Thanassis Vengos- actor, martyr, saint

Greek film director and producer N. Koundouros gives us the chronologically first account of Thanassis Vengos: they both were exiled on the island of Makronissos after the end of the Greek civil war in 1949. Koundouros promised him then a job and when they were allowed to return to Athens he kept his promise. Vengos made full use of what he was receiving as wages by walking daily the full 10 kilometers distance between home and studio in order to save the bus fare. Initially he was employed as a crew member but his eagerness to be useful made everybody want him for all sorts of small jobs. That included also acting in very short improvised scenes where his instinctively funny performance never went unnoticed.

Thanassis Vengos becomes a sought after actor. He soon is the leading actor in all the films where he participates. Around 1965 his name is reason enough to fill cinema halls. Greek cinema is booming commercially. Most of its productions are stereotypical. Great actors are those who play social stereotypes: the poor but beautiful and kindhearted young girl; the cheery middle aged, middle class city lady with the affluent husband; the young rich womanizer; the older rich womanizer; the young poor womanizer pretending to be a young rich womanizer. Of all those stereotypes Vengos takes the toughest: he becomes the average insignificant Greek, desperate for a job, desperate to collect the money they owe him, desperate to find a short loan to pay for his rent. And at the same time thoughtful and generous: he, poor as a cat, is the lender of last resort for his sister or his friends, even for those who owe him if he sees that they are themselves as desperate as he is. Worries drain his face from any smile; make his gestures nervous and brisk; his comments stoic and emotionless. His catch phrase is “Kaloi mou anthropoi” which should best be translated as “my kind people” (and not my good people which is ironic).

Vengos does not play this role- he is truly the role. In his 50 years career he goes bankrupt once. It’s probably the noblest bankruptcy in human history since those who know the facts attribute it to perfectionism, generosity and religious respect for his obligations. The humiliation is devastating. But he keeps his composure and goes on. With the help of his very numerous friends he makes a come-back. He is too big an artist to go wasted. He fills again cinemas and theaters and with strict money administration, imposed by his friend and director Katsouridis, he repays his debt and starts again to experience ease with money.

Probably a very important point in his career comes when he is 74 years old. He plays the leading role in the ancient theater of Epidavros in the comedy of Aristophanes “Peace”. The audience applauds incessantly. His peers praise, beatify him. He, shy as always, says a few words: “I thank you for coming and I thank all my old friends from the good days of Greek cinema. I do not agree with all they said. But one thing is certain. In the galley of my life I was constantly a most fierce oarsman”. Thanassis Vengos died in May 2011, a year when his qualities of stoicism, optimism, dignity and generosity are in great demand. His symbolic impact is here however and so is his values perception: if the trail of your life is like a galley crossing choose to address it by working and doing your best; and in this keep being polite, generous and considerate to others.