phase that proved beneficial, giving us the rare opportunity to refine the scripts in a more luxurious way.
How was the series developed with Nelonen and Ruutu?
Malka: The key to working with Nelonen was ensuring the casting and marketing angles worked well for them. Once those fell into place, Nelonen was very supportive of the writing process and really conveyed the trust they had in us as creatives. It’s valuable to receive honest feedback and to be given the freedom to adjust as needed – and equally, in some cases, to be comfortable to admit that nothing needs any fixing at all!
Kari Ketonen and Antti Holma are described as Finnish comedy royalty. How did you come to cast them and what did they bring to their roles?
Malka: Niklas had worked with Kari Ketonen before, so the show was tailored with him in mind from the start. I had worked with Antti Holma before and thought he would bring such a great energy to the role of Kari’s agent. Ketonen and Holma are also friends in real life, and that dynamic naturally flows into their on-screen performances. Of course, having excellent scripts helped us attract the cast we wanted.
What were your first thoughts about how you would produce the series?
Malka: We aimed to create a cinematic and high-quality series, grounded in realism while embracing the fun of the fictional elements, like the movie sets, posters, trailers and theatre. We wanted to create a show that felt large for local audiences, but with clear international appeal.
From the beginning, we saw this story’s potential to be adapted as a format in other markets. Every country has a star the audience knows and loves, but the actor is always the second from the left on the posters, and never the lead. Casting someone like that in each territory creates an instantly marketable show with a universal theme.
What challenges or obstacles did you face, and how did you overcome them?
Lindgren: From a writing standpoint, the most difficult part was the structure. Every 24-minute episode introduced new characters, all of whom needed to be established in creative and interesting ways. From a directing perspective, the biggest challenge was the same as always: time. However, despite the tight schedule, and thanks to the solid prep work by Max, assistant director Aino Niemi, cinematographer Jarmo Kiuru and production designer Tuomas Kyrö, we made it work. We also had a chance to rehearse with the main cast before filming, which was invaluable for the final result.
Malka: Creating a scripted series takes time, even when you move fast, and our industry is evolving at a faster pace than ever. Initially developed for another platform, the project found a new home and went into production just as our original partner and new broadcaster joined forces – an exciting shift that also brought some timeline adjustments. Now that it’s finally out, we’re super pleased to share it and hope to continue the story of Supporting Actor in another season.
After Dance Brothers and now Supporting Actor, what is Endemol Shine Fiction working on next?
Malka: I would love to make season two of Supporting Actor. In addition to that, I’m working on several high-concept shows with comedic engines, both as TV series and as feature films. What seems to be in common with most is that it’s a cinematic genre mix, like romantic comedy or action comedy. Some are original stories, others are inspired by big IP – it is our ambition to stay diverse and flexible without compromising on quality.
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tagged in: Endemol Shine Finland, Max Malka, Nelonen, Niklas Lindgren, Ruutu, Supporting Actor