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Thanasis Vengos

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.


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Born:
May 29, 1927 In Piraeus, Greece
Movie/TV Credits:
84
First Appeared:
In the movie The Magic City 1955-07-18
Latest Project:
Movie The Flight of the Swan 2011-01-20
Known For
Filmography
Movie The Flight of the Swan 2011-01-20
Movie With Heart & Soul a Father 2009-10-22
Movie A Man for Εverything Self 2004-12-03
Movie It's a Long Road Antonis 1998-02-18
Movie Ulysses' Gaze Taxi Driver 1995-10-12
Movie Θανάσης ο Βομβιστής Thanasis 1990-01-01
Movie Το Δίδυμο της Συμφοράς Thanasis 1989-05-31
Movie Crazy of all Greece Thanasis Koukouras 1983-05-31
Movie The Big Cannon Thanasis Apaloheris 1981-12-14
Movie Thanasi tightened your belt even more Thanasis Maganas 1980-10-22
Movie Vengos the Crazy Kamikaze Thanasis Trampas 1980-12-08
Movie The Wicked World of Thanasis Thanasis Mpesagiampesas 1979-03-19
Movie The Bald Student Thanasis Chatziathanasopoulos 1979-01-01
Movie Thanasis in the land of the cuff Thanasis 1976-07-25
Movie The Man Who Ran a Lot Thanasis Zevedaios 1973-01-01
Movie The Charlatan Thanasis / Athanasia / Lefteris 1973-12-24
Movie Dictator calls Thanasis Thanasis Delithanasis 1973-11-12
Movie Thanasis, Take Your Gun Thanasis 1972-09-28
Movie Holidays in Vietnam Thanasis Hatzifapas 1971-02-22
Movie What Did You Do in the War, Thanassi? Thanasis Karathanasis 1971-09-23
Movie Carefree... Nut Thanasis 1971-11-22
Movie One Vengos for All Jobs Thanasis Hatzikarathanasis 1970-01-01
Movie Thanasis, Juliet and the sausages Thanasis Karathanasis 1970-07-12
Movie Who Thanasis! Thanasis Trikorfos 1969-01-01
Movie Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc Thou-Vou 1969-04-11
Movie Doctor Z-Vengos Thanasis 1968-01-01
Movie Crazy, Nuts and Vengos Thanasis 1967-01-01
Movie Come on People Agathoklis 1967-05-16
Movie Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000' Thou Vou (Athanasios Bobas) 1967-01-30
Movie Ο Παπατρέχας Polydoros Lagos 1966-02-28
Movie He's a Mad Mad Veggos Thanasis 1965-12-31
Movie The Poor Demons Frixos 1964-01-01
Movie The Twins Thanasis Soukouroglou / Stamatis Soukouroglou / Boulis Hatzifrydis 1964-01-01
Movie With Many Children Polykarpos Kolovos 1964-01-01
Movie School for Chauffeur Ladies Babis 1964-01-01
Movie I'll Make You Queen Antonis Tsilivikis 1964-10-12
Movie Ο Καταφερτζής Kanellos Karabatsas 1964-11-21
Movie Out Poverty and Good Heart Thanasis Koutras 1964-11-11
Movie O Ippolytos kai to violi tou Ιππόλυτος 1963-01-01
Movie The Madman Errikos Delaportas 1963-01-01
Movie Το τυχερό πανταλόνι Thanasis Foukaras 1963-01-01
Movie Jack of All Trades, Master of None Thanasis Birbilis 1963-09-30
Movie Τύφλα Νάχη ο Μάρλον Μπράντο Stefanos Avgerinos 1963-11-28
Movie The Wise Guy Thrasyvoulos 1962-01-15
Movie Γαμπρός για Κλάματα Loukas 1962-01-01
Movie The King of Gaffes Frixos 1962-02-08
Movie The jar Andreas 1962-01-01
Movie Hooray for Madness Romeos 1962-01-08
Movie Δουλειές του ποδαριού Mitros 1962-02-20
Movie Min eidate ton Panai? Panagis Papapanagopoulos 1962-11-19
Movie Runaway Bride Harilaos 1962-11-19
Movie Astronauts Thanasis 1962-10-15
Movie Hands Up, Hitler Panagis 1962-10-31
Movie Oi 900 tis Marinas Partsaklis 1961-01-09
Movie Who Is Margarita? Grigoris Ladias 1961-01-01
Movie Liar Wanted Vrasidas 1961-04-17
Movie Lisa and the Other Woman Petros Valdis 1961-11-13
Movie Το Κλωτσοσκούφι Janitor 1960-03-21
Movie Papadopoulou family Spyros 1960-01-01
Movie Τα ντερβισόπαιδα Polydoros 1960-01-01
Movie Μήτρος και Μητρούσης στην Αθήνα Mitros 1960-01-01
Movie Never on Sunday Thanasis 1960-05-24
Movie Sunday's Date Car Workshoper 1960-07-09
Movie Love Games hotel owner 1960-11-28
Movie Madalena Policeman 1960-10-24
Movie Μια Του Κλέφτη... Salesman 1960-09-01
Movie Three Ladies and me receptionist 1960-10-10
Movie Marriage Adventures Ice Seller 1959-01-01
Movie Erotic Stories Vangelis 1959-03-09
Movie Mousitsa Foivos 1959-10-09
Movie The Uncle from Canada 1959-05-02
Movie Οι Δοσατζήδες Thomas Kalafatis 1959-10-30
Movie Το Εισπρακτοράκι 1958-01-01
Movie Just for One Night Sirios's assistant 1958-01-01
Movie Poverty can be bearable while living well husband 1958-02-02
Movie Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining Dr. Giannis Papadopoulos 1958-11-10
Movie Holidays in Aegina Thodoros' assistant 1958-03-10
Movie Χαρούμενοι αλήτες Waiter 1958-10-14
Movie Mimikos and Mary Harilaos 1958-10-10
Movie The Girl Has Got an Uncle Taxi Driver 1957-02-01
Movie Maria Pentagiotissa Papalaris 1957-12-29
Movie A Girl in Black Policeman 1956-06-08
Movie The Ogre of Athens Spathis 1956-03-05
Movie The Magic City Thanasis 1955-07-18
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