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One of her country's most celebrated performers, Finnish actress and dancer Taina Elg was born in 1930 in Helsinki but later her family moved and lived in and around Finland, including Turku. Taina's mother was a Russian immigrant, pianist Helena Dobroumova, and her father was pianist Åke Elg. Her home later became a target during the Finnish-Soviet wars between 1939 and 1944 and when it became part of the Soviet Union, the family was forced to leave. After WWII they evacuated from Viipuri and returned to Helsinki. At a very young age Taina trained in both ballet and acting. When the family returned to Helsinki, Taina continued with her dance and acting training and eventually she was invited to join the Finnish National Ballet. She appeared in a few homeland movies as early as age 10 and found a couple of obscure film roles as a teenager, one in which she danced. Taina's international reputation began to grow when she joined the famed Sadler's Wells ballet dance company to Carl "Poku" Björkenheim. In 1985 she was married to Rocco Caporale, an Italian educator and professor of sociology. The couple lived in New York City until his death in 2008.
Is a naturalized US citizen.
Was nominated for Broadways 1975 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Feature Actress for a revival of "Wheres Charley?".
Mother of Raoul Bjrkenheim
Replaced by Vivien Leigh in the musical "Tovarich" before the show reached Broadway.
When her film career declined, she sought stage roles in such musicals as "West Side Story," "The Sound of Music," "Can-Can," and "A Little Night Music," She returned to Broadway in later years with the musicals "Wheres Charley?," "Nine" and "Cabaret".
Came to Hollywood as a foreign import on the heels of the success of fellow Scandinavian Anita Ekberg.
Her earliest professional engagements were as a dancer with the Sadlers Wells and Marquis de Cuevas troupes.
Is one of 20 actresses who did not receive an Oscar nomination for their Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical Golden Globe-winning performance; hers being for Les Girls (tied with Kay Kendall. The others, in chronological order, are: June Allyson for Too Young to Kiss , Ethel Merman for Call Me Madam , Jean Simmons for Guys and Dolls , Kay Kendall for Les Girls , Marilyn Monroe for Some Like It Hot , Rosalind Russell for A Majority of One and Gypsy , Patty Duke for Me, Natalie , Twiggy for The Boy Friend , Raquel Welch for The Three Musketeers , Barbra Streisand for A Star Is Born , Bernadette Peters for Pennies from Heaven , Kathleen Turner for Romancing the Stone and Prizzis Honor , Miranda Richardson for Enchanted April , Jamie Lee Curtis for True Lies , Nicole Kidman for To Die For , Madonna for Evita , Rene Zellweger for Nurse Betty , Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky , and Amy Adams for Big Eyes .
