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.
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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