After a five-year break, actor Peter Franzén will be back in a domestic film when Hamsters, directed by Markku Pölönen, premieres.
Franzén appeared on the programme “Half Seven”, where he said he was able to live in peace in the French countryside. He spends his time restoring his home garden, which has already begun to bear fruit.
– Olives were just picked, we have enough until summer. Pomegranates came in abundance and those seeds will be put in the freezer.
However, he says, the French home farm is not self-sufficient.
– Sometimes it would be fun to be. There are plenty of jams and cherries.
– People in the country have all kinds of jams in their cellars, not just wine, Franzén laughs.
Completely incognito, or unrecognizable, Franzén and his spouse do not live in the countryside. According to Franzén, the closest neighbors do know in which field the couple works.
– Our closest neighbors know our profession, but everyone wants to be there in their own way. There’s a pretty close-knit little community that looks out for each other and keeps a secret.
Franzén’s most internationally known role is in the highly popular Netflix series Vikings.
The Finnish actor plays King Harald Finehair in the series. According to Franzén, the easiest way to recognize him is when his beard has grown long.
– Now that I don’t have a beard or long hair, I can take it easy.
Learn how to work on a farm on YouTube
According to Franzén, working on the home farm gives the necessary balance to the work of an actor.
– It’s really important, that’s probably why I live in the country and I’m in contact with nature every day. It’s a wonderful counterbalance to all the fluff and travel involved in this profession.
Franzén says that he had to learn a lot while running the new homestead. He already had some lessons from hoeing his grandparents’ potato land, but now he has adopted modern methods.
– Yes, a lot has come from watching tricks on YouTube and asking advice from people in the village. Sometimes they pass by and give advice without even asking, Franzén laughs.
The Finnish actress has acted in three different films in four different countries this year. So there are a lot of travel days. Who takes care of the household while Franzén is in other countries?
– The retired father of the neighbor lady takes good care of the animals and plants when we are on trips. He takes care of it while we’re away, it’s a really good arrangement.
Pölönen and Franzén are already a familiar working couple from the 1998 film Kuningasjätkä. Since then, Franzén has been involved in all of Pölönen’s feature films. The actor describes Pölö as his heart friend.
– That \\Kuningasjätkä\\ was my first feature film. I was under the supervision of a great guide, Markku’s warm heart. I got to make a pretty good character, which was a great place for a young actor to push himself through, and it worked.
*Watch the entire Half past seven broadcast with Peter Franzén as a guest. You can discuss the topic on 14.12. until 11 p.m.*