Thanasis Veggos
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.
The Ogre of Athens
(Spathis)
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
(Thou Vou (Athanasios Bobas))
The Flight of the Swan
With Heart & Soul
(a Father)
Holidays in Vietnam
(Thanasis Hatzifapas)
The Policeman of the 16th Precinct
(Thomas)
Crazy of all Greece
(Thanasis Koukouras)
Το Δίδυμο της Συμφοράς
(Thanasis)
It's a Long Road
(Antonis)
Dictator calls Thanasis
(Thanasis Delithanasis)
Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
(Thou-Vou)
Διαμάντω
(Karderinas)
A Girl in Black
(Policeman)
Madalena
(Policeman)
Marriage Adventures
(Ice Seller)
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
(Dr. Giannis Papadopoulos)
The Wise Guy
(Thrasyvoulos)
Papadopoulou family
(Spyros)
Mimikos and Mary
(Harilaos)
Jack of All Trades, Master of None
(Thanasis Birbilis)
Thanasis in the land of the cuff
(Thanasis)
What Did You Do in the War, Thanassi?
(Thanasis Karathanasis)
Thanasis, Juliet and the sausages
(Thanasis Karathanasis)
The Magic City
(Thanasis)
I'll Make You Queen
(Antonis Tsilivikis)
Mousitsa
(Foivos)
Min eidate ton Panai?
(Panagis Papapanagopoulos)
Runaway Bride
(Harilaos)
Holidays in Aegina
(Thodoros' assistant)
Poverty can be bearable while living well
(husband)
The Uncle from Canada
The King of Gaffes
(Frixos)
Δουλειές του ποδαριού
(Mitros)
Οι Δοσατζήδες
(Thomas Kalafatis)
Hooray for Madness
(Romeos)
The Girl Has Got an Uncle
(Taxi Driver)
Out Poverty and Good Heart
(Thanasis Koutras)
Τύφλα Νάχη ο Μάρλον Μπράντο
(Stefanos Avgerinos)
Ο Καταφερτζής
(Kanellos Karabatsas)
Ο Παπατρέχας
(Polydoros Lagos)
He's a Mad Mad Veggos
(Thanasis)
The Big Cannon
(Thanasis Apaloheris)
Experts on the Football Field
(Sailor)
Το Κλωτσοσκούφι
(Janitor)
Oi 900 tis Marinas
(Partsaklis)
Carefree... Nut
(Thanasis)
Which Way to the Septic Tank?
(Thanasis Papathanasis)
The Man Who Ran a Lot
(Thanasis Zevedaios)
With Many Children
(Polykarpos Kolovos)
School for Chauffeur Ladies
(Babis)
Maria Pentagiotissa
(Papalaris)
Hands Up, Hitler
(Panagis)
O Ippolytos kai to violi tou
(Ιππόλυτος)
An Unbelievable Sucker
(Thanasis Hatzipapageorgakopoulokonstadinogiannopoulos)
Eftyhos... trellathika!
(Manolis)
Crazy, Nuts and Vengos
(Thanasis)
Vengos the Crazy Kamikaze
(Thanasis Trampas)
The jar
(Andreas)
Lisa and the Other Woman
(Petros Valdis)
The Madman
(Errikos Delaportas)
Χαρούμενοι αλήτες
(Waiter)
Μια Του Κλέφτη...
(Salesman)
Doctor Z-Vengos
(Thanasis)
Who Is Margarita?
(Grigoris Ladias)
Come on People
(Agathoklis)
The Poor Demons
(Frixos)
Astronauts
(Thanasis)
Τα ντερβισόπαιδα
(Polydoros)
Το Εισπρακτοράκι
Thanasis, Take Your Gun
(Thanasis)
One Vengos for All Jobs
(Thanasis Hatzikarathanasis)
Thanasi tightened your belt even more
(Thanasis Maganas)
Who Thanasis!
(Thanasis Trikorfos)
The Wicked World of Thanasis
(Thanasis Mpesagiampesas)
Μήτρος και Μητρούσης στην Αθήνα
(Mitros)
Ulysses' Gaze
(Taxi Driver)
Restless youth
The Bald Student
(Thanasis Chatziathanasopoulos)
Γαμπρός για Κλάματα
(Loukas)
Liar Wanted
(Vrasidas)
Love Games
(hotel owner)
The Twins
(Thanasis Soukouroglou / Stamatis Soukouroglou / Boulis Hatzifrydis)
Quiet Days in August
(Νίκος Γκούφας)
The Charlatan
(Thanasis / Athanasia / Lefteris)
The Fairy Tale Girl
A Water Mrs. Baggelio
Three Ladies and me
(receptionist)
A Madhouse Named "Hellas"
Sharp as a Needle
(Detective Van Gray)
The Proud
(Priest)
Thanasis and the Cursed Serpent
(Thanasis)
Just for One Night
(Sirios's assistant)
A mistake in love
(Thymios)
The Tomboy
(waiter)
A Man for Εverything
(Self)
The Enigma
(Linos)
Thanasis the Optimist
(Thanasis Rodinos / Mother)
Erotic Stories
(Vangelis)
Bed for five
Sunday's Date
(Car Workshoper)
The mother's curse
The Dawn of Triumph
(Περιπτεράς)
Lost dreams
(Vangelis)
Karagiozis, the Wronged One of Life
Θανάσης ο Βομβιστής
(Thanasis)
Champion
(Thanasis Manaris / Sakis)
Blossoming Almond Tree
(Doctor)
For You My Love
(Manetas)
Never on Sunday
(Thanasis)
Blind Angel
(Kotsos)
Πόθοι στα Στάχυα
Οι χαραμοφάηδες
Thanasis in the country of Will
(Thanasis Pitas)
The lucky pants
(Thanasis Foukaras)
Μυρτιά
(Giannos)
The Wooden Shoe, the Gun and the Bow Tie
(Hanos (uncredited))
Η Θεσσαλονίκη Της Νοσταλγίας Μας
Έχω ένα μυστικό...
(Κυρ-Κυριάκος)
Paraskinio
(Thanasis Vengos)
Βεγγαλικά
Peri Anemon kai Ydaton
(Λύσσανδρος)
Αστυνόμος Θανάσης Παπαθανάσης
Έρωτας όπως έρημος
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
(Director)
The Big Cannon
(Producer)
The Big Cannon
(Writer)
The Man Who Ran a Lot
(Director)
An Unbelievable Sucker
(Director)
Crazy, Nuts and Vengos
(Director)
Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
(Producer)
Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
(Director)
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
(Producer)
Doctor Z-Vengos
(Producer)
Come on People
(Producer)
Who Thanasis!
(Director)
Ο Παπατρέχας
(Producer)
Crazy of all Greece
(Producer)
He's a Mad Mad Veggos
(Producer)
Thanasis in the land of the cuff
(Producer)
Who Thanasis!
(Producer)
An Unbelievable Sucker
(Producer)
Doctor Z-Vengos
(Director)
Out Poverty and Good Heart
(Producer)
Poverty can be bearable while living well
(Assistant Director)
Βεγγαλικά
(Director)