
Thanasis Veggos
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1927-05-29
Day of Death
2011-05-03 (83 years old)
Place of Birth
Piraeus, Greece
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
Acting
(2011)
(2009)
With Heart & Soul
as a Father
(2004)
An All-Weather Man
as Self
(1998)
It's a Long Road
as Antonis
(1998)
The Enigma
as Linos
(1996)
Steps
as Iason Makris
(1995)
Ulysses' Gaze
as Taxi Driver
(1991)
Quiet Days in August
as Νίκος Γκούφας
(1990)
Thanasis, o vomvistis
as Thanasis
(1989)
(1989)
Thanasis the Optimist
as Thanasis Rodinos / Mother
(1989)
To didymo tis symforas
as Thanasis
(1989)
Champion
as Thanasis Manaris / Sakis
(1988)
Thanasis in the country of Will
as Thanasis Pitas
(1988)
(1983)
Crazy of all Greece
as Thanasis Koukouras
(1982)
Thanasis and the Cursed Serpent
as Thanasis
(1981)
The Big Cannon
as Thanasis Apaloheris
(1980)
Vengos the Crazy Kamikaze
as Thanasis Trampas
(1980)
Thanasi tightened your belt even more
as Thanasis Maganas
(1979)
The Bald Student
as Thanasis Chatziathanasopoulos
(1979)
The Wicked World of Thanasis
as Thanasis Mpesagiampesas
(1978)
Which Way to the Septic Tank?
as Thanasis Papathanasis
(1976)
Thanasis in the land of the cuff
as Thanasis
(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)
Thanasis, Take Your Gun
as Thanasis
(1971)
Carefree... Nut
as Thanasis
(1971)
Holidays in Vietnam
as Thanasis Hatzifapas
(1971)
What Did You Do in the War, Thanassi?
as Thanasis Karathanasis
(1970)
Thanasis, Juliet and the sausages
as Thanasis Karathanasis
(1970)
One Vengos for All Jobs
as Thanasis Hatzikarathanasis
(1969)
Who Thanasis!
as Thanasis Trikorfos
(1969)
Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
as Thou-Vou
(1969)
An Unbelievable Sucker
as Thanasis Hatzipapageorgakopoulokonstadinogiannopoulos
(1968)
Doctor Z-Vengos
as Thanasis
(1967)
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
as Thou Vou (Athanasios Bobas)
(1967)
Come on People
as Agathoklis
(1967)
Crazy, Nuts and Vengos
as Thanasis
(1966)
Papatrechas
as Polydoros Lagos
(1965)
He's a Mad Mad Veggos
as Thanasis
(1964)
I'll Make You Queen
as Antonis Tsilivikis
(1964)
The Twins
as Thanasis Soukouroglou / Stamatis Soukouroglou / Boulis Hatzifrydis
(1964)
School for Chauffeur Ladies
as Babis
(1964)
Out Poverty and Good Heart
as Thanasis Koutras
(1964)
The Hustler
as Kanellos Karabatsas
(1964)
With Many Children
as Polykarpos Kolovos
(1964)
The Poor Demons
as Frixos
(1963)
Jack of All Trades, Master of None
as Thanasis Birbilis
(1963)
The lucky pants
as Thanasis Foukaras
(1963)
The Madman
as Errikos Delaportas
(1963)
O Ippolytos kai to violi tou
as Ιππόλυτος
(1963)
(1963)
Blind Nache Marlon Brando
as Stefanos Avgerinos
(1962)
The Wise Guy
as Thrasyvoulos
(1962)
Odd Jobs
as Mitros
(1962)
Hands Up, Hitler
as Panagis
(1962)
Min eidate ton Panai?
as Panagis Papapanagopoulos
(1962)
The Proud
as Priest
(1962)
Runaway Bride
as Harilaos
(1962)
The Jar
as Andreas
(1962)
Groom for Crying
as Loukas
(1962)
The King of Gaffes
as Frixos
(1962)
Astronauts
as Thanasis
(1962)
Hooray for Madness
as Romeos
(1961)
Oi 900 tis Marinas
as Partsaklis
(1961)
Sharp as a Needle
as Detective Van Gray
(1961)
Lisa and the Other Woman
as Petros Valdis
(1961)
A mistake in love
as Thymios
(1961)
(1961)
Who Is Margarita?
as Grigoris Ladias
(1961)
Μυρτιά
as Giannos
(1961)
Liar Wanted
as Vrasidas
(1961)
Eftyhos... trellathika!
as Manolis
(1961)
(1961)
Diamanto
as Karderinas
(1961)
Lost dreams
as Vangelis
(1960)
Never on Sunday
as Thanasis
(1960)
The Underdog
as Janitor
(1960)
Thieves Rejoice Only Once
as Salesman
(1960)
Love Games
as hotel owner
(1960)
Sunday's Date
as Car Workshoper
(1960)
Madalena
as Policeman
(1960)
The Dawn of Triumph
as Περιπτεράς
(1960)
Papadopoulou family
as Spyros
(1960)
Three Ladies and me
as receptionist
(1960)
Mitros and Mitrousis in Athens
as Mitros
(1960)
Blind Angel
as Kotsos
(1960)
For You My Love
as Manetas
(1960)
The Dervish Boys
as Polydoros
(1960)
(1959)
Erotic Stories
as Vangelis
(1959)
The Policeman of the 16th Precinct
as Thomas
(1959)
The Tomboy
as waiter
(1959)
Blossoming Almond Tree
as Doctor
(1959)
Mousitsa
as Foivos
(1959)
Wandering Jews
as Thomas Kalafatis
(1959)
(1959)
(1959)
Marriage Adventures
as Ice Seller
(1959)
(1958)
Happy Bums
as Waiter
(1958)
Holidays in Aegina
as Thodoros' assistant
(1958)
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
as Dr. Giannis Papadopoulos
(1958)
(1958)
Just for One Night
as Sirios's assistant
(1958)
Mimikos and Mary
as Harilaos
(1958)
(1957)
(1957)
The Girl Has Got an Uncle
as Taxi Driver
(1957)
Maria Pentagiotissa
as Papalaris
(1957)
The Wooden Shoe, the Gun and the Bow Tie
as Hanos (uncredited)
(1956)
Experts on the Football Field
as Sailor
(1956)
The Ogre of Athens
as Spathis
(1956)
A Girl in Black
as Policeman
(1956)
(1955)
The Magic City
as Thanasis
Crew
(1983)
Crazy of all Greece
Producer
(1981)
The Big Cannon
Producer, Writer
(1976)
Thanasis in the land of the cuff
Producer
(1973)
The Man Who Ran a Lot
Director
(1969)
An Unbelievable Sucker
Director, Producer
(1969)
Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
Producer, Director
(1969)
Who Thanasis!
Director, Producer
(1968)
Doctor Z-Vengos
Producer, Director
(1967)
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
Director, Producer
(1967)
Crazy, Nuts and Vengos
Director
(1967)
Come on People
Producer
(1966)
Papatrechas
Producer
(1965)
He's a Mad Mad Veggos
Producer
(1964)
Out Poverty and Good Heart
Producer
(1958)
Poverty can be bearable while living well
Assistant Director