Thanasis Veggos

Thanasis Veggos
Θανάσης Βέγγος

Thanasis Veggos as "000"
(secret agent "007" spoof)
in "Faneros Praktor 000" (1967)
Born Athanasios Veggos
29 May 1927
Neo Faliro, Piraeus, Greece
Died 3 May 2011(2011-05-03) (aged 83)[1]
Athens, Greece
Occupation Actor, director
Years active 1925–2011
Spouse Asimina Veggos (?-2011, his death)[2]
Website
http://www.veggos.gr

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.[1][3][4] He performed in more than 120 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.[1] His famous comedic catchphrase was "Καλέ µου άνθρωπε" ("My good man").[4]

Contents

Background

Veggos was the only son of a power station employee who had fought with the Greek Resistance in World War II.[2] He served his compulsory military service on Makronisos from 1948 to 1950.[5] On Makronisos he met film director Nikos Koundouros who was exiled there.[6][7]

Life and career

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.[8][9] Nikos Koundouros gave him a role in Magiki polis in 1955.[2][6] His first major role was in Psila ta heria Hitler ("Hands Up, Hitler"), 1962.[6] He often played everyman characters struggling to get by, but he has played anti-heroes, he has acted in pure dramas, and on stage in the comedies of Aristophanes.[2] 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".[10] In 1997, in the role of Dikaiopoli he appeared in a live performance at the ancient Epidaurus theatre.[11] 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.[6] He later participated in advertisements promoting road safety.[6]

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).[2]

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.[2]

Legacy

He is survived by his wife Asimina and two sons.[2] He will always be remembered in the more than 120 films and more recent documentaries that he starred in.[2] 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.[12]

Filmography

Early movies

Leading roles

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.

Theatrical performances and troupes

Performances

Troupes

References

  1. ^ a b c d Popular actor Thanassis Veggos dies at 84 ekathimerini.com, Kathimerini newspaper, 3 May 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Greek slapstick comedy hero Thanassis Vengos dies at 83, Associated Press, 3 May 2011.
  3. ^ Γιατί μπήκε στο νοσοκομείο ο Θανάσης Βέγγος, βιογραφικό Φήμες (Greek language)
  4. ^ a b Αντίο καλέ μας άνθρωπε Enet.gr, Eleutherotypia newspaper, 3 May 2011. (Greek language)
  5. ^ a b Thanassis Veggos dies at 84 Athens News, 3 May 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e Great Greek Actor Thanasis Veggos Passes greekreporter.com, 3 May 2011.
  7. ^ Ο Ν. Κούνδουρος για τη φιλία του με το Θ. Βέγγο, English translation: "N. Koundouros on his friendship with T. Veggo", Star.gr, 3 May 2011. (Greek language)
  8. ^ Κυριακάτικο Ξύπνημα Cine.gr (Greek language)
  9. ^ a b Windfall in Athens (1956) IMDb
  10. ^ a b Greek Comic Hero Vengos Dies at 84 ABC News, 3 May 2011.
  11. ^ “Αντίο, καλέ μου άνθρωπε”: Έφυγε ο Θανάσης Βέγγος, ZoomNews.gr, 3 May 2011.
  12. ^ Τα νυχτερινά σχολεία της ζωής choicetv.gr, 13 April 2011. (Greek language)

External links