person

Ove Sprogøe

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Gender

Male

Birthday

1919-12-21

Place of Birth

Odense, Danmark

Ove Sprogøe

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.

Also Known For

poster

67

Charley's Aunt

Oct 12, 1959

poster

70

The Olsen Gang

Oct 11, 1968

poster

72

The Olsen Gang on the Track

Sep 26, 1975

poster

70

The Olsen Gang in Jutland

Oct 08, 1971

poster

74

The Olsen Gang Sees Red

Oct 01, 1976

poster

NA

Days in My Father's House

Nov 11, 1968

poster

66

Martha

Oct 10, 1967

poster

66

The Olsen Gang in a Fix

Oct 03, 1969

poster

58

The Olsen Gang's Last Trick

Dec 18, 1998

poster

72

The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang

Oct 04, 1974

poster

68

The Olsen Gang Goes to War

Oct 06, 1978

poster

70

The Olsen Gang Outta Sight

Sep 30, 1977

poster

68

The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders

Dec 26, 1979

poster

62

Relax Freddy

Jun 05, 1966

poster

58

Strike First Freddy

Dec 21, 1965

poster

63

Summer in Tyrol

Sep 25, 1964

poster

55

The Goldcabbage Family

Jan 01, 1975

poster

70

Lise kommer til byen

Aug 18, 1947

poster

58

Rekrut 67 Petersen

Aug 07, 1952

poster

65

The Veterinarian's Adopted Children

Nov 29, 1968

poster

58

Frøken Nitouche

Aug 16, 1963

poster

71

The Girl and the Playboy

Oct 15, 1965

poster

52

The Musketeers

Dec 09, 1961

poster

43

The Queen's Guardsman

Mar 29, 1963

poster

56

Passer Babysitting Girls

Jul 23, 1965

poster

62

Dust for all the Money

Dec 13, 1963

poster

64

Dust on the Brain

Oct 11, 1961

poster

47

Journey to the Seventh Planet

Mar 10, 1962

poster

65

Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør

Sep 11, 1961

poster

69

The Olsen Gang Runs Amok

Oct 05, 1973

poster

68

The Olsen Gang's Big Score

Oct 06, 1972

poster

66

The Olsen Gang Long Gone

Dec 26, 1981

poster

69

The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence

Oct 16, 1981

poster

67

War of the Birds

Jul 01, 1990

poster

73

Baronessen fra benzintanken

Sep 04, 1960

poster

74

You Are Not Alone

Feb 23, 1978

poster

65

Don Olsen kommer til byen

Dec 18, 1964

poster

55

Nyhavns glade gutter

Nov 24, 1967

poster

60

Sømænd og svigermødre

Aug 06, 1962

poster

51

Tough Guys of the Prairie

Aug 31, 1970

poster

66

The Egborg Girl

Sep 12, 1969

poster

62

Magic in Town

Oct 11, 1968

poster

60

Een pige og 39 sømænd

Nov 12, 1965

poster

66

Styrmand Karlsen

Oct 30, 1958

poster

66

Our Home Is Our Castle

Mar 07, 1971

poster

56

Bussen

Oct 04, 1963

poster

61

Five and the Spies

Oct 13, 1969

poster

48

Famous Five Get in Trouble

Oct 16, 1970

poster

55

What a Pity About Daddy

Jul 19, 1968

poster

65

Dorte

Dec 17, 1951

poster

45

Along Came a Soldier

Apr 07, 1969

poster

44

Love Thy Neighbour

Sep 01, 1967

poster

35

The Greeneyed Elephant

Aug 14, 1960

poster

60

På tro og love

Aug 19, 1955

poster

63

Still Dust on the Brain

Sep 28, 1962

poster

54

Det var paa Rundetaarn

Dec 26, 1955

poster

71

The Missing Clerk

Oct 29, 1971

poster

56

Tre små piger

Aug 05, 1966

poster

43

A Day Without Lies

Sep 02, 1963

poster

66

I kongens klæ'r

Sep 24, 1954

poster

64

Forelsket i København

Nov 04, 1960

poster

71

April

Aug 02, 1963

poster

67

Wife on vacation

Jul 28, 1967

poster

42

Når enden er go'

Jul 23, 1964

poster

64

Fun in the Streets

Aug 01, 1969

poster

60

The Girl and the Viscount

Nov 25, 1966

poster

62

Ved Kongelunden...

Oct 16, 1953

poster

50

Jasper's Ghost

Oct 09, 1992

poster

55

Sorte Shara

Sep 29, 1961

poster

48

Lykkens musikanter

Feb 19, 1962

poster

54

Tag til marked i Fjordby

Dec 27, 1957

poster

100

Jeg er sgu min egen

Jun 30, 1967

poster

51

Onkel Bill fra New York

Jul 17, 1959

poster

63

Revolution My A..

Oct 09, 1970

poster

55

Kispus

May 06, 1956

poster

43

Hip Hip Hurrah!

Sep 04, 1987

poster

57

Det stod i avisen

Sep 25, 1962

poster

52

Vi har det jo dejligt

Mar 01, 1963

poster

50

Carmen & Babyface

Jan 20, 1995

poster

60

Der var engang en gade

Mar 03, 1957

poster

65

Det var en lørdag aften

Jun 27, 1968

poster

40

Your Money or Your Life

Feb 25, 1982

poster

41

Crazy Paradise

Jul 26, 1962

poster

25

Elvis Hansen, en samfundshjælper

Nov 25, 1988

poster

70

The Revolt of the Thralls

Oct 08, 1979

poster

70

The Thralls' Children

Oct 14, 1980

poster

40

Charlot og Charlotte

Sep 01, 1996

poster

58

Oskar

Oct 12, 1962

poster

60

Når engle elsker

Dec 26, 1985

poster

75

The Red Horses

Jan 09, 1950

poster

50

Hatten er sat

Dec 15, 1947

poster

NA

Farvel Thomas

Feb 25, 1968

poster

60

Hjemme hos William

Mar 28, 1971

poster

65

Flagermusen

Aug 01, 1966

poster

70

The Hour of Parting

Nov 09, 1973

poster

45

Naalen

Jan 29, 1951

poster

80

The Moelleby affair

Dec 26, 1976

poster

67

Det er ikke appelsiner - det er heste

Jun 28, 1967

poster

56

Det store løb

Dec 22, 1952

poster

86

Discretion Wanted

Aug 05, 1946

poster

58

Drømmen om det hvide slot

Dec 26, 1962

poster

64

Father of Four

Nov 02, 1953

poster

61

It's Nifty in the Navy

Sep 03, 1965

poster

61

Færgekroen

Oct 12, 1956

poster

66

En ven i bolignøden

Apr 08, 1965

poster

52

Hvad vil De ha'?

Jan 23, 1956

poster

58

Den ubetænksomme elsker

Oct 15, 1982

poster

60

I de lyse nætter

Mar 25, 1948

poster

66

Be Dear to Me

Mar 01, 1957

poster

70

Den gamle mølle paa Mols

Feb 25, 1953

poster

42

Lenin, You Rascal, You

Feb 15, 1972

poster

62

Majorens oppasser

Feb 14, 1964

poster

65

In the Middle of the Night

Mar 09, 1984

poster

52

Peters landlov

Jun 27, 1963

poster

64

The Poet and the Little Mother

Mar 06, 1959

poster

58

Murder in the Dark

Sep 19, 1986

poster

53

Mor bag rattet

Nov 05, 1965

poster

47

Friends at Arms: On a Bear Run

Aug 23, 1968

poster

57

Barbara

Oct 02, 1997

poster

57

Vores fjerde far

Sep 13, 1951

poster

100

Mirror, Mirror

Feb 24, 1978

poster

68

Den kloge mand

Oct 15, 1956

poster

62

Der var engang

Oct 01, 1966

poster

58

Johnny Larsen

Oct 01, 1979

poster

65

Hjerter er trumf

Mar 19, 1976

poster

74

Crumb at a Gallop

Dec 04, 1992

poster

65

Smedestræde 4

Sep 30, 1950

poster

54

The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte

May 02, 1960

poster

55

The Loose Tile

Dec 26, 1966

poster

61

The Girl and the Press Photographer

Feb 15, 1963

poster

55

Amour

Aug 06, 1970

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100

Et dukkehjem

Apr 14, 1974

poster

53

The Reluctant Sadist

Mar 27, 1967

poster

60

I Adams verden

Oct 21, 1973

poster

50

Kampen mod uretten

Mar 18, 1949

poster

43

Watch Your Back, Professor!

Aug 19, 1977

poster

90

Penge som græs

Feb 23, 1948

poster

70

The Tove Andersen Criminal Case

Jan 07, 1953

poster

30

Kurt & Valde

Jul 29, 1983

poster

50

Kys til højre og venstre

Mar 13, 1969

poster

100

Nu går den på Dagmar

Oct 23, 1972

poster

NA

Vi som går køkkenvejen

Feb 02, 1953

poster

80

Stepping Out

Aug 28, 1981

poster

75

Give God A Chance On Sunday

Apr 22, 1970

poster

NA

Historien om Olsen Banden

Mar 22, 2015

poster

NA

Bandefører Balling

Jan 01, 1978

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70

Kristinus Bergman

Aug 27, 1948

poster

60

3 years after

Oct 03, 1948

poster

60

That Brief Summer

Jan 23, 1976

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75

Søskende

Sep 02, 1966

poster

55

Danmark er lukket

Oct 31, 1980

poster

52

The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman

Mar 30, 1948

poster

65

Hans Store Aften

Mar 18, 1946

poster

NA

Kærlighed ved første desperate blik

Jul 01, 1994

poster

70

Limpan

Feb 04, 1983

poster

80

The Olsen Gang: Forever!

Nov 27, 2018

poster

60

Berlingske Tidende 1749-1949

Jan 01, 1949

poster

60

Dansk bladtegning: danske bladtegnere - En dokumentation

Jan 01, 1984

poster

40

Final Act

Jan 23, 1987

poster

NA

All this - and Iceland too

Sep 03, 1951

poster

50

Children of the Warriors

Aug 26, 1979

poster

70

Det er så yndigt at følges ad

Dec 02, 1954

poster

62

Kick Me in the Traditions!

Sep 17, 1979

poster

60

Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde

Jan 01, 1976

poster

10

Revolutionen i vandkanten

Mar 22, 1971

poster

70

Næste Gang er det dig

Nov 23, 1948

poster

NA

En dag i radioen

Feb 16, 1950

poster

NA

Toppen og bolden

Oct 13, 1969

poster

62

Asterix and the Big Fight

Oct 04, 1989

poster

65

Asterix the Gaul

Dec 20, 1967

poster

69

Asterix and Cleopatra

Dec 19, 1968

poster

73

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

Jun 26, 1976

poster

65

Asterix vs. Caesar

Mar 06, 1985

poster

67

Asterix in Britain

Dec 03, 1986

poster

66

Tintin and the Temple of the Sun

Dec 13, 1969

poster

72

The Sword in the Stone

Dec 25, 1963

poster

62

The Return of Jafar

May 20, 1994

poster

80

The House at Christianshavn

May 16, 1970

poster

NA

Charlot og Charlotte

Sep 01, 1996

poster

NA

Anthonsen

Dec 01, 1984

poster

NA

Noget om nisser

Dec 01, 1972

poster

NA

Ikke lutter lagkage

May 12, 1984

poster

NA

Aladdin eller den forunderlige lampe

Dec 26, 1975

poster

NA

Far på færde

Nov 08, 1988

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NA

Vores år

Mar 23, 1980

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NA

Henover midten

Sep 04, 1982

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NA

Dr. Dip

Jul 30, 1990

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NA

Krigsdøtre

Aug 30, 1981

poster

92

Matador

Nov 11, 1978

poster

NA

Station 13

Dec 02, 1988

poster

NA

Sådan er det bare

Apr 02, 1987

poster

80

The House at Christianshavn

May 16, 1970

poster

74

Jul i Gammelby

Dec 01, 1979

poster

73

Nissebanden

Dec 01, 1984