About Renny Harlin
Renny Harlin (born Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola, 15 March 1959) is a Finnish filmmaker who has worked in America, Europe, and Asia. He is known for directing films such as Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea, and Cutthroat Island, the latter of which has the distinction of being one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. Harlin's film Cliffhanger (1993) received three Academy Award (Oscar) nominations. Harlin's films have grossed over $520 million in the United States and over $1.2 billion in the worldwide aggregate box office, making him the 151st highest-grossing director in the global film market as of October 2022, and the most internationally successful Finnish filmmaker in terms of revenue. == Early life == Harlin was born in Riihimäki, Finland. His father was Oiva Harjola (formerly Harlin), a chief physician at Riihimäki Hospital, and his mother was Liisa Koskiluoma, a nurse. Since 1987, Renny's surname has been Harlin, his father's original surname. Renny has a half-brother, Veli-Pekka Harjola, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in sprint canoeing. == Career == === Early years === After studying at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, Harlin started his career in the film business in the beginning of the 1980s, directing commercials and company films for companies like Shell. Later, he worked as a buyer for a Finnish film distributor and met fellow Finn Markus Selin in Los Angeles in 1982.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.