Thanasis Veggos
Acting • Born 1927-05-29 – Died 2011-05-03
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.
Filmography
127 credits
The Ogre of Athens
Movie • 1956
Spathis
Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'
Movie • 1967
Thou Vou (Athanasios Bobas)
The Flight of the Swan
Movie • 2011
With Heart & Soul
Movie • 2009
a Father
Holidays in Vietnam
Movie • 1971
Thanasis Hatzifapas
The Policeman of the 16th Precinct
Movie • 1959
Thomas
Crazy of all Greece
Movie • 1983
Thanasis Koukouras
To didymo tis symforas
Movie • 1989
Thanasis
It's a Long Road
Movie • 1998
Antonis
Dictator calls Thanasis
Movie • 1973
Thanasis Delithanasis
Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc
Movie • 1969
Thou-Vou
Diamanto
Movie • 1961
Karderinas
A Girl in Black
Movie • 1956
Policeman
Madalena
Movie • 1960
Policeman
Marriage Adventures
Movie • 1959
Ice Seller
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
Movie • 1958
Dr. Giannis Papadopoulos
The Wise Guy
Movie • 1962
Thrasyvoulos
The Papadopoulou Family
Movie • 1960
Spyros
Mimikos and Mary
Movie • 1958
Harilaos
Jack of All Trades, Master of None
Movie • 1963
Thanasis Birbilis
Thanasis in the land of the cuff
Movie • 1976
Thanasis
What Did You Do in the War, Thanassi?
Movie • 1971
Thanasis Karathanasis
Thanasis, Juliet and the sausages
Movie • 1970
Thanasis Karathanasis
The Magic City
Movie • 1955
Thanasis
I'll Make You Queen
Movie • 1964
Antonis Tsilivikis
Mousitsa
Movie • 1959
Foivos
Min eidate ton Panai?
Movie • 1962
Panagis Papapanagopoulos
Runaway Bride
Movie • 1962
Harilaos
Holidays in Aegina
Movie • 1958
Thodoros' assistant
Poverty can be bearable while living well
Movie • 1958
husband
The Uncle from Canada
Movie • 1959
The King of Gaffes
Movie • 1962
Frixos
Odd Jobs
Movie • 1962
Mitros
Wandering Jews
Movie • 1959
Thomas Kalafatis
Hooray for Madness
Movie • 1962
Romeos
The Girl Has Got an Uncle
Movie • 1957
Taxi Driver
Out Poverty and Good Heart
Movie • 1964
Thanasis Koutras
Blind Nache Marlon Brando
Movie • 1963
Stefanos Avgerinos
The Hustler
Movie • 1964
Kanellos Karabatsas
Papatrechas
Movie • 1966
Polydoros Lagos
He's a Mad Mad Veggos
Movie • 1965
Thanasis
The Big Cannon
Movie • 1981
Thanasis Apaloheris
Experts on the Football Field
Movie • 1956
Sailor
The Underdog
Movie • 1960
Janitor
Oi 900 tis Marinas
Movie • 1961
Partsaklis
Carefree... Nut
Movie • 1971
Thanasis
Which Way to the Septic Tank?
Movie • 1978
Thanasis Papathanasis
The Man Who Ran a Lot
Movie • 1973
Thanasis Zevedaios
With Many Children
Movie • 1964
Polykarpos Kolovos
School for Chauffeur Ladies
Movie • 1964
Babis
Maria Pentagiotissa
Movie • 1957
Papalaris
Hands Up, Hitler
Movie • 1962
Panagis
O Ippolytos kai to violi tou
Movie • 1963
Ιππόλυτος
An Unbelievable Sucker
Movie • 1969
Thanasis Hatzipapageorgakopoulokonstadinogiannopoulos
Eftyhos... trellathika!
Movie • 1961
Manolis
Crazy, Nuts and Vengos
Movie • 1967
Thanasis
Vengos the Crazy Kamikaze
Movie • 1980
Thanasis Trampas
The Jar
Movie • 1962
Andreas
Lisa and the Other Woman
Movie • 1961
Petros Valdis
The Madman
Movie • 1963
Errikos Delaportas
Happy Bums
Movie • 1958
Waiter
Thieves Rejoice Only Once
Movie • 1960
Salesman
Doctor Z-Vengos
Movie • 1968
Thanasis
Who Is Margarita?
Movie • 1961
Grigoris Ladias
Come on People
Movie • 1967
Agathoklis
The Poor Demons
Movie • 1964
Frixos
Astronauts
Movie • 1962
Thanasis
The Dervish Boys
Movie • 1960
Polydoros
The Bus Conductor
Movie • 1958
Thanasis, Take Your Gun
Movie • 1972
Thanasis
One Vengos for All Jobs
Movie • 1970
Thanasis Hatzikarathanasis
Thanasi tightened your belt even more
Movie • 1980
Thanasis Maganas
Who Thanasis!
Movie • 1969
Thanasis Trikorfos
The Wicked World of Thanasis
Movie • 1979
Thanasis Mpesagiampesas
Mitros and Mitrousis in Athens
Movie • 1960
Mitros
Ulysses' Gaze
Movie • 1995
Taxi Driver
Restless youth
Movie • 1963
The Bald Student
Movie • 1979
Thanasis Chatziathanasopoulos
Groom for Crying
Movie • 1962
Loukas
Liar Wanted
Movie • 1961
Vrasidas
Love Games
Movie • 1960
hotel owner
The Twins
Movie • 1964
Thanasis Soukouroglou / Stamatis Soukouroglou / Boulis Hatzifrydis
Quiet Days in August
Movie • 1991
Νίκος Γκούφας
The Charlatan
Movie • 1973
Thanasis / Athanasia / Lefteris
The Fairy Tale Girl
Movie • 1956
A Water Mrs. Baggelio
Movie • 1959
Three Ladies and me
Movie • 1960
receptionist
A Madhouse Named "Hellas"
Movie • 1988
Sharp as a Needle
Movie • 1961
Detective Van Gray
The Proud
Movie • 1962
Priest
Thanasis and the Cursed Serpent
Movie • 1982
Thanasis
Just for One Night
Movie • 1958
Sirios's assistant
A mistake in love
Movie • 1961
Thymios
The Tomboy
Movie • 1959
waiter
An All-Weather Man
Movie • 2004
Self
The Enigma
Movie • 1998
Linos
Thanasis the Optimist
Movie • 1989
Thanasis Rodinos / Mother
Erotic Stories
Movie • 1959
Vangelis
Bed for Five
Movie • 1989
Sunday's Date
Movie • 1960
Car Workshoper
The mother's curse
Movie • 1961
The Dawn of Triumph
Movie • 1960
Περιπτεράς
Lost dreams
Movie • 1961
Vangelis
Karagiozis, the Wronged One of Life
Movie • 1959
Thanasis, o vomvistis
Movie • 1990
Thanasis
Champion
Movie • 1989
Thanasis Manaris / Sakis
Blossoming Almond Tree
Movie • 1959
Doctor
For You My Love
Movie • 1960
Manetas
Never on Sunday
Movie • 1960
Thanasis
Blind Angel
Movie • 1960
Kotsos
Desires in the Straw
Movie • 1960
The Wastrels
Movie • 1961
Thanasis in the country of Will
Movie • 1988
Thanasis Pitas
The lucky pants
Movie • 1963
Thanasis Foukaras
Μυρτιά
Movie • 1961
Giannos
The Wooden Shoe, the Gun and the Bow Tie
Movie • 1957
Hanos (uncredited)
Of Fortune The Written
Movie • 1957
Steps
Movie • 1996
Iason Makris
Καταδικασμένη και από το παιδί της
Movie • 1955
Χίλια Χρόνια Πριν - Βυζάντιο: Η Γιορτή των Καλενδών
Movie • 1976
Η Θεσσαλονίκη Της Νοσταλγίας Μας
TV • 2009
Έχω ένα μυστικό...
TV • 2008
Κυρ-Κυριάκος
Paraskinio
TV • 1976
Self
About Winds and Waters
TV • 2000
Λύσσανδρος
Βεγγαλικά
TV • 1988
Police Officer Thanasis Papathanasis
TV • 1990
Έρωτας όπως έρημος
TV • 2003