
Ove Sprogøe
Born December 21, 1919 · Odense, Danmark
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.
Notable Appearances
Movies
More Movies

The Olsen Gang's Big Score

War of the Birds

The Olsen Gang Goes to War

The Olsen Gang's Last Trick

The Olsen Gang Runs Amok

Famous Five Get in Trouble

Crumb at a Gallop

Hip Hip Hurrah!

The Olsen Gang Long Gone

Children of the Warriors

Don Olsen kommer til byen

Et dukkehjem

Peters landlov

Søskende

Be Dear to Me

Along Came a Soldier

Martha

Jasper's Ghost

I kongens klæ'r

Kristinus Bergman

Charley's Aunt

The Only Way

The Olsen Gang Outta Sight

The Revolt of the Thralls

Det er ikke appelsiner - det er heste

The Olsen Gang in Jutland

The Olsen Gang

Revolution My A..

Five and the Spies

Jeg er sgu min egen

Kærlighed ved første desperate blik

Sorte Shara

Kick Me in the Traditions!

Dust for all the Money

The Loose Tile

Nu går den på Dagmar

Det stod i avisen

Lykkens musikanter

Final Act

Tag til marked i Fjordby

The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte

En ven i bolignøden

The Queen's Guardsman

Vi har det jo dejligt

The Girl and the Press Photographer

Barbara

Det var en lørdag aften

Hvad vil De ha'?

Vi som går køkkenvejen

The Girl and the Playboy

På tro og love

Murder in the Dark

In the Middle of the Night

Lise kommer til byen

Friends at Arms: On a Bear Run

Baronessen fra benzintanken

Limpan

Een pige og 39 sømænd

Dust on the Brain

Når engle elsker

What a Pity About Daddy

Det var paa Rundetaarn

Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør

Elvis Hansen, en samfundshjælper

The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman

Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde

Summer in Tyrol

Strike First Freddy

The Moelleby affair

Det store løb

Our Home Is Our Castle

3 years after

Når enden er go'

Bussen

Den gamle mølle paa Mols

Give God a Chance on Sunday

The Goldcabbage Family

Love Thy Neighbour

Tre små piger

It's Nifty in the Navy

Carmen & Babyface

Styrmand Karlsen

Den ubetænksomme elsker

Kys til højre og venstre

I de lyse nætter

The Major's Guard

A Day Without Lies

Your Money or Your Life

Nyhavns glade gutter

Johnny Larsen

The Hour of Parting

The Olsen Gang: Forever!

Det er så yndigt at følges ad

Drømmen om det hvide slot

The Reluctant Sadist

Discretion Wanted

Onkel Bill fra New York

Danmark er lukket

Tough Guys of the Prairie

Flagermusen

Frøken Nitouche

Der var engang en gade

Hans Store Aften

Wife on vacation

Mirror, Mirror

Der var engang

All this - and Iceland too

Relax Freddy

Stepping Out

The Tove Andersen Criminal Case

Farvel Thomas

Den kloge mand

Kurt & Valde

Dorte

The Veterinarian's Adopted Children

Rekrut 67 Petersen

Forelsket i København

The Poet and the Little Mother

Father of Four

Kampen mod uretten

Mor bag rattet

Naalen

Still Dust on the Brain

Smedestræde 4

April

The Missing Clerk

Penge som græs

Kispus

Hjerter er trumf

The Girl and the Viscount

That Brief Summer

Passer Babysitting Girls

Sømænd og svigermødre

The Greeneyed Elephant

Oskar

Vores fjerde far

Revolutionen i vandkanten

Ved Kongelunden...

The Red Horses

The Egborg Girl

Fun in the Streets

The Musketeers

Crazy Paradise

Hjemme hos William

Lenin, You Rascal, You

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