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