Ritva Hannele Lauri is a Finnish actress known for her roles in multiple comedy series. The artistic focus of her career is in stage acting.
She was born Hannele Markkula to parents Arvi Markkula, a colonel and Eine Markkula, a shopkeeper. She married the actor Hannu Lauri in 1976 and had two sons, Sami and Tomi. The couple divorced in 1994. She was briefly married to Teemu Rinne in the early 2000s.
After having studied acting at the Helsinki Theatre Academy, Hannele Lauri began her professional career in the Jyväskylä City Theatre. The period lasted from 1975 till 1977, after which she worked as a free-lancer till 1981. After a short period in the Turku City Theatre she started her ongoing contract with the Helsinki City Theatre in 1983. Her early stage roles include Ophelia. During the same period she was also cast in the movies directed by Risto Jarva and Jaakko Pakkasvirta.
She began to achieve popularity in Finland in the 1980s through her collaboration with Spede Pasanen. She appeared in popular television productions and comedy feature films created by Pasanen and the Vesa-Matti Loiri. She has been in the national limelight ever since.