[3] She had a strict, military-style upbringing, with her mother insisting — despite the family being Finnish-speaking — on speaking French to her daughter.

[2][3] Forssell was regarded as an intelligent, confident, and technically skilled actor, with a line of strong, regal characters in her repertoire.

[7] Although she appeared in several films, she is best known as a stage actor, most notably attached to the Finnish National Theatre where she worked over 40 years from 1948 until the early 1990s.

[9] A small selection of Forssell's many roles included (all at the Finnish National Theatre, unless otherwise indicated):[2][10] Her portrayal of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker was considered by some as the performance of the decade.

[2] In the 1960s her affair with fellow actor Esko Salminen, 15 years her junior, caused something of a scandal due to their age difference.