In Ravenscroft, Luukkonen played lead character Inspector Ruffing who was tasked with investigating a death in a rural estate in early 20th century England. The psychological drama and dark comedy was written by virtuoso playwright Don Nigro (Glamorgan, Pushkin, Netherlands), and was adapted into the film The Manor that starred Greta Scacchi (The Player, Presumed Innocent), Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, The Last Emperor) and Gabrielle Anwar (Scent of a Woman, Burn Notice).
Luukkonen’s latest film project, Perception of Art, is a drama about the son of a famous painter who struggled to follow in the wake of his father’s success. In the film, Luukkonen worked alongside Belgium-born actor Kristian Van der Hayden who is known from his role in the 2014 science fiction blockbuster Interstellar.
Perception of Art was directed by German filmmaker Roana Wullinger (Soul Bird, Rain Day). In it, Luukkonen worked with other accomplished actors such as Serena Lorien (House of Manson, Lazarus: Day of the Living Dead, Superman: Requiem) and Yvette Soledad (Pandemic, All I want for Christmas).
Luukkonen clearly has the chops for drama, but the production on which the Finland-born thespian had the most fun was the zombie-apocalyptic TV show Chronicles of the Dead.
In Chronicles of the Dead, Luukkonen played various roles, which included a soldier, a civilian and a zombie. The 15-episode show was written by Younger Robbins (Breakdown Lane, Everyone Wants the Kush) and Brian Hernandez (Melinda, She’s Got Everything She Needs) and was often filmed in the streets of Los Angeles in the early hours of the morning.
“There is something strangely satisfying about being awake at those hours, carrying replica guns, and pretending to be gunning down fellow actors in makeup,” Luukkonen said.
But Luukkonen didn’t just mow down zombies in L.A.’s concrete jungle for Robbins’ and Hernandez’ zombie thriller. His extraordinary efforts on the show earned him a production credit, as well.
Going above and beyond expectations was nothing new for Luukkonen. His work ethic and compatibility with crew and talent alike have served him well on numerous sets.
“It’s surprising how many in this industry lack those traits,” Luukkonen said. “I have seen many people who have gotten a call time of 6 a.m. and they show up at 7:30 a.m. without calling. Yes, 6 a.m. is early, but the crew gets there at best an hour before you, and if it’s early enough, they might have never left.”
Luukkonen showed his dramatic range as a one-night stand in the film The Adventures of Sally’s Inner Demons in which he worked alongside actor Rayanna Dibs (Berkshire Hunt, Miracle Landing on the Hudson, The Days Inbetween).
“It’s a pretty surreal film, and while I only have one scene, it’s pretty pivotal to the story and character development of the lead,” Luukkonen said.
Another of Luukkonen’s 2015 film projects was Pastry, a film about seduction and a character’s self-conscious relationship with her body where Luukkonen acted alongside Sid Phoenix (All That Remains, The Program, When We See).
Pastry was filmed in the United Kingdom, and Luukkonen praised the U.K.-based cast and crew for their work ethic and expertise.
“It was a very professional production crew,” Luukkonen said. “As has been my experience in London, the actors are all theater trained and much more knowledgeable about the intricacies of the technique.”
Alex Luukkonen’s classical training has led to appearances on screen alongside talented actors who have also appeared in major international titles. He’s already earned an impressive list of credentials and will no doubt add to it in 2015 and beyond.
Article written for Entertainment LA by Seth Perlstein