Markku Peltola, the shambling Finnish character actor who became a mainstay of the films of Aki Kaurismäki, passed away on Monday at the age of 51. Peltola appeared in over thirty Finnish films and television programs, but was best known by lovers of international cinema for his collaborations with Kaurismäki, in particular his starring role in 2002's Cannes Grand Prix winner The Man Without a Past. According to a report at Earthtimes.org, Finnish media has stated that "Peltola has suffered from ill health for some time." No further details are available.

My most cherished cinematic memory of Peltola comes from Kaurismäki's 1996 masterpiece Drifting Clouds. In the film, Peltola plays Lajunen, a down-and-out chef with a weakness for the bottle. After his restaurant closes its doors for good, he spends his days drinking with his friends, until one day the old restaurant's former hostess comes calling in the hope of starting a new place. She finds Lajunen sitting in the snow with his friends, bottle in hand, but when he sees her, he tosses the bottle aside and gets into her car. Kaurismäki keeps the camera on his friends, who pathetically call after him: "where are you going with Lajunen? We want Lajunen!" But Lajunen never looks back, having found a purpose once again.