Thanasis Veggos (alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos; Greek:
Θανάσης Î'Îγγος; pronounced: Thanássis Véngos; 29 May
1926 â€" 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 "ΚαλΠμου
Î¬Î½Î¸Ï Ï‰Ï€Îµ" ("My good man").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. Veggos himself was a member
of EPON, the youth branch of the left-wing resistance movement
EAM/ELAS, 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.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
theatre.In 2000, he survived a car accident involving a collision with
a train. He later participated in advertisements promoting road
safety.
Θανάσης Î'Îγγος; pronounced: Thanássis Véngos; 29 May
1926 â€" 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 "ΚαλΠμου
Î¬Î½Î¸Ï Ï‰Ï€Îµ" ("My good man").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. Veggos himself was a member
of EPON, the youth branch of the left-wing resistance movement
EAM/ELAS, 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.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
theatre.In 2000, he survived a car accident involving a collision with
a train. He later participated in advertisements promoting road
safety.
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