Ove Sprogøe

Acting December 21, 1919 (84 years old) September 14, 2004 Odense, Danmark

Biography

Ove Wendelboe Sprogøe Petersen (21 December 1919 – 14 September 2004) was a Danish actor. Born in Odense, his parents were Arthur and Inger Sprogøe. He married Eva Rasmussen in 1945, with whom he had three children. One of these is actor Henning Sprogøe. He made his debut in the film Hans Store Aften (His Big Night). His characteristic prominent chin that had been feared an obstacle of his career did not prevent him from being one of the most versatile and used Danish actors. His strength laid in the almost diabolic, michievous and brash but he effortlessly played meek and shy types as well as elegantiers. Among his many roles on stage in classic plays might be mentioned Mephisto in Faust, the title figure of Strindberg’s The Father and some Molière and Bertolt Brecht characters. An extremely popular actor in Denmark, he played many diverse roles, including several recurring television parts. He appeared in 157 films, making him one of the hardest-working actors in the history of Danish film. In his early years he often was the part of a duo working together with his friend and colleague Dirch Passer. He is probably best known for playing one of the lead roles in the Olsen Gang movies, along with Morten Grunwald and Poul Bundgaard, playing the gang leader Egon Olsen, known for his short temper, striped suit, and cigar. By this role he earned an international fame though mostly in Eastern Europe, in the GDR he together with his colleagues became almost a cult figure. Among his TV roles must be mentioned his elegant and humorous ex-burglar Larsen in the series Huset på Christianshavn (“The House at Christianshavn” - the first Danish sitcom) and his role as the wise and courageous doctor Louis Hansen in the epic, historical drama-series Matador, both also shown outside Denmark. He was an able singer especially in shows or revues and his interpretation of Tim Spencer’s Cigarettes, whiskey and wild wild women (in Danish re-creation: Fandens Oldemor – “The Devil’s Great-Grandmother”) almost became his signature tune. He was an actor who combined great public sympathy with the ability to remain a private person with a modest lifestyle. After his death it was revealed that he had been a passionate art enthusiast and had amassed a valuable collection of modern paintings. Shortly after his death in 2004, Nordisk Film (the company that made the Olsen Gang movies) established a scholarship for actors in his name. The state-owned road to Vridsløselille Statsfængsel (the prison where his Egon Olsen character was a frequent "guest"), was renamed by the city of Albertslund to Egon Olsens Vej (Egon Olsen Road). On 24 October 2005, his native city of Odense named a square Ove Sprogøes Plads (Ove Sprogøe Square) in his honour. And the bar 'Cafe Halvvejen', named a shot in his honor. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ove Sprogøe, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Ove Sprogøe

Biography

Movies 170

Tintin and the Temple of the Sun

The Olsen Gang Sees Red

The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence

The Olsen Gang Long Gone

You Are Not Alone

The Olsen Gang in Jutland

The Olsen Gang

The Olsen Gang's Big Score

Journey to the Seventh Planet

The Olsen Gang in a Fix

Kristinus Bergman

The Olsen Gang's Last Trick

The Olsen Gang on the Track

The Olsen Gang Outta Sight

The Olsen Gang Goes to War

Magic in Town

The Loose Tile

The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders

The Olsen Gang Runs Amok

Charley's Aunt

The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang

War of the Birds

Don Olsen kommer til byen

3 years after

Vi som går køkkenvejen

Jasper's Ghost

Hip Hip Hurrah!

Relax Freddy

En ven i bolignøden

Crumb at a Gallop

In the Middle of the Night

Be Dear to Me

Along Came a Soldier

Det var en lørdag aften

Dust for all the Money

Summer in Tyrol

Bandefører Balling

På tro og love

Five and the Spies

The Only Way

Murder in the Dark

Hvad vil De ha'?

Watch Your Back, Professor!

Jeg er sgu min egen

Kick Me in the Traditions!

Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør

Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde

Children of the Warriors

Friends at Arms: On a Bear Run

The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte

Famous Five Get in Trouble

What a Pity About Daddy

Johnny Larsen

Det er ikke appelsiner - det er heste

Amour

Sorte Shara

Strike First Freddy

Een pige og 39 sømænd

I kongens klæ'r

The Moelleby affair

Limpan

Oskar

Lykkens musikanter

Kys til højre og venstre

Revolution My A..

Martha

Onkel Bill fra New York

Dust on the Brain

Det stod i avisen

Barbara

The Veterinarian's Adopted Children

I Adams verden

Tough Guys of the Prairie

Baronessen fra benzintanken

Det var paa Rundetaarn

The Reluctant Sadist

The Queen's Guardsman