Thanasis Veggos

Acting

Thanasis Veggos

Born 1927-05-29 · Piraeus, Greece

Thanasis Veggos (Greek: Θανάσης Βέγγος, 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. (Source: Wikipedia)

Acting credits

Ulysses' Gaze poster
7.5

An exiled filmmaker finally returns to his home country where former mysteries and afflictions of his early life come back to haunt him once more.

Ulysses' Gaze

1995

O Ippolytos kai to violi tou poster
6.0

A poor violinist gets involved in a bizarre adventure, when a drunken customer at the night club where is working, asks to help him to go home and sleep at the living room.

O Ippolytos kai to violi tou

1963

Hands Up, Hitler poster
6.6

Two friends (Thanasis Vengos and Vasilis Diamantopoulos) meet after many years and recollect the tragi-comic events they went through during the German occupation.

Hands Up, Hitler

1962

He's a Mad Mad Veggos poster
6.9

When Thanassis leaves the orphanage tries to do various jobs but with no consolidates. A private detective manages to find his father who is rich. Thanasis will move into his luxurious house but there will come other problems.

He's a Mad Mad Veggos

1965

Crazy, Nuts and Vengos poster
6.4

Thanasis, the waiter of country tavern "The seven brothers", is preparing to marry the Anthoula. Shortly before going to church but has an accident and suffers amnesia. While Anthoula, siblings and friends are waiting for him in the church, he wanders the streets unnecessarily.

Crazy, Nuts and Vengos

1967

Experts on the Football Field poster
5.5

The everyday lives of some international football players before and after a big game.

Experts on the Football Field

1956

Madalena poster
6.2

Madalena is a tough seventeen-year-old who is forced to take on her father's ferry business after he dies. She has her many brothers and sisters to support, and there is no one else to do the job. So she rallies her defenses and sets out to give her rival in the ferry business a run for his money. But at the same time, the rival's handsome son is starting to look better and better. Madalena refuses to acknowledge her feelings for him -- though how long she can sustain that denial is the question.

Madalena

1960

Runaway Bride poster
6.6

In her delicate bridal gown and bent on finding her beloved, a determined would-be wife flees from a dreadful marriage of convenience and enlists the help of a kind wandering salesman. Can anyone stand in the way of a woman in love?

Runaway Bride

1962

I'll Make You Queen poster
7.6

Antonis Tsilivikis, a stingy construction contractor, neglects his home and wife Eleni and forces her to lie to her rich uncle in America, Peter, in order to continue to send a monthly financial aid. But when the uncle notices that he comes to Greece, and in order not to reveal the truth, Antonis disguises himself as a retired named Beizanis, who supposedly rents a room at their home...

I'll Make You Queen

1964

Never on Sunday poster
6.9

An American scholar in Greece sets about improving the local prostitute with whom he is infatuated.

Never on Sunday

1960

The Fairy Tale Girl poster
5.5

A young girl, who lives in a poor neighborhood with her little brother, falls in love with a rich young man.

The Fairy Tale Girl

1956

Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc poster
7.3

Thou-Vou and his new partner, MAP31, accept three imaginary tasks from a cunning director who is only interested in filming the unsuspecting duo for his upcoming movie feature. Will the agents manage to squeeze success out of failure?

Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc

1969

Holidays in Aegina poster
5.4

Journalist Jonis comes to Aegina with his daughter Alice for work, but also for vacation. At the port, Aliki meets Jean, a descendant of a prominent aristocratic family on the island, who does not reveal his true identity to her, but introduces himself as Giannaros, the island's drunkard. At some other point, they will meet again and he will introduce himself as Jean. Alice will think she has discovered Giannaros' twin brother...

Holidays in Aegina

1958

Come on People poster
6.5

Thanasis tries to reunite with his wife.He is having for obstacle her mother, which did not want him because he helps anyone in need with any way he can.

Come on People

1967

Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000' poster
7.8

Vengos studies in a secret agents' academy, dreaming of becoming a great spy like 007. Unfortunately, he can't do anything right, so he wreaks havoc during his final exams.

Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'

1967

Who Is Margarita? poster
5.8

A girl from the province, who works in a fashion house in Athens, goes to Kos to promote her clothes. Residents believe that the daughter of a Greek-American tycoon and she plays the role will lead it to embrace the real son of the alleged father.

Who Is Margarita?

1961

Doctor Z-Vengos poster
7.3

A blunderer barber ends after a misunderstanding to pretend doctor. However the patients problems aren't medical nature but personally so he helps them.

Doctor Z-Vengos

1968

Καταδικασμένη και από το παιδί της poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Καταδικασμένη και από το παιδί της

1955

Min eidate ton Panai? poster
6.6

Erotic tangles forced Fani and Panai to leave from Athens to Chalkida, there they await new adventures with women, which will result in marriage, but Panai will escape the wedding night.

Min eidate ton Panai?

1962

The Papadopoulou Family poster
5.7

Young Alexis Vranas returns to Athens form studying abroad and starts working for a major company. There, he will meet and fall in love with a secretary, Varvara Papadopoulos.

The Papadopoulou Family

1960

An Unbelievable Sucker poster
6.7

Thanasis and he will become barber, continuing the tradition of Chatzipapageorgakopoulokonstantinogiannopoulon in traditional shop in the neighborhood, without knowing that the court of the occupation, the German commander, Von Tzifren, has hidden a treasure. Thanasis is in love with Lisa's daughter Charoupoglou, rich neighborhood that made money held. Germany Von Tzifren is released ...

An Unbelievable Sucker

1969

Three Ladies and me poster
6.3

As the lithe accountant of an haute couture house on the brink of bankruptcy takes three beautiful mannequins to promote their work, a chance encounter with a rich businessman will soon pave the way for a delightful romance under the sun.

Three Ladies and me

1960

Papatrechas poster
7.8

Polydoros Lagos is a janitor in an ordinary Athens' block in the 1960s who's struggling to serve as many of the building's residents as possible in order to save some money to help his six sisters (and his aunt) get married, since this is the only way he can finally get married too.

Papatrechas

1966

Who Thanasis! poster
6.7

A kindhearted owner of a shop falls in love with the girl he hires and, eventually, he finds out who tricks him and who really loves him.

Who Thanasis!

1969

Behind the camera

He's a Mad Mad Veggos poster
6.9

When Thanassis leaves the orphanage tries to do various jobs but with no consolidates. A private detective manages to find his father who is rich. Thanasis will move into his luxurious house but there will come other problems.

He's a Mad Mad Veggos

1965

Crazy, Nuts and Vengos poster
6.4

Thanasis, the waiter of country tavern "The seven brothers", is preparing to marry the Anthoula. Shortly before going to church but has an accident and suffers amnesia. While Anthoula, siblings and friends are waiting for him in the church, he wanders the streets unnecessarily.

Crazy, Nuts and Vengos

1967

Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc poster
7.3

Thou-Vou and his new partner, MAP31, accept three imaginary tasks from a cunning director who is only interested in filming the unsuspecting duo for his upcoming movie feature. Will the agents manage to squeeze success out of failure?

Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc

1969

Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc poster
7.3

Thou-Vou and his new partner, MAP31, accept three imaginary tasks from a cunning director who is only interested in filming the unsuspecting duo for his upcoming movie feature. Will the agents manage to squeeze success out of failure?

Thou-Vou Bald Agent, Operation: Havoc

1969

Come on People poster
6.5

Thanasis tries to reunite with his wife.He is having for obstacle her mother, which did not want him because he helps anyone in need with any way he can.

Come on People

1967

Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000' poster
7.8

Vengos studies in a secret agents' academy, dreaming of becoming a great spy like 007. Unfortunately, he can't do anything right, so he wreaks havoc during his final exams.

Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'

1967

Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000' poster
7.8

Vengos studies in a secret agents' academy, dreaming of becoming a great spy like 007. Unfortunately, he can't do anything right, so he wreaks havoc during his final exams.

Help! Vengos Visible Agent '000'

1967

Doctor Z-Vengos poster
7.3

A blunderer barber ends after a misunderstanding to pretend doctor. However the patients problems aren't medical nature but personally so he helps them.

Doctor Z-Vengos

1968

Doctor Z-Vengos poster
7.3

A blunderer barber ends after a misunderstanding to pretend doctor. However the patients problems aren't medical nature but personally so he helps them.

Doctor Z-Vengos

1968

An Unbelievable Sucker poster
6.7

Thanasis and he will become barber, continuing the tradition of Chatzipapageorgakopoulokonstantinogiannopoulon in traditional shop in the neighborhood, without knowing that the court of the occupation, the German commander, Von Tzifren, has hidden a treasure. Thanasis is in love with Lisa's daughter Charoupoglou, rich neighborhood that made money held. Germany Von Tzifren is released ...

An Unbelievable Sucker

1969

An Unbelievable Sucker poster
6.7

Thanasis and he will become barber, continuing the tradition of Chatzipapageorgakopoulokonstantinogiannopoulon in traditional shop in the neighborhood, without knowing that the court of the occupation, the German commander, Von Tzifren, has hidden a treasure. Thanasis is in love with Lisa's daughter Charoupoglou, rich neighborhood that made money held. Germany Von Tzifren is released ...

An Unbelievable Sucker

1969

Papatrechas poster
7.8

Polydoros Lagos is a janitor in an ordinary Athens' block in the 1960s who's struggling to serve as many of the building's residents as possible in order to save some money to help his six sisters (and his aunt) get married, since this is the only way he can finally get married too.

Papatrechas

1966

Who Thanasis! poster
6.7

A kindhearted owner of a shop falls in love with the girl he hires and, eventually, he finds out who tricks him and who really loves him.

Who Thanasis!

1969

Who Thanasis! poster
6.7

A kindhearted owner of a shop falls in love with the girl he hires and, eventually, he finds out who tricks him and who really loves him.

Who Thanasis!

1969

The Madman of Greece poster
5.5

Thanasis works in the café he inherited from his father and hopes that his children will manage to complete their studies. This desire is based on his own dream of becoming a judge, which never happened due to his father's objections.

The Madman of Greece

1983

The Man Who Ran a Lot poster
6.7

Thanasis Zevedaios (Thanasis Vengos) has a shop with watches and running but not enough! Time and the clocks have become obsessed after running nonstop in an effort to nourish their relatives. The 'philosopher' brother dies and leaves another four mouths under his protection. The day is divided between the shop, his sister and his niece to marry, and his beloved, who works in a supermarket, while the economic situation and their obligations do not allow them to marry.

The Man Who Ran a Lot

1973

Out Poverty and Good Heart poster
5.7

Thanasis Kourtis came from the countryside to Athens to find his friend, the well-known impresario Giorgos Oikonomidis. Oikonomidis cannot find him a job, but suggests that he open an agency to seek out new talent. Thanasis follows his advice, and one of his first clients is Kostas, the son of industrialist Lyridis, who wants to become an actor. Eleni, who wants to help him and win him over, becomes Thanasis' secretary.

Out Poverty and Good Heart

1964

Thanasis in the land of the cuff poster
8.0

The movie is about dictatorships in Greece – first, the Metaxas regime (1936-1940), and then the Colonels’ Junta (1967-74). In Part One, the Metaxas regime is depicted as a circus, where Thanasis (Thanasis Vengos) is a clown trying to conceal a young colleague’s subversive action. In Part Two, we see Thanasis suffer because of his honesty and kindness, in a country where the system’s irrationality is clearly evident.

Thanasis in the land of the cuff

1976

The Big Cannon poster
6.7

A masseur whose son is a student in Germany learns that he has become a member of the Neo-Nazi party.

The Big Cannon

1981

The Big Cannon poster
6.7

A masseur whose son is a student in Germany learns that he has become a member of the Neo-Nazi party.

The Big Cannon

1981