Thanasis Veggos (alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos; Greek: Θανάσης Βέγγος; pronounced: Thanássis Véngos; 29 May 1926 – 3 May 2011) was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus.[1][2][3] He performed in around 130 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,[1] 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").[3]

Background [ edit ]

Veggos was the only son of a power station employee who had fought with the Greek Resistance in World War II.[4] Vassilis Veggos played an important part in the defense of the Piraeus power station when the Germans attempted to destroy it before departing in 1944, but precisely because of this was dismissed from his job in the post-war purge of leftists.[5] Veggos himself was a member of EPON, the youth branch of the left-wing resistance movement EAM/ELAS, and so served his compulsory military service as an inmate on the notorious prison island Makronisos from 1948 to 1950.[6] On Makronisos he met film director Nikos Koundouros who was also exiled there.[7][8]

Career and his accident [ edit ]

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.[9][10] Nikos Koundouros gave him a role in Magiki polis in 1955.[4][7] His first major role was in Psila ta heria Hitler ("Hands Up, Hitler"), 1962.[7] 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.[4] 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".[11] In 1997, in the role of Dikaiopoli he appeared in a live performance at the ancient Epidaurus theatre.[12]

In 2000, he survived a car accident involving a collision with a train.[7] He later participated in advertisements promoting road safety.[7]

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.[4]

In 2008, Veggos was appointed Commander of the Order of the Phoenix by the President of Greece, Karolos Papoulias.[1]

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.[4]

Personal life [ edit ]

Thanasis Veggos was married to Asimina and they had two sons.[4] He will always be remembered in more than 120 films and documentaries that he has starred in.[4] 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.[13]

Filmography [ edit ]

Early movies [ edit ]

Kiriakatiko Xsipnima (premiered 1954), Windfall in Athens (1956) [10]

(1956) Magiki Polis (1955), Magic City [4]

Katadikasmeni ki apo to paidi tis (1955), Condemned even by her child

O Drakos (1956), The dragon

To koritsi me ta mavra (1956), A Girl in Black

Echei theio to koritsi (1956), The girl has an uncle

To koritsi me ta paramythia (1957), Fairytale girl

Maria i Pentagiotissa (1957), Maria the Pentagiotissa

I ftocheia thelei kaloperasi (1958), Having a good time in poverty

To eispraktoraki (1958), The little money collector

Diakopes stin Aigina (1958), Holidays in Aegina

Oi kavgatzides (1958), The brawlers

Mono gia mia nychta (1958), Only for one night

Haroumenoi alites (1958), Happy streetboys

Kathe empodio se kalo (1958), Each obstacle is for good

O Mimikos kai Mairi (1958), Mimikos and Mairy

To koritsi tis amartias (1958), The girl of sin

O Karagiozis (1959), Mr. Punch

Gamilies Peripeteies (1959), Nuptial Adventures

I mousitsa (1959), The cunning jade

Anthismeni amigdalia (1959), Blooming almond tree

Ena nero Kyra Vaggelio (1959), Gimme some water Kyra Vaggelio

O Ilias tou 16ou (1959), Ilias of 16th precinct

Gia to psomi kai ton erota (1959), For the bread and love

Oi dosatzides (1959), The tallymen

Enas Ellinas sto Parisi (1959), A Greek in Paris

To agorokoritso (1959 ), The tomboy

O theios apo ton Kanada (1959), The uncle from Canada

To rantevou tis Kyriakis (1960), The Sunday appointment

Ta dervisopaida (1960), The dervish boys

To klotsoskoufi (1960), The plaything

Madalena (film) (1960), Madalena

Pothoi sta stachya (1960), Desires in the hay

Erotika paichnidia (1960), Erotic games

Pote tin Kyriaki (1960), Never on a Sunday

Oikogeneia Papadopoulou (1960), The Papadopoulos family

O Mitros ki o Mitrousis stin Athina (1960), Mitros and Mitrousis in Athens

Tyflos Aggelos (1960), Blind Angel

I avgi tou thriamvou (1961), The dawn of triumph

Oi enniakosioi tis Marinas (1961), The nine hundred of Marina

Gia sena tin agapi mou (1961), For you my love

Mia tou klefti (1961), Once a thief

Horis mitera (1961), Without a mother

Poios tha krinei tin koinonia ; (1961), Who will judge society ?

Diavolou kaltsa (1961), Cunning woman

I katara tis manas (1961), The mothers curse

Hamena oneira (1961), Lost dreams

Ziteitai pseftis (1961), Lier wanted

Lathos ston erota (1961), Fault in love

I myrtia (1961), The myrtle

Diamado (1961), Diamado

Eftychos trelathika (1961), Fortunately I went nuts

Poia einai i Margarita; (1961), Who is Margarita?

Liza ki i alli (1961), Liza and the other girl

Doulepste gia na fate (1961), Work to eat

O atsidas (1962), The smart one

Douleies tou podariou (1962), Odd jobs

To pithari (1962), The earthenware jar

Yperochi optasia (1962), Beautiful illusion

Leading roles [ edit ]

Psila ta heria, Hitler (1962), Stick them up, Hitler

Oi yperifanoi (1962), The proud ones

Zito i trela (1962 ), Hurrah for madness

Vasilias tis gafas (1962), King of gaff

Astronaftes gia desimo (1962), Silly astronauts

Min ton eidate ton Panai; (1962), Anyone saw Panais?

Gabros gia klamata (1962), Pathetic son-in-law

Anysicha niata (1963), Anxious youth

O Yppolitos kai to violi tou (1963), Yppolitos and his violin

Tyfla na'chei o Marlon Brando (1963), Marlon Brando doesn't compare

Polytehnitis kai erimospitis (1963), Jack of all trades and master of none

(1963), O trelaras (1963), The nutcase

To tyhero panteloni (1963), Lucky pants

Scholi gia soferines (1964), School for women drivers

Oi ftochodiavoloi (1964), The poor demons

O polyteknos (1964), Father of many children

Exo i ftocheia kai i kali kardia (1964), Poverty and gentle heart

Tha se kano vasilissa (1964), I will make you a queen

Ta Didyma (1964), The Twins

O Katafertzis (1964), The hustler

Einai enas trelos ... trelos Veggos (1965), He is one crazy ... crazy Veggos

O Papatrehas (1966), The babbler

Voitheia! O Vengos faneros praktor 000 (1967), Out-in-the-open Agent 000 [14]

Pare kosme (1967), For all to take

Trelos, palavos kai Vengos (1967), Crazy , daft and Veggos

Doktor Zi - Veggos (1968), Doctor Zi - Veggos

Poios Thanasis ; (1969), Thanasis who?

Ena asyllipto koroido (1969), An amazing dupe

Thou-Vou falakros praktor, epiheirisis "Yis Mathiam" (1969), Thou-Vou bald agent, operation havoc

Enas Veggos gia oles tis douleies (1970), One Veggos for all the trades

O Thanasis, i Ioulieta kai ta loukanika (1970), Thanasis, Juliette and the sausages

Diakopes sto Vietnam (1971), Holidays in Vietnam

Ti ekanes sto polemo Thanasi; (1971), What did you do during the war Thanasis?

Enas xegnoiastos palaviaris (1971), One carefree wacko

Thanasi pare to oplo sou (1972), Thanasis take your gun

O anthropos pou etreche poly (1973), The man who ran too much

Diktator kalei Thanasi (1973), Dictator calls Thanasis

O tsarlatanos (1973), The charlatan

O Thanasis sti hora tis sfaliaras (1976), Thanasis in the land of slap

Apo pou pane gia havouza ; (1978), Whats the way to the refuse dump ?

O palavos kosmos tou Thanasi (1979), The batty world of Thanasis

O falakros mathitis (1979), The bald - headed student

Thanasi sfixe ki allo to zonari (1980), Thanasis tighten up your belt

O trelos kamikazi (1980), The mad kamikaze

To megalo kanoni (1981), The big cannon

O Thanasis kai to katarameno fidi (1982), Thanasis and the accursed serpent

Trelos kai pasis Ellados (1983), Daffy of all Greece

O Thanasis sti hora tou "tha" (1988), Thanasis in the country of "shall"'

Trelokomeion i Ellas (1988), Mad house Greece

To didymo tis symforas (1989), The duo of misfortune

O protathlitis (1989), The champion

Prosohi ... mas valane boba (1990), Attention ... they set us a bomb

Isyhes meres tou Avgustou (1991), The calm days of August

Zoi harisameni (1993), Pleasant life

To vlemma tou Odyssea (1995), Ulysses' Gaze [11]

Vimata (1996), Steps

Ola einai dromos (1998), Everything is a journey

To ainigma (1998), The riddle

Psychi vathia (2009), Deep Soul [4]

The Flight of the Swan (2010)

Television series [ edit ]

Veggos also played roles in televisual series in the 1990s and 2000s; these were mainly roles of an elder wise person, who gives his advice to the younger ones.

Ta veggalika (1985) ERT

Astynomos Thanasis Papathanasis ( 1990 ) ANT1 channel, Police commissioner Thanasis Papathanasis

Peri anemon kai ydaton ( 2002 ) Mega channel, About everything

Erotas, opos i erimos ( 2003 ) NET channel, Love , like the desert

Kathrefti, kathreftaki mou ( 2006 ) ANT1 channel, Mirror Mirror

Exo ena mystiko (2008) Alpha TV, I Have a Secret

Theatrical performances and troupes [ edit ]

Performances [ edit ]

O trelos tou louna park kai i atsida ( 1959–70 ), The madman of the entertainment park and the wizard

Okto andres katigoroundai ( 1963 ), Eight men accused

Kokkina triandafylla ( 1963 ), Red roses

Oi ftohodiavoloi ( 1963 ), The poor demons

Arhodorebetissa ( 1963–64 ), Lady rebetis

Kypros yiok ( 1963–64 ), Cyprus gone

Ti ekanes ston Troiko polemo Thanasi ; ( 1971 ), What did you do during the Trojan War Thanasis ?

To vlima ( 1972 ), The missile

Mam, kaka, koko kai nani ( 1975 ), Eat, poop, shag and sleep

Peace of Aristophanes ( 1995 )

( 1995 ) Ellin exastheneis ( 1997 ), Greece you are losing your senses

Acharnians of Aristophanes ( 1998 )

( 1998 ) Ellines eiste kai faineste ( 1998–99 ), Greek is a Greek does

Troupes [ edit ]

Mandoubala

Kainourgia Athina, New Athens

Anthropoi tou ' 60, People of ' 60