Marjo-Riikka Mäkelä is a renowned actor, acting coach, and award-winning intimacy director, with a dual citizenship in Finland and the United States. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG),American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA),and Actors' Equity Association (AEA).
Marjo-Riikka has received numerous accolades for her work, including an honorary "IHOLLA"-award from the Red Carpet Festival Jury in Finland in 2021. She is known for her unique and individualized approach to coaching, earning her the nickname "actor whisperer." Her Los Angeles-based acting school, Chekhov Studio International, has been a creative haven for actors and directors since 2009.
As a coach, Marjo-Riikka has worked with thousands of actors and directors, helping them to fine-tune their craft, overcome creative blocks, and improve communication. She has also taught at several prestigious institutions, including the National Theatre Academy in Finland and Aalto University.
Marjo-Riikka has specialized in various techniques, including the Michael Chekhov Technique, Non-Violent Communication, and Intimacy Direction. She is a long-standing faculty member of the Michael Chekhov Association and has taught at the Stanislavski-based techniques, including the Meisner Technique.
In addition to her acting and coaching work, Marjo-Riikka has a practical nurse degree and an Equestrian degree. She has volunteered with Equine Facilitated Therapies and has worked pro bono with the Young Story Tellers and the Actors Gang.
Marjo-Riikka is also an Arizona Trauma Institute Certified Trauma Support Specialist & Resilience Coach and has Mental First Aid certifications from the Association of Mental Health Coordinators and National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
She has coached actors for numerous TV and film productions, including True Blood, Madmen, West World, Billions, Unknown Soldier, Her, The Office, Silicon Valley, CSI, Californication, Mentalist, Castle, Nip Tuck, Alphas, Body of Proof, Ghost Whisperer, Entourage, How I Met your Mother, General Hospital Night Shift, Bones, Numb3rs, Deadwood, in Treatment, Manifesto, and Beforeigners.
Marjo-Riikka has been featured in several major publications, including Back Stage, the Los Angeles Times, American Theater Magazine, and European publications. She is an honorary member of the Stanislavsky Institute and Latin American Film Institute & School of Cinema, and the founder and Artistic Director of Helsinki West Theatre Ensemble and Chekhov Studio International in Los Angeles.
As an actor, Marjo-Riikka has appeared in numerous productions, including Medea at California Repertory Company, Yelena in Uncle Vanya at the Classic Stage Company in NYC, and her work with Sarah Kane and Andrei Malaev-Babel at the Stanislavsky Theatre Studio in Washington DC.
Marjo-Riikka is an avid animal lover and has several rescued animals in her care. She dreams of establishing an animal sanctuary in the future.
