Thanasis Veggos

Athanasios Veggos (; , ; 29 May 1927 – 3 May 2011) was a Greek actor, filmmaker, comedian, and CEO of Greek film studio Thanasis Vengos Tainies Geliou.

He was born in the Neo Faliro neighborhood of Piraeus in 1927. He performed in around 130 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,

Background Veggos was the only son of a power station employee, who had fought with the Greek Resistance in World War II. 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. His real surname was "Βέγκος" and, as he had said, he wrote it with because it looked better in the eyes. Veggos himself was a member of EPON, the youth branch of the left-wing resistance movement EAM, and so served his compulsory military service as an inmate on the notorious prison island Makronisos from 1948 to 1950. On Makronisos he met film director Nikos Koundouros who was also exiled there.

Career Veggos' first appearance in a film was in Windfall in Athens, produced by Michael Cacoyannis, which premiered in Athens as Kiriakatiko Xsipnima on 11 January 1954. Nikos Koundouros gave him a role in Magiki polis in 1954. His first major role was in Psila ta heria Hitler ("Hands Up, Hitler"), 1962. 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 theatre. In 2000, he survived a car accident involving a collision with a train. also with surrealist humor, most of them by his own company Θ-Β Comedies (Θ-Β Tainies Geliou) which he founded in 1964.

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

Personal life Thanasis Veggos was married to Asimina and they had two sons. He will always be remembered for the more than 120 films and 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.

Honors and awards 1962, Hellenic Association of Film Critics Award, from Hellenic Critics Association 1971, Best Actor Award, from 12th Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema for the film What Did You Do in the War, Thanasis? 1993, Lifetime Achievement Award, from the Thessaloniki Festival of Greek Cinema 2002, Honoree, Municipality of Korydallos Theatre was named Thanasis Veggos Theatre from the Municipality of Korydallos, Attica 2008, Honoree, Evangelismou Square was named Thanasis Veggos Square from the Municipality of Piraeus, Attica 2008, Commander of the Order of the Phoenix, from the President of Greece Karolos Papoulias 2008, Faces Award, from the TV Magazine of Ethnos 2010, Lifetime Achievement Award, from the Status Magazine 2010, Lifetime Achievement Award, from the Hellenic Film Academy

Filmography

Early movies

Kiriakatiko Xsipnima (premiered 1954), Windfall in Athens (1956) 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), Thanassis, 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 grylos (1975), The jack O Thanasis sti hora tis sfaliaras (1976), Thanasis in the land of slap Apo pou pane gia tin havouza; (1978), What's 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 Made In Greece (1987) ft. Harry Klynn 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 Ypastynomos Thanasis (1989), Police lieutenant Thanassis 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 Vimata (1996), Steps To vlemma tou Odyssea (1997), Ulysses' Gaze Ola einai dromos (1998), Everything is a journey To ainigma (1998), The riddle The Lilly's Story (2002) Psychi vathia (2009), A Soul So Deep 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 Mirror Exo ena mystiko (2008) Alpha TV, I Have a Secret

Theatrical performances and troupes

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