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Oona Gray Seppälä, born October 22, 2007, is the eldest daughter of Suits actress Sarah Rafferty and financial analyst Santtu Seppälä. Now 17, she maintains a private life while growing up with Finnish-American heritage and values centered on education, empathy, and family connection.
Oona Gray Seppälä is the first child of actress Sarah Rafferty and her husband, Aleksanteri Olli-Pekka Seppälä. Born in 2007, she grew up during her mother’s breakthrough years playing Donna Paulsen on the legal drama Suits. Unlike many celebrity children thrust into the spotlight, Oona’s parents deliberately chose a path of privacy and normalcy.
Her name carries significance. “Oona” has Irish roots, meaning “lamb” or “unity,” while “Gray” likely honors family connections. The Finnish spelling of her last name—Seppälä—reflects her father’s heritage and the bicultural identity woven into her upbringing.
As of 2025, Oona is 17 years old and entering young adulthood. Her life has been shaped by three distinct influences: her mother’s artistic career, her father’s analytical profession, and a family philosophy that puts education and authentic connection above fame.
Oona was born on October 22, 2007, in the United States. Her arrival came just before her mother’s career-defining role on Suits, which premiered in 2011. This timing meant Oona’s early childhood unfolded alongside her mother’s rising fame.
Sarah Rafferty has spoken openly about the early days of motherhood. In 2014 interviews, when Oona was six, Rafferty described her as “outgoing, funny, and incredibly affectionate.” She noted how both daughters loved to sing, dance, and make each other laugh—characteristics that painted a picture of a warm, expressive household.
The family established their home base in Los Angeles, but would later split time between California and Toronto during Suits production. This bicoastal arrangement became a defining feature of Oona’s childhood experience.
Sarah Gray Rafferty built her acting career through dedication and training. She graduated from Hamilton College with degrees in English and Theatre, studied at Oxford, and earned her MFA from Yale School of Drama. Her role as Donna Paulsen became iconic, but she consistently emphasized that motherhood remained her proudest achievement.
Rafferty married Santtu Seppälä on June 23, 2001, at St. Mary Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Their relationship has now spanned more than two decades. Santtu, an American of Finnish descent, brings a completely different professional perspective. He holds degrees from Yale and an MBA from Wharton, working as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at the Angeleno Group.
This combination of creative and analytical parents gives Oona access to diverse thinking. Her mother models artistic expression and emotional intelligence. Her father provides structure, financial literacy, and a connection to Finnish culture. Both parents share a commitment to keeping their daughters grounded despite Hollywood proximity.
Sarah Rafferty has been candid about the challenges of balancing career and family. In a 2014 interview, she admitted she had stopped “striving for balance” and instead focused on “embracing the chaos.” By 2017, she reflected on the importance of self-compassion, acknowledging she had been too hard on herself in the early years of motherhood.
Oona’s childhood coincided almost exactly with Suits’ nine-season run from 2011 to 2019. During production, the family maintained two homes—one in Los Angeles and another in Toronto, where filming took place. Oona attended two different schools, switching between them as her mother’s filming schedule demanded.
Initially, Sarah Rafferty worried this arrangement might be disruptive. She later discovered the opposite. In a 2013 interview with Redbook, she revealed the bicoastal experience became “an amazing, self-esteem-building experience” for Oona, who learned to adapt and even “celebrate” the dual lifestyle.
Both daughters frequently visited the Suits set. In a 2024 interview, Rafferty shared that Oona and Iris were “incredibly close to the cast and their families.” The girls enjoyed visiting craft services, spending time in hair and makeup trailers, and occasionally calling “action” and “cut” during filming.
Interestingly, despite growing up around the production, neither daughter actually watched Suits. Rafferty confirmed this in 2024, noting that while her daughters were often on set in Toronto, they never became viewers of the show itself.
Oona’s younger sister, Iris Friday Seppälä, was born on January 27, 2012, making her nearly five years younger. The age gap creates a natural dynamic where Oona often serves as a guide and role model.
Sarah Rafferty has shared specific moments that illustrate their bond. In a 2016 interview, when Iris was four, Rafferty described teaching her younger daughter about empathy. When Oona cried one day, Iris “literally got a tissue and wiped away her tears and kissed her.” Rafferty called the moment “so lovely.”
The sisters share common experiences—both grew up traveling between cities, both spent time on television sets, and both were raised with the same family values. Yet they also maintain individual personalities. Rafferty has described both as “outgoing and funny” but noted their different developmental stages required different parenting approaches.
As teenagers now (or nearly so), the sisters continue to maintain a close relationship, though specific details remain private in keeping with their parents’ protective approach.
Details about Oona’s specific schooling remain deliberately vague, reflecting her parents’ commitment to privacy. What is clear is that education holds central importance in the household. Sarah Rafferty studied at elite institutions and has consistently emphasized academic achievement alongside creative development.
In a 2016 interview, when Oona was eight, Rafferty explained her parenting priorities: “We are focusing on being true to herself and knowing she can talk to us about absolutely anything.” She continued, “I hope that as she grows and moves about in the world independently, she will feel confident because she feels deeply connected to her family.”
Oona has been exposed to arts and culture throughout her life—not just through her mother’s career but through intentional family choices. Travel, theater attendance, and engagement with creative communities have all been part of her upbringing.
The family also spent significant time in Vermont at Rafferty’s parents’ home, which provided a rural counterpoint to the urban entertainment world. These visits offered Oona experiences beyond Hollywood’s confines.
Sarah Rafferty has been notably protective of her daughters’ privacy. Unlike many celebrity parents who regularly post about their children on social media, Rafferty shares only occasional glimpses. Her Instagram features family moments but typically avoids showing her daughters’ faces or sharing identifying details.
This approach reflects a deliberate philosophy. Rafferty wants Oona and Iris to have agency over their own public identities rather than having them defined by their mother’s fame. The strategy allows the girls to grow up without constant public scrutiny or the pressure to perform for cameras.
On Oona’s 13th birthday in 2020, Rafferty made an exception, posting a photo of Oona from behind, sitting in front of a birthday cake. The caption read: “How did that happen? We officially have a teenager. We love her so much, we must sing it from the mountaintops. My heart hurts.”
In 2021, for Oona’s 14th birthday, Rafferty posted again, writing: “Take your time and make all the wishes, Oona. For 14 years, you have been our evidence that they do—-more than— come true. Now, if you’d just let me be your Momager.”
The playful “Momager” comment suggests Oona may have expressed opinions about public exposure—perhaps resisting any push toward entertainment industry involvement. This aligns with the family’s overall approach of letting the girls define their own paths.
Oona’s father brings Finnish heritage into the family identity. Aleksanteri Olli-Pekka Seppälä, known as Santtu, grew up in Illinois but maintains strong connections to his Finnish roots. This cultural background adds depth to Oona’s sense of self.
Growing up bicultural means Oona likely experiences traditions, holidays, and perspectives from both American and Finnish contexts. Finland’s educational values, emphasis on outdoor activity, and cultural approaches to work-life balance may influence family choices even while living in the United States.
Her mother’s side brings Irish and English heritage, creating a genuinely multicultural family identity. This diversity of background often correlates with broader worldviews and comfort with different cultural contexts.
Three core values emerge consistently in how Sarah Rafferty discusses parenting: education, empathy, and resilience.
Education matters deeply in this household. Both parents hold advanced degrees and clearly prioritize intellectual development alongside emotional growth. Rafferty has spoken about wanting her daughters to think critically and express themselves confidently.
Empathy receives explicit attention. The story of four-year-old Iris comforting her crying sister wasn’t accidental—it reflected deliberate teaching about caring for others. Rafferty emphasized in 2016 that empathy was a key focus with both daughters, appropriate to their developmental stages.
Resilience comes through in how the family navigates challenges. Rafferty’s acknowledgment that she stopped seeking “balance” and instead embraced “chaos” models flexibility and self-acceptance. Her later comments about self-compassion in motherhood demonstrate that she wants her daughters to understand that struggle and imperfection are normal parts of life.
The family also emphasizes staying connected despite busy schedules. Rafferty used FaceTime extensively when traveling for work, maintaining daily contact even when physically apart. She spoke about the importance of family retreats to Vermont, creating intentional space for togetherness.
As of 2025, Oona is 17 years old—likely in her junior or senior year of high school. This places her at a pivotal moment: approaching adulthood, considering college options, and beginning to make independent choices about her future.
There is no public information suggesting Oona has pursued acting or entertainment industry work. Her parents’ protective approach and her own apparent resistance to becoming a “Momager” client suggest she may be exploring different paths entirely.
Whether she follows her mother into creative fields, her father into finance and business, or charts a completely different course remains unknown. What seems clear is that she has been raised with the foundation to succeed in multiple directions—creative thinking, analytical skills, cultural awareness, and strong family support.
Her parents’ approach suggests they will support whatever path she chooses, whether that means public visibility or continued privacy. The family’s emphasis on authentic self-expression over external expectations positions Oona to make choices based on genuine interest rather than obligation or pressure.
Oona Gray Seppälä represents a specific type of celebrity child experience: one where famous parents actively work to provide normalcy, privacy, and authentic development rather than leveraging family name for attention or opportunity.
Her story isn’t dramatic or filled with public milestones. Instead, it’s a quieter narrative about thoughtful parenting, cultural identity, and growing up with both privilege and protection. Sarah Rafferty’s career success matters less in this context than her commitment to raising daughters who feel secure, valued, and free to become themselves.
At 17, Oona stands at the beginning of her adult life with advantages many don’t have—financial security, educational opportunity, cultural exposure—but also with something perhaps more valuable: parents who prioritized her wellbeing over publicity and her authentic development over manufactured image.
The next chapters of her story belong to her to write, away from predetermined expectations or public demands. That freedom, carefully protected by her parents throughout her childhood, may be their greatest gift.
