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.
Ulysses' Gaze
as Taxi DriverAn exiled filmmaker finally returns to his home country where former mysteries and afflictions...
Movie pageNever on Sunday
as ThanasisAn American scholar in Greece sets about improving the local prostitute with whom he is infatuated.
Movie pageMadalena
as PolicemanMadalena is a tough seventeen-year-old who is forced to take on her father's ferry business...
Movie pageThe Policeman of the 16th Precinct
as ThomasIlias dresses himself in a police uniform as part of a complex burglary plot. Unfortunately for...
Movie pageHelp! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
as Thou Vou (Athanasios Bobas)Vengos studies in a secret agents' academy, dreaming of becoming a great spy like 007....
Movie pageWhich Way to the Septic Tank?
as Thanasis PapathanasisA conscientious tanker driver, Thanasis Papathanasis, works hard to help his sister Afroditi...
Movie pageWhat Did You Do in the War, Thanassi?
as Thanasis KarathanasisA wild tale of mistaken identity set during the Nazi occupation of Greece and starring the great...
Movie pageAn Unbelievable Sucker
as Thanasis HatzipapageorgakopoulokonstadinogiannopoulosThanasis and he will become barber, continuing the tradition of...
Movie pageCrazy of all Greece
as Thanasis KoukourasThanasis works in the café he inherited from his father and hopes that his children will manage...
Movie pageVengos the Crazy Kamikaze
as Thanasis TrampasA breadwinner, Thanasis Trampas, decides to open a shop renting motorbikes. When the local...
Movie pageΟ Παπατρέχας
as Polydoros LagosPolydoros Lagos is a janitor in an ordinary Athens' block in the 1960s who's struggling to serve...
Movie pageAstronauts
as ThanasisAn eccentric and little crazy professor of astrophysics, helped by his assistant and by a naive...
Movie pageJack of All Trades, Master of None
as Thanasis BirbilisThanasis Vengos plays a poor young man that comes to Athens looking for a job. We watch as he...
Movie pageThe Ogre of Athens
as SpathisA peaceful, frightened little man is mistakenly identified as "The Dragon", a notorious criminal...
Movie pageIt's a Long Road
as AntonisThree stories dealing with three men and their stance towards life, given their personal...
Movie pageThe Magic City
as ThanasisA look at poverty in post-war Athens. Kosmas, a young man living in the slums, constantly tries...
Movie pageCrazy, Nuts and Vengos
as ThanasisThanasis, the waiter of country tavern "The seven brothers", is preparing to marry the Anthoula....
Movie pageWho Is Margarita?
as Grigoris LadiasA girl from the province, who works in a fashion house in Athens, goes to Kos to promote her...
Movie pageFor You My Love
as ManetasMaroula comes from Syros, established in Athens, to work as a servant in a wealthy home, but the...
Movie pageCome on People
as AgathoklisThanasis tries to reunite with his wife.He is having for obstacle her mother, which did not want...
Movie pageI'll Make You Queen
as Antonis TsilivikisAntonis Tsilivikis, a stingy construction contractor, neglects his home and wife Eleni and...
Movie pageThanasi tightened your belt even more
as Thanasis MaganasThanasis an honest tax official in the tax office. He can not cope and has trouble providing...
Movie pageCarefree... Nut
as ThanasisIn this color comedy Thanasis trying for years to leave illegally for America to make his life...
Movie pageSharp as a Needle
as Detective Van GrayTonis and Rena are loved, but their uncles have objections, as they are deadly competitors in...
Movie pageWho Thanasis!
as Thanasis TrikorfosA kindhearted owner of a shop falls in love with the girl he hires and, eventually, he finds out...
Movie pageErotic Stories
as VangelisA modest film of three independent parts showing sad couple stories.
Movie pageDictator calls Thanasis
as Thanasis DelithanasisThe adventures of a photographer, who undertook to take a photographs of exiled dictator from...
Movie pageOne Vengos for All Jobs
as Thanasis HatzikarathanasisAn honest man is trying to find a job, but finds it difficult just because of the honesty. The...
Movie pageLisa and the Other Woman
as Petros ValdisA rich girl leaves her family to avoid marrying the person her father has chosen for her. Her...
Movie pageOi 900 tis Marinas
as PartsaklisIn a countryside village, a veteran politician, Damalas, and a young attorney, Ntinos, son of...
Movie pageSchool for Sofferines
as BabisBabis and Dinos have a driving school in partnership with several customers. And while fetching...
Movie pageDoctor Z-Vengos
as ThanasisA blunderer barber ends after a misunderstanding to pretend doctor. However the patients...
Movie pagePoverty can be bearable while living well
as husbandTwo unfortunate friends are desperately looking for a job to survive and eventually marry their...
Movie pageThe Wicked World of Thanasis
as Thanasis MpesagiampesasSeven short stories of everyday madness starring Thanasis Vengos.
Movie pageMin eidate ton Panai?
as Panagis PapapanagopoulosErotic tangles forced Fani and Panai to leave from Athens to Chalkida, there they await new...
Movie pageThe Flight of the Swan
as uncreditedAlexis is an explosive personality, passionate about life, humanity, nature, love and beauty....
Movie pageThe Man Who Ran a Lot
as Thanasis ZevedaiosThanasis Zevedaios (Thanasis Vengos) has a shop with watches and running but not enough! Time...
Movie pageA mistake in love
as ThymiosA simple typewriter is familiar with a garage-facing young man, who is recommended to be a big...
Movie pageWith Heart & Soul
as a FatherTwo brothers are fighting on opposite sides during the Greek Civil War.
Movie pageA Girl in Black
as PolicemanAgainst the backdrop of a cloudless summer, love's unforeseen complications will entwine an...
Movie pageA Water Mrs. Baggelio
as uncreditedAt the end of 19th century a landlord meets a young woman at a water spring and she wants to...
Movie pageThanasis in the land of the cuff
as ThanasisThe movie is about dictatorships in Greece – first, the Metaxas regime (1936-1940), and then the...
Movie pageEftyhos... trellathika!
as ManolisCharilaos Maraziotis owns a store and owes so much money both to his lenders and to the state,...
Movie pageLove Games
as hotel ownerA father is desperately trying to tame his young daughter, while she falls for a young man...
Movie pageThanasis, Juliet and the sausages
as Thanasis KarathanasisThanasis (Thanasis Vengos) is an honest working man who has to support his sister’s family as...
Movie pagePapadopoulou family
as SpyrosYoung Alexis Vranas (Stefanos Linaios) returns to Athens form studying abroad and starts working...
Movie pageMimikos and Mary
as HarilaosThe tragic story of a couple that upset Athenian society at the end of the 19th century. Michail...
Movie pageΤο Κλωτσοσκούφι
as JanitorA young woman asks from a ship magnate to help her immigrate to Australia but he falls in love...
Movie pageRunaway Bride
as HarilaosIn her delicate bridal gown and bent on finding her beloved, a determined would-be wife flees...
Movie pageHe's a Mad Mad Veggos
as ThanasisWhen Thanassis leaves the orphanage tries to do various jobs but with no consolidates. A private...
Movie pageMarriage Adventures
as Ice SellerHelena (Xenia Kalogeropoulou) returns to Greece after studying in Paris and on the ship home she...
Movie pageThe Big Cannon
as Thanasis ApaloherisA masseur whose son is a student in Germany learns that he has become a member of the Neo-Nazi...
Movie pageThe lucky pants
as Thanasis FoukarasA police officer arrests pitiable Thanasis, who admits to having stolen the trousers of a happy...
Movie pageThe Girl Has Got an Uncle
as Taxi DriverA young and pretty girl, Violeta, is in love with a kind young artist, Alekos. The feelings are...
Movie pageThe King of Gaffes
as FrixosA very clever detective is on a mission to find a shipowner's daughter, having as a sole...
Movie pageThe Bald Student
as Thanasis ChatziathanasopoulosThanasis, a family breadwinner who has been working for 17 years at the Ministry of Measure and...
Movie pageThe Twins
as Thanasis Soukouroglou / Stamatis Soukouroglou / Boulis HatzifrydisLiar Wanted
as VrasidasA sharp altercation will pave the way for a brilliant career when a shameless liar meets his...
Movie pageThe Madman
as Errikos DelaportasAn avid fan of football and fan of Panathinaikos falls for the daughter a fan of Olympiakos. The...
Movie pageΤύφλα Νάχη ο Μάρλον Μπράντο
as Stefanos AvgerinosAn ordinary clerk decides to spend a few days vacationing in a hotel, but when he goes there,...
Movie pageThe Wise Guy
as ThrasyvoulosAlekos (Dinos Iliopoulos) is in love with Voula (Maria Voulgari) whose brother threatens to kill...
Movie pageThe Uncle from Canada
as uncreditedWaiting to get their lucky break, three penniless musicians, who are already five months behind...
Movie pageΟ Καταφερτζής
as Kanellos KarabatsasThanasis is part of a mistaken identity featuring an angry brother concerned about his sister's...
Movie pageThanasis, Take Your Gun
as ThanasisA wretch jobber tries to find the money to build the house promised to groom, to repay the truck...
Movie pageO Ippolytos kai to violi tou
as ΙππόλυτοςA poor violinist gets involved in a bizarre adventure, when a drunken customer at the night club...
Movie pageHolidays in Vietnam
as Thanasis HatzifapasReturning from a 3 year captivity in Vietnam, a kind chemist finds his wife married to his boss...
Movie pageExperts on the Football Field
as SailorThe everyday lives of some international football players before and after a big game.
Movie pageBlind Angel
as KotsosTwo young people (Christina Silva and Takis Varlamos), living in a provincial town, fall in love...
Movie pageΜήτρος και Μητρούσης στην Αθήνα
as MitrosTwo friends from the province dream of going to Athens. On board the train, however, two...
Movie pageThou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
as Thou-VouThou-Vou and his new partner, MAP31, accept three imaginary tasks from a cunning director who is...
Movie pageQuiet Days in August
as uncreditedThe stories of three lonely people surviving a sweltering summertime in Athens are interwoven in...
Movie pageWith Many Children
as Polykarpos KolovosA poor waiter struggles to provide for his family, while his wife keeps giving birth to twins,...
Movie pageThe Enigma
as LinosA successful young Athenian lawyer, Theodora, who is the daughter of a general, takes on the...
Movie pageEvery Cloud Has a Silver Lining
as Dr. Giannis PapadopoulosKostas (Dinos Iliopoulos), a small-time lawyer is tasked with accompanying Smaro (Smaroula...
Movie pageMaria Pentagiotissa
as PapalarisThe hopeless love between Maria Pentagiotissa and a man belonging to a different social class.
Movie pageHands Up, Hitler
as PanagisTwo friends (Thanasis Vengos and Vasilis Diamantopoulos) meet after many years and recollect the...
Movie pageHooray for Madness
as RomeosA good-hearted guy, Romeos, who thinks he's a big "Kazanova", comes out of the madhouse. At the...
Movie pageΜια Του Κλέφτη...
as SalesmanA lawyer goes to Paros to meet his mistress. But trying to get away from her husband, who...
Movie pageΧαρούμενοι αλήτες
as WaiterTwo jobbers meet an actor, when the sneak in a theater. The actor is homeless and they invite...
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