Thanassis Veggos
Encyclopedia
Thanasis Veggos, alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos, (Greek
: Θανάσης Βέγγος; pronounced: Thanássis Véngos; 29 May 1927 3 May 2011) was a Greek
actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus
. He performed in more than 120 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. His famous comedic catchphrase was "Καλέ µου άνθρωπε" ("My good man").
in World War II
. He served his compulsory military service on Makronisos
from 1948 to 1950. On Makronisos he met film director Nikos Koundouros
who was exiled there.
, 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. He often played everyman characters struggling to get by, but he has played anti-hero
es, 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 director 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
theatre. When he used his catchphrase "Καλέ μου άνθρωπε" he brought the house down.
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 films such as the sequel of Secret Agent 000, Papatrehas, Enas trellos Vengos and many others, most of them by his own company Θ-Β Comedies (Θ-Β Tainies Geliou).
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.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Θανάσης Βέγγος; pronounced: Thanássis Véngos; 29 May 1927 3 May 2011) was a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
. He performed in more than 120 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. His famous comedic catchphrase was "Καλέ µου άνθρωπε" ("My good man").
Background
Veggos was the only son of a power station employee who had fought with the Greek ResistanceGreek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served his compulsory military service on Makronisos
Makronisos
Makronisos is an island in the Aegean sea, in Greece and is located close to the coast of Attica, facing the port of Lavrio. It has an elongated shape and its terrain is arid and rocky. In ancient times the island was called Helena. It is part of the prefecture of the Cyclades but it is not part...
from 1948 to 1950. On Makronisos he met film director Nikos Koundouros
Nikos Koundouros
Nikos Koundouros , is a Greek film director, born in Agios Nikolaos, Crete in 1926.He studied painting and sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts, and was later exiled because of his political beliefs to the Makronissos island. At the age of 28 he decided to follow a career in cinematography...
who was exiled there.
Life and career
Veggos' first appearance in a film was in Windfall in AthensWindfall in Athens
Windfall in Athens is a 1954 Greek comedy film directed by Michael Cacoyannis. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:Mina, a beautiful, care-free salesgirl for a milliner's shop, is robbed by two urchins while she is enjoying a Sunday morning swim...
, 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. He often played everyman characters struggling to get by, but he has played anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
es, he has acted in pure dramas, and on stage in the comedies of Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
. His characters were often self-named "Thanasis". He often worked with director Giorgos Lazaridis. In 1995, Theo Angelopoulos
Theo Angelopoulos
Theodoros Angelopoulos is a Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer.-Life:Angelopoulos studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, but after his military service went to Paris to attend the Sorbonne. He soon dropped out to study film at the IDHEC before returning...
cast Veggos and American actor Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
in "Ulysses Gaze". In 1997, in the role of Dikaiopoli he appeared in a live performance at the ancient Epidaurus
Epidaurus
Epidaurus was a small city in ancient Greece, at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros : Palaia Epidavros and Nea Epidavros. Since 2010 they belong to the new municipality of Epidavros, part of the peripheral unit of Argolis...
theatre. When he used his catchphrase "Καλέ μου άνθρωπε" he brought the house down.
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 films such as the sequel of Secret Agent 000, Papatrehas, Enas trellos Vengos and many others, most of them by his own company Θ-Β Comedies (Θ-Β Tainies Geliou).
In 2008, Veggos was appointed Commander of the Order of the Phoenix by the President of Greece, Karolos Papoulias
Karolos Papoulias
-Honours:*Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic *Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav *Knight of the Order of the Elephant- External links :*...
.
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.
Legacy
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 σάν τόν Βέγγο" (English translation: "runs like Veggo") has been adopted in to common usage in the Greek language since nobody has run more or faster than Veggo in his many slapstick comedies.Early movies
- Kiriakatiko Xsipnima (premiered 1954), Windfall in Athens (1956)
- Magiki Polis (1955), Magic City
- Katadikasmeni ki apo to paidi tis (1955), Condemned even by her child!!!!
- O DrakosO DrakosO Drakos is a Greek black-and-white film directed by Nikos Koundouros. It won the award for best movie 1955-1959 in the first Thessaloniki Film Festival...
(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), O Karagiozis
- 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
- Mandalena (1960), Mandalena
- 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 atsidasO atsidasO atsidas is a 1962 Greek comedy film directed by Giorgos Giannis Dalianidis and starring Dinos Iliopoulos, Zoi Laskari and Vangelis Protopappas.-Synopsis:...
(1962), The smart one - Douleies tou podariou (1962), Odd jobs
- To pithari (1962), The earthenware jar
- Yperochi optasia (1962), Beautiful illusion
Leading roles
- 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 Panai ?
- 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 one
- 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
- Faneros Praktor 000 (1967), Out-in-the-open Agent 000
- 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), Who Thanasis
- Ena asyllipto koroido (1969), An amazing dupe
- Thou-Vou falakros praktor, epicheirisis gis madiam (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' GazeUlysses' GazeUlysses' Gaze is a 1995 Greek film directed by Theo Angelopoulos. The actor Gian Maria Volonté died during the filming. He was replaced by Erland Josephson.-Plot:...
- Vimata (1996), Steps
- Ola einai dromos (1998), Everything is a journey
- To ainigma (1998), The riddle
- Psychi vathia (2009), Deep Soul
- The Flight of the Swan (2010)
Television series
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 MirrorMirror Mirror- Literature :* "Mirror, mirror on the wall...", a famous phrase uttered by the wicked queen in Snow White* Mirror, Mirror , a 2003 novel by Gregory Maguire based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs...
Performances
- 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 )
- Ellin exastheneis ( 1997 ), Greece you are losing your senses
- Acharnians of Aristophanes ( 1998 )
- Ellines eiste kai faineste ( 1998–99 ), Greek is a Greek does
Troupes
- Mandoubala
- Kainourgia Athina, New Athens
- Anthropoi tou ' 60, People of ' 60