Film Snail

Ove Sprogøe

Born · December 21, 1919

Died · September 14, 2004 (84 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Odense, Danmark

Bio

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.

Known for

The Olsen Gang: Forever!

Egon Olsen

8.0

2018

Historien om Olsen Banden

0.0

2015

The Olsen Gang's Last Trick

Egon Olsen

5.8

1998

Barbara

6.0

1997

Charlot og Charlotte

Grev Birksted

4.0

1996

Charlot og Charlotte

Grev Birksted · (4 episodes)

0.0

1996

Carmen & Babyface

Engelsk lærere

5.0

1995

Holger Anthonsen · (5 episodes)

0.0

1984

Nissebanden

Karl-Heinz Bierbaum · (1 episode)

7.3

1984

Ikke lutter lagkage

Niels-Arthur · (4 episodes)

0.0

1984

In the Middle of the Night

6.5

1984

Dansk bladtegning: danske bladtegnere - En dokumentation

Sig selv

6.0

1984

Kurt & Valde

2.0

1983

Limpan

Preben

7.0

1983

Den ubetænksomme elsker

Overbetjent Olufsen

5.8

1982

Henover midten

Erich von Herning · (1 episode)

0.0

1982

Your Money or Your Life

Bankdirektør

4.0

1982

The Olsen Gang Long Gone

Egon Olsen

6.7

1981

The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence

Egon Olsen

6.9

1981

Krigsdøtre

Hr. Christensen · (2 episodes)

0.0

1981

Stepping Out

Larsen

8.0

1981

Danmark er lukket

Speaker

5.5

1980

The Thralls' Children

7.0

1980

Vores år

Ludvig Blom · (4 episodes)

0.0

1980

The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders

Egon Olsen

Dr. Louis Hansen · (24 episodes)

9.1

1978

The Olsen Gang Goes to War

Egon Olsen

6.8

1978

Mirror, Mirror

10.0

1978

You Are Not Alone

Kim's Father / Superintendent

7.4

1978

Bandefører Balling

0.0

1978

The Olsen Gang Outta Sight

Egon Olsen

7.1

1977

Watch Your Back, Professor!

Konkurrerende redaktør

4.3

1977

The Moelleby affair

Digter Mortensen

8.0

1976

The Olsen Gang Sees Red

Egon Olsen

7.3

1976

Hjerter er trumf

6.5

1976

That Brief Summer

Baronen

6.0

1976

Olsen Banden Et Isoleret Tilfælde

Egon Olsen

0.0

1976

Aladdin eller den forunderlige lampe

(3 episodes)

0.0

1975

The Olsen Gang on the Track

Egon Olsen

7.1

1975

The Goldcabbage Family

Leopold Phieselsknast

5.5

1975

The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang

Egon Olsen

7.1

1974

Et dukkehjem

Sagfører Krogstad

10.0

1974

The Hour of Parting

Michael Jacobsen

7.0

1973

I Adams verden

6.0

1973

The Olsen Gang Runs Amok

Egon Olsen

6.8

1973

Noget om nisser

(1 episode)

0.0

1972

Nu går den på Dagmar

10.0

1972

The Olsen Gang's Big Score

Egon Olsen

6.8

1972

Lenin, You Rascal, You

Mulligan

4.2

1972

The Missing Clerk

Teodor Amsted

7.1

1971

The Olsen Gang in Jutland

Egon Olsen

7.0

1971

5.0

1969

The Veterinarian's Adopted Children

Kristian

6.7

1968

Days in My Father's House

Gunnar

0.0

1968

The Olsen Gang

Egon Olsen

7.1

1968

Magic in Town

Politiassistent Møller

Hovmester Watson

6.6

1967

Love Thy Neighbour

Pastor Weigaard

4.4

1967

Wife on vacation

Apoteker John Bjerre

6.7

1967

Jeg er sgu min egen

Værgen

10.0

1967

Andersen

6.0

1965

Vik

5.6

1963

A Day Without Lies

4.3

1963

Frøken Nitouche

Ferdinand Piper, teaterdirektør

5.9

1963

April

Lægeforsker Vagn Jochumsen

7.1

1963

Peters landlov

Direktør William H. Schmidt

5.2

1963

Dronningens vagtmester

Tom, "Kulsoen"s mand

4.3

1963

Vi har det jo dejligt

Opfinderen

5.2

1963

The Girl and the Press Photographer

Madsen

6.5

1963

Drømmen om det hvide slot

Johan

5.8

1962

Oskar

Direktør Bernhard Bang

5.8

1962

Still Dust on the Brain

Thorbjørn Hansen

6.3

1962

Det stod i avisen

Læge S. Gregersen

5.7

1962

Sømænd og svigermødre

Peter Jensen - Kanustis ven

6.0

1962

Crazy Paradise

Simon

4.1

1962

Journey to the Seventh Planet

Barry O'Sullivan

4.8

1962

Lykkens musikanter

Havemand Texas

4.8

1962

The Musketeers

Tam

5.2

1961

Dust on the Brain

Hr. Thorbjørn Hansen

6.4

1961

Sorte Shara

Tom

5.5

1961

Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør

Anton

6.5

1961

Forelsket i København

Carni

6.4

1960

Baronessen fra benzintanken

Lars Tofte

7.3

1960

The Greeneyed Elephant

Tolderen

3.5

1960

The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte

Anton

5.4

1960

Charley's Aunt

Charles Smith

6.7

1959

Onkel Bill fra New York

Johnny Jensen

5.1

1959

The Poet and the Little Mother

Anton

6.4

1959

Styrmand Karlsen

Ole Olsen

6.6

1958

Tag til marked i Fjordby

Knud Tofte

5.4

1957

Der var engang en gade

Danselærer Johny Johnsen

6.0

1957

Be Dear to Me

6.6

1957

7.0

1954

I kongens klæ'r

Jens Rasmussen - rekrut 65

6.6

1954

Father of Four

Bager Høst

6.4

1953

Ved Kongelunden...

Vognstyrer Iversen

6.2

1953

Den gamle mølle paa Mols

Buschauffør

7.0

1953

Vi som går køkkenvejen

0.0

1953

Kriminalsagen Tove Andersen

Nolle

7.0

1953

Det store løb

Fuld mand i bus

5.6

1952

Rekrut 67 Petersen

"68"

5.8

1952

Dorte

Hr. Smith

6.5

1951

Vores fjerde far

5.7

1951

All this - and Iceland too

0.0

1951

Naalen

Helmer, kriminalassistent

4.5

1951

Smedestræde 4

Ejnar - Pouls ven - cyklebud

6.5

1950

The Red Horses

Niels Peter Dalum, Oles medstuderende

7.5

1950

Kampen mod uretten

5.0

1949

Berlingske Tidende 1749-1949

6.0

1949

3 years after

Hotelkarlen

6.0

1948

Kristinus Bergman

Bud med nøgle

8.6

1946

Hans Store Aften

6.5

1946