Ove Sprogøe
Born
December 21, 1919
Died
September 14, 2004 (84 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
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.
Known For

The Olsen Gang: Forever!
Egon Olsen
2018
Historien om Olsen Banden
2015

The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
Egon Olsen
1998

Barbara
1997
Charlot og Charlotte
Grev Birksted
1996

Charlot og Charlotte
Grev Birksted · (4 episodes)
1996

Carmen & Babyface
Engelsk lærere
1995

Kærlighed ved første desperate blik
1994

The Return of Jafar
Sultanen Af Agrabah (stemme)
1994

Crumb at a Gallop
Anders
1992

Jasper's Ghost
The Ghost
1992

Dr. Dip
Finn Klar Rask · (5 episodes)
1990

War of the Birds
The Male Magpie (voice)
1990

Asterix and the Big Fight
Astérix (stemme)
1989

Station 13
Nielsen · (8 episodes)
1988

Elvis Hansen, en samfundshjælper
Knudsen
1988

Far på færde
Hr. Hermansen · (1 episode)
1988

Hip Hip Hurrah!
Bonatzi
1987

Sådan er det bare
Kurt (Anettes far) · (1 episode)
1987

Final Act
1987

Asterix in Britain
Astérix (stemme)
1986

Murder in the Dark
Bille
1986

Når engle elsker
Gabriel, Archangel
1985

Asterix vs. Caesar
Astérix (stemme)
1985

Anthonsen
Holger Anthonsen · (5 episodes)
1984

Nissebanden
Karl-Heinz Bierbaum · (1 episode)
1984

Ikke lutter lagkage
Niels-Arthur · (4 episodes)
1984

In the Middle of the Night
1984
Dansk bladtegning: danske bladtegnere - En dokumentation
Sig selv
1984

Kurt & Valde
1983

Limpan
Preben
1983

Den ubetænksomme elsker
Overbetjent Olufsen
1982

Henover midten
Erich von Herning · (1 episode)
1982

Your Money or Your Life
Bankdirektør
1982

The Olsen Gang Long Gone
Egon Olsen
1981

The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence
Egon Olsen
1981

Krigsdøtre
Hr. Christensen · (2 episodes)
1981

Stepping Out
Larsen
1981

Danmark er lukket
Speaker
1980
The Thralls' Children
1980
Vores år
Ludvig Blom · (4 episodes)
1980

The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders
Egon Olsen
1979

Jul i Gammelby
Nissefar · (24 episodes)
1979
The Revolt of the Thralls
1979

Johnny Larsen
1979

Kick Me in the Traditions!
1979

Children of the Warriors
1979

Matador
Dr. Louis Hansen · (24 episodes)
1978

The Olsen Gang Goes to War
Egon Olsen
1978

Mirror, Mirror
1978

You Are Not Alone
Kim's Father / Superintendent
1978
Bandefører Balling
1978

The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
Egon Olsen
1977

Watch Your Back, Professor!
Konkurrerende redaktør
1977

The Moelleby affair
Digter Mortensen
1976

The Olsen Gang Sees Red
Egon Olsen
1976

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix
Astérix (stemme)
1976

Hjerter er trumf
1976

That Brief Summer
Baronen
1976

Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde
Egon Olsen
1976

Aladdin eller den forunderlige lampe
(3 episodes)
1975

The Olsen Gang on the Track
Egon Olsen
1975

The Goldcabbage Family
Leopold Phieselsknast
1975

The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang
Egon Olsen
1974

Et dukkehjem
Sagfører Krogstad
1974

The Hour of Parting
Michael Jacobsen
1973
I Adams verden
1973

The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
Egon Olsen
1973

Noget om nisser
(1 episode)
1972

Nu går den på Dagmar
1972

The Olsen Gang's Big Score
Egon Olsen
1972

Lenin, You Rascal, You
Mulligan
1972

The Missing Clerk
Teodor Amsted
1971

The Olsen Gang in Jutland
Egon Olsen
1971

Hjemme hos William
1971

Revolutionen i vandkanten
Mand fra en anden klode
1971

Our Home Is Our Castle
Hr. Larsen
1971

Famous Five Get in Trouble
Onkel Quentin
1970

Revolution My A..
Arthur Antonsen
1970

Tough Guys of the Prairie
Dommer
1970

Amour
Gammel døv dame
1970

The House at Christianshavn
Larsen · (49 episodes)
1970

The House at Christianshavn
Hr. Larsen · (1 episode)
1970

Give God A Chance On Sunday
Præst ved Roskilde Domkirke
1970

Tintin and the Temple of the Sun
Dupond/Dupont (stemme)
1969

Five and the Spies
Onkel Quentin
1969
Toppen og bolden
Fortæller (voice)
1969

The Olsen Gang in a Fix
Egon Olsen
1969

The Egborg Girl
Advokat Kurt Mikkelsen
1969

Fun in the Streets
"Fløjten"
1969

Along Came a Soldier
Baron Royal King von Konig
1969

Kys til højre og venstre
Ruths Husband
1969

Asterix and Cleopatra
Astérix (stemme)
1968

The Veterinarian's Adopted Children
Kristian
1968
Days in My Father's House
Gunnar
1968

The Olsen Gang
Egon Olsen
1968

Magic in Town
Politiassistent Møller
1968

Friends at Arms: On a Bear Run
Oberst ved konkurrerende regiment
1968

What a Pity About Daddy
1968

Det var en lørdag aften
Johansen
1968

Farvel Thomas
1968

Asterix the Gaul
Astérix (stemme)
1967

Nyhavns glade gutter
Direktør Schwartz
1967

Martha
Hovmester Watson
1967

Love Thy Neighbour
Pastor Weigaard
1967

Wife on vacation
Apoteker John Bjerre
1967

Jeg er sgu min egen
Værgen
1967

Det er ikke appelsiner - det er heste
1967

The Reluctant Sadist
Baron
1967

The Loose Tile
Principle
1966

The Girl and the Viscount
Nielsen
1966

Der var engang
Første frier
1966

Søskende
Bedemanden
1966

Tre små piger
Biebitz Von Biebitz
1966

Flagermusen
Blind
1966

Relax Freddy
David Smith
1966

Strike First Freddy
David Smith
1965

Een pige og 39 sømænd
Andersen
1965

Mor bag rattet
1965

The Girl and the Playboy
Andresen - advokat
1965

It's Nifty in the Navy
Knud Hansen
1965

Passer Babysitting Girls
Thorbjørn Hansen
1965

En ven i bolignøden
Børge Blom
1965

Don Olsen kommer til byen
Brandmand
1964

Summer in Tyrol
Sigismund Sülzheimer
1964

Når enden er go'
Thør
1964

Majorens oppasser
Major Clausen
1964

The Sword in the Stone
Uglen Arkimedes (stemme)
1963

Dust for all the Money
Thorbjørn Hansen
1963

Bussen
Vik
1963

A Day Without Lies
1963

Frøken Nitouche
Ferdinand Piper, teaterdirektør
1963

April
Lægeforsker Vagn Jochumsen
1963

Peters landlov
Direktør William H. Schmidt
1963

The Queen's Guardsman
Tom, "Kulsoen"s mand
1963

Vi har det jo dejligt
Opfinderen
1963

The Girl and the Press Photographer
Madsen
1963

Drømmen om det hvide slot
Johan
1962

Oskar
Direktør Bernhard Bang
1962

Still Dust on the Brain
Thorbjørn Hansen
1962

Det stod i avisen
Læge S. Gregersen
1962

Sømænd og svigermødre
Peter Jensen - Kanustis ven
1962

Crazy Paradise
Simon
1962

Journey to the Seventh Planet
Barry O'Sullivan
1962

Lykkens musikanter
Havemand Texas
1962

The Musketeers
Tam
1961

Dust on the Brain
Hr. Thorbjørn Hansen
1961

Sorte Shara
Tom
1961

Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør
Anton
1961

Forelsket i København
Carni
1960

Baronessen fra benzintanken
Lars Tofte
1960

The Greeneyed Elephant
Tolderen
1960

The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte
Anton
1960

Charley's Aunt
Charles Smith
1959

Onkel Bill fra New York
Johnny Jensen
1959

The Poet and the Little Mother
Anton
1959

Styrmand Karlsen
Ole Olsen
1958

Tag til marked i Fjordby
Knud Tofte
1957

Der var engang en gade
Danselærer Johny Johnsen
1957

Be Dear to Me
1957

Den kloge mand
1956

Færgekroen
Lars Tofte, kroejer og færgemand
1956

Kispus
Max Møller
1956

Hvad vil De ha'?
Gæst hos Hansens
1956

Det var paa Rundetaarn
Hans Ramløse
1955

På tro og love
Henry
1955

Det er så yndigt at følges ad
1954

I kongens klæ'r
Jens Rasmussen - rekrut 65
1954

Father of Four
Bager Høst
1953

Ved Kongelunden...
Vognstyrer Iversen
1953

Den gamle mølle paa Mols
Buschauffør
1953

Vi som går køkkenvejen
1953

The Tove Andersen Criminal Case
Nolle
1953

Det store løb
Fuld mand i bus
1952

Rekrut 67 Petersen
"68"
1952

Dorte
Hr. Smith
1951

Vores fjerde far
1951

All this - and Iceland too
1951

Naalen
Helmer, kriminalassistent
1951

Smedestræde 4
Ejnar - Pouls ven - cyklebud
1950
En dag i radioen
En maler
1950

The Red Horses
Niels Peter Dalum, Oles medstuderende
1950

Kampen mod uretten
1949
Berlingske Tidende 1749-1949
1949
Næste Gang er det dig
Mand i cottoncoat
1948

3 years after
Hotelkarlen
1948

Kristinus Bergman
Bud med nøgle
1948

The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
1948

I de lyse nætter
1948

Penge som græs
1948

Hatten er sat
1947

Lise kommer til byen
1947

Discretion Wanted
1946

Hans Store Aften
1946