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Ivo Eensalu (born 3 April 1949) is an Estonian actor and theatre director. Eensalu's career began in the early 1970s, and has appeared as an actor on stage, film and in television. He became widely known after appearing on the Eesti Televisioon children's educational television series Mõmmi ja aabits. From 1995 until 2001, he was the director of the Estonian Drama Theatre.
In 1977, Eensalu accepted an engagement as an actor and director at the Estonian Drama Theatre in Tallinn, and in 1995, he became the theatre's principal director. He retired his position in 2001 and has been a freelance actor and director since; most notably, as a director of a number of productions at Old Baskin's Theatre, as well as Tallinn Town Hall and the Salme Cultural Center in Tallinn and the Rakvere Theatre. He has also directed productions in theatres in Finland.
Another popular ETV children's series, Vandersellid, aired from 1982 until 1983, in which Eensalu played the role of Ivo opposite actors Paul Poom and Guido Kangur. From 1984 until 1987, he appeared as Sass Suhkur in the Virve Koppel directed ETV children's series Pailapsiin opposite Tallinn Conservatory classmate and fellow Mõmmi ja aabits actor Tõnu Saar.
In 1980, Eensalu had a prominent role in the Elvi Koppel directed children's television film Kardemoni linna rahvas ja röövlid, based on the 1955 book When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town by Norwegian writer Thorbjørn Egner. In 1982, Eensalu appeared in the ETV television musical comedy film Teisikud, directed by Leo Karpin. Other television roles include the 1987 four-part Olav Neuland directed ETV television film Näkimadalad, the 1997 TV3 television series Waba Riik , and the 2015 Andres Puustusmaa directed ETV drama series Mustad lesed. In 2011, he had a recurring role as the character Manfred Aavakivi in the Raivo Maripuu directed Kanal 2 crime series Kelgukoerad. In 2018, he appeared as the character Sass Tabi in two episodes of the TV3 comedy-crime series Kättemaksukontor.
Eensalu has also directed a number of for the Estonian Drama Theatre that aired on ETV, beginning with a 1983 production of Simo Puupponen's The Whole City of Vinski. Other teleplays directed by Eensalu include works by Evgeny Schwartz, Ekaterina Borisova, Janno Põldma, Arthur Omre, Astrid Lindgren, and Ene-Maris Tali.
During the 1980s, he established himself as a character actor. In 1982, he appeared in the Peeter Simm directed Tallinnfilm adventure film Arabella, mereröövli tütar, based on the story of the same name by children's writer Aino Pervik. In 1984, he appeared as a village idiot in the Olav Neuland directed historical adventure film Hundiseaduse aegu.
In 1992, he appeared in the Lembit Ulfsak directed comedy-family film Lammas all paremas nurgas, and the following year appeared as Ivo in the Kaljo Kiisk directed Tallinnfilm drama Suflöör, the Marek Piestrak directed Estonian-Polish-Russian historical supernatural thriller Saatana pisar, and in the Pekka Karjalainen directed Finnish-Estonian comedy Hysteria. In 1994, he played the role of a Siberian guard in the Jaan Kolberg directed period adventure film Jüri Rumm, based on the life of 19th-century itinerant thief and robber Rummu Jüri. In 1995, he appeared as a voice actor in the role of Alderman in the Heiki Ernits and Leo Lätti directed animated film Tallinna legendid.
Eensalu has been a member of the Estonian Theatre Association since 1973, the Directors' Association since 1992, and the Actors' Union since 1993.
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