Lo Kauppi

Kauppi was born on 19 April 1970 in Skärholmen, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden.^[2] In her early 20s—during her studies to become a hairdresser in London—she became addicted to drugs.^[3][4] She also suffered from an eating disorder.^[5]

After treatment for her addictions, she attended the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting in Stockholm to study theater between 1999 and 2003.^[6][7] Since 1997, Kauppi has performed in several theater, television and movie productions. She has played at Sweden's national Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm in such plays as Jösses flickor – Återkomsten ("Oh, Girls – the Return") in 2006 and in Hamlet in 2007 as Ophelia.^[8]

In 2009, she toured in the stand-up show Undercover with dancer Anna Vnuk. In 2003–05, she toured with the biographical solo show Bergsprängardottern som exploderade ("The Mountain Blaster Daughter Who Exploded"), which was later published as a book.^[9] In 2010, she debuted as a director in the play Bergsprängardöttrar at the National Swedish Touring Theatre.^[9][10] She wrote the script for the play, based on conversations with interns and caregivers, at the correctional facilities in Hinseberg and Ystad.^[8][10] The same year she participated in the Sveriges Radio program På jakt efter kvinnan ("Searching For Woman"), a show about female orgasm and sex.^[11] In 2011 she acted in the film False Trail,^[1] opposite Peter Stormare and Rolf Lassgård, playing the character Johanna Lager, a gun expert.^[12]

In 2005, Kauppi was a presenter for the radio show Flipper broadcast on Sveriges Radio.^[13] Kauppi is the co-writer of the book Hemlös ("Homeless") and the anthology Tala om klas. In 2012, she co-presented and was the focus of the SVT show Dom kallar oss skådisar ("They Call Us Actors").^[14] In 2015, she acted in the play Vita kränkta män ("White Offended Men").^[4] In March 2015, the documentary film Ta plats – en film om Lo Kauppi had its premiere at Tempofestivalen in Stockholm.^[15] The documentary charts Kauppi's life and achievements.^[15]

Kauppi was the singer and guitarist of the feminist punk band Vagina Grande until they disbanded. Other band members included film director Mia Engberg and Left Party politician Josefin Brink.^[16]

Kauppi is married to actor Figge Norling and the couple have a son.^[1][17]

In 2004, she was named "Educator of the Year" by the magazine Window / ABF.^[18] She received the 2010 scholarship from the Helena Bering Memorial Fund and that same year was awarded the Jan Fridegård Prize.^[18][19]

(selective)^[19]

• En månad på landet
• Bergsprängardottern som exploderade,
• Elsa-Lill in Herr Arnes penningar
• Hanna in Jösses flickor – Återkomsten
• Ophelia in Hamlet

• 1998 – Längtans blåa blomma
• 2002 – Cleo
• 2003 – Spung
• 2005 – Fallet G
• 2005 – Parasiten
• 2011 – False Trail
• 2011 – Gläntan
• 2012 – Vågor av längtan
• 2013 – Wallander – "Den orolige mannen"
• 2014 – Real Humans
• 2017 – In the Gap
• 2018 – Sisters 1968
• 2023 – A Nearly Normal Family