Thanasis Veggos

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Male

Birthday 1927-05-29

Deathday 2011-05-03 (83 years old)

Place of Birth Piraeus, Greece

Also Known As Thanasis Vengos, Thanassis Veggos, Thanassis Vengos, Thanasis Vegos, Θανασης Βεγγος, Θανάσης Βέγγος

Thanasis Veggos

Biography

Thanasis Veggos (29 May 1926 – 3 May 2011) was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. He performed in around 130 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, starring in more than 50 among them. He is considered one of the best Greek comedy actors of all time. His famous comedic catchphrase was "Καλέ µου άνθρωπε" ("My good man"). Veggos' first appearance in a film was in Windfall in Athens, produced by Mihalis Kakogiannis, which premiered in Athens as Kiriakatiko Xsipnima on 11 January 1954. Nikos Koundouros gave him a role in Magiki polis in 1955. His first major role was in Psila ta heria Hitler ("Hands Up, Hitler"), 1962 and continued many more films. For his acting in What did you do in the war, Thanasi? (1971), the public of Thessaloniki °apotheosized° him and the movie won three awards at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. He often played everyman characters struggling to get by, but he has also played anti-heroes, he has acted in pure dramas, and on stage in the comedies of Aristophanes. His characters were often self-named "Thanasis". He often worked with directors Panos Glykofridis and Giorgos Lazaridis. In 1995, Theo Angelopoulos cast Veggos and American actor Harvey Keitel in "Ulysses Gaze". In 1997, in the role of Dikaiopoli he appeared in a live performance at the ancient Epidaurus theater. In 2000, he survived a car accident involving a collision with a train. He later participated in advertisements promoting road safety. A documentary of his life, whose title translates as A Man for All Seasons, was made in 2004. He always did his own stunts including the most dangerous ones, like hanging from a rope tied to a balcony fifty feet above a pavement without anything to break his fall, walking through a glass door, or falling down a stone staircase head first. During the "Golden Sixties" of the Greek film industry he made his most popular comedy films such as the sequel of Secret Agent 000, Papatrehas, Enas trellos Vengos and many others, also with surrealist humor, most of them by his own company Θ-Β Comedies (Θ-Β Tainies Geliou) which founded in 1964. In 2008, Veggos was appointed Commander of the Order of the Phoenix by the President of Greece, Karolos Papoulias. On 3 May 2011, he died at 7:10 a.m. He had been hospitalized at the Red Cross hospital, in Athens, since 18 December 2010. He is survived by his wife Asimina and two sons. He will always be remembered in the more than 120 films and more recent documentaries that he starred in. The phrase "τρέχει σαν το Βέγγο" (English translation: "runs like Veggos") has been adopted into common usage in the Greek language since nobody has run more or faster than Veggos in his many slapstick comedies.

Known For

Actor

2009
With Heart & Soul

as a Father

2008
Έχω ένα μυστικό...

as Κυρ-Κυριάκος

2000
Peri Anemon kai Ydaton

as Λύσσανδρος

1998
The Enigma

as Linos

1998
It's a Long Road

as Antonis

1995
Ulysses' Gaze

as Taxi Driver

1991
Quiet Days in August

as Νίκος Γκούφας

1989
Thanasis the Optimist

as Thanasis Rodinos / Mother

1989
Champion

as Thanasis Manaris / Sakis

1988
1983
Crazy of all Greece

as Thanasis Koukouras

1981
The Big Cannon

as Thanasis Apaloheris

1980
Vengos the Crazy Kamikaze

as Thanasis Trampas

1979
The Wicked World of Thanasis

as Thanasis Mpesagiampesas

1979
The Bald Student

as Thanasis Chatziathanasopoulos

1978
Which Way to the Septic Tank?

as Thanasis Papathanasis

1976
Paraskinio

as Thanasis Vengos

1973
The Charlatan

as Thanasis / Athanasia / Lefteris

1973
Dictator calls Thanasis

as Thanasis Delithanasis

1973
The Man Who Ran a Lot

as Thanasis Zevedaios

1972
1971
Carefree... Nut

as Thanasis

1971
What Did You Do in the War, Thanassi?

as Thanasis Karathanasis

1971
Holidays in Vietnam

as Thanasis Hatzifapas

1970
Thanasis, Juliet and the sausages

as Thanasis Karathanasis

1970
One Vengos for All Jobs

as Thanasis Hatzikarathanasis

1969
An Unbelievable Sucker

as Thanasis Hatzipapageorgakopoulokonstadinogiannopoulos

1969
Who Thanasis!

as Thanasis Trikorfos

1968
Doctor Z-Vengos

as Thanasis

1967
Come on People

as Agathoklis

1967
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'

as Thou Vou (Athanasios Bobas)

1967
1966
Ο Παπατρέχας

as Polydoros Lagos

1965
1964
Ο Καταφερτζής

as Kanellos Karabatsas

1964
Out Poverty and Good Heart

as Thanasis Koutras

1964
I'll Make You Queen

as Antonis Tsilivikis

1964
With Many Children

as Polykarpos Kolovos

1964
The Poor Demons

as Frixos

1964
The Twins

as Thanasis Soukouroglou / Stamatis Soukouroglou / Boulis Hatzifrydis

1963
1963
The lucky pants

as Thanasis Foukaras

1963
O Ippolytos kai to violi tou

as Ιππόλυτος

1963
The Madman

as Errikos Delaportas

1962
Min eidate ton Panai?

as Panagis Papapanagopoulos

1962
Runaway Bride

as Harilaos

1962
Hands Up, Hitler

as Panagis

1962
Astronauts

as Thanasis

1962
1962
The Wise Guy

as Thrasyvoulos

1962
1962
The jar

as Andreas

1962
The Proud

as Priest

1961
Lisa and the Other Woman

as Petros Valdis

1961
1961
Liar Wanted

as Vrasidas

1961
Μυρτιά

as Giannos

1961
Lost dreams

as Vangelis

1961
Oi 900 tis Marinas

as Partsaklis

1961
Διαμάντω

as Karderinas

1961
Who Is Margarita?

as Grigoris Ladias

1961
Sharp as a Needle

as Detective Van Gray

1960
Love Games

as hotel owner

1960
The Dawn of Triumph

as Περιπτεράς

1960
Madalena

as Policeman

1960
Three Ladies and me

as receptionist

1960
For You My Love

as Manetas

1960
Sunday's Date

as Car Workshoper

1960
Never on Sunday

as Thanasis

1960
Blind Angel

as Kotsos

1960
1959
Οι Δοσατζήδες

as Thomas Kalafatis

1959
Mousitsa

as Foivos

1959
Erotic Stories

as Vangelis

1959
Marriage Adventures

as Ice Seller

1959
The Tomboy

as waiter

1958
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

as Dr. Giannis Papadopoulos

1958
Mimikos and Mary

as Harilaos

1958
Holidays in Aegina

as Thodoros' assistant

1958
Just for One Night

as Sirios's assistant

1957
Maria Pentagiotissa

as Papalaris

1957
1956
A Girl in Black

as Policeman

1956
1955
The Magic City

as Thanasis

Producer

1983
1981
The Big Cannon

as Producer

1969
Who Thanasis!

as Producer

1969
1968
Doctor Z-Vengos

as Producer

1967
Come on People

as Producer

1966
1965

Director

1988
Βεγγαλικά

as Director

1973
1969
1969
Who Thanasis!

as Director

1968
Doctor Z-Vengos

as Director

1967

Writer

1981
The Big Cannon

as Writer