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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 21, 1919
Died
September 14, 2004
Place of Birth
Odense, Danmark
Also Known As
- Ove Wendelboe Sprogøe Petersen
Ove Sprogøe
1.5 Popularity
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.
Known For
8.0
Egon Olsen
The Olsen Gang: Forever!
2018
🎬
0.0
Historien om Olsen Banden
2015
5.8
Egon Olsen
The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
1998
5.8
Barbara
1997
🎬
3.3
Grev Birksted
Charlot og Charlotte
1996
0.0
Grev Birksted
Charlot og Charlotte
1996
4.4
Engelsk lærere
Carmen & Babyface
1995
0.0
Kærlighed ved første desperate blik
1994
7.5
Anders
Crumb at a Gallop
1992
4.5
The Ghost
Jasper's Ghost
1992
Credits
The Olsen Gang: Forever!
as Egon Olsen
2018
8.0
🎬
Historien om Olsen Banden
2015
0.0
The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
as Egon Olsen
1998
5.8
Barbara
1997
5.8
🎬
Charlot og Charlotte
as Grev Birksted
1996
3.3
Charlot og Charlotte
as Grev Birksted
1996
0.0
Carmen & Babyface
as Engelsk lærere
1995
4.4
Kærlighed ved første desperate blik
1994
0.0
Crumb at a Gallop
as Anders
1992
7.5
Jasper's Ghost
as The Ghost
1992
4.5
Dr. Dip
as Finn Klar Rask
1990
0.0
War of the Birds
as The Male Magpie (voice)
1990
6.8
Station 13
as Nielsen
1988
0.0
Elvis Hansen, en samfundshjælper
as Knudsen
1988
2.5
Far på færde
as Hr. Hermansen
1988
0.0
Hip Hip Hurrah!
as Bonatzi
1987
4.1
Sådan er det bare
as Kurt (Anettes far)
1987
0.0
Final Act
1987
4.0
Murder in the Dark
as Bille
1986
5.8
Når engle elsker
as Gabriel, Archangel
1985
6.0
Nissebanden
as Karl-Heinz Bierbaum
1984
7.3
Anthonsen
as Holger Anthonsen
1984
0.0
Ikke lutter lagkage
as Niels-Arthur
1984
0.0
In the Middle of the Night
as Købmand - Susans far
1984
6.5
🎬
Dansk bladtegning: danske bladtegnere - En dokumentation
as Sig selv
1984
6.0
Kurt & Valde
1983
3.0
Limpan
as Preben
1983
7.0
Den ubetænksomme elsker
as Overbetjent Olufsen
1982
4.8
Henover midten
as Erich von Herning
1982
0.0
Your Money or Your Life
as Bankdirektør
1982
3.3
The Olsen Gang Long Gone
as Egon Olsen
1981
6.6
The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence
as Egon Olsen
1981
6.9
Krigsdøtre
as Hr. Christensen
1981
0.0
Stepping Out
as Larsen
1981
8.0
Danmark er lukket
as Speaker
1980
5.5
🎬
The Thralls' Children
1980
7.0
🎬
Vores år
as Ludvig Blom
1980
0.0
The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders
as Egon Olsen
1979
6.8
Jul i Gammelby
as Nissefar
1979
7.4
🎬
The Revolt of the Thralls
1979
7.0
Johnny Larsen
1979
5.4
Kick Me in the Traditions!
1979
6.2
Children of the Warriors
1979
5.0
Matador
as Dr. Louis Hansen
1978
9.2
The Olsen Gang Goes to War
as Egon Olsen
1978
6.9
Mirror, Mirror
1978
10.0
You Are Not Alone
as Kim's Father / Superintendent
1978
7.4
🎬
Bandefører Balling
1978
5.0
The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
as Egon Olsen
1977
7.0
Watch Your Back, Professor!
as Konkurrerende redaktør
1977
4.3
The Moelleby affair
as Digter Mortensen
1976
8.0
The Olsen Gang Sees Red
as Egon Olsen
1976
7.4
Hjerter er trumf
1976
6.5
That Brief Summer
as Baronen
1976
6.0
Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde
as Egon Olsen
1976
6.0
Aladdin eller den forunderlige lampe
1975
0.0
The Olsen Gang on the Track
as Egon Olsen
1975
7.2
The Goldcabbage Family
as Leopold Phieselsknast
1975
5.5
The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang
as Egon Olsen
1974
7.2
Et dukkehjem
as Sagfører Krogstad
1974
10.0
The Hour of Parting
as Michael Jacobsen
1973
7.0
🎬
I Adams verden
1973
6.0
The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
as Egon Olsen
1973
6.9
Noget om nisser
1972
0.0
Nu går den på Dagmar
1972
10.0
The Olsen Gang's Big Score
as Egon Olsen
1972
6.7
Lenin, You Rascal, You
as Mulligan
1972
4.2
The Missing Clerk
as Teodor Amsted
1971
7.2
The Olsen Gang in Jutland
as Egon Olsen
1971
6.9
Hjemme hos William
1971
6.0
Revolutionen i vandkanten
as Mand fra en anden klode
1971
1.0
Our Home Is Our Castle
as Hr. Larsen
1971
6.6
Famous Five Get in Trouble
as Onkel Quentin
1970
4.8
Revolution My A..
as Arthur Antonsen
1970
6.3
Tough Guys of the Prairie
as Dommer
1970
5.1
Amour
as Gammel døv dame
1970
4.0
The House at Christianshavn
as Larsen
1970
8.0
The House at Christianshavn
as Hr. Larsen
1970
8.0
Give God A Chance On Sunday
as Præst ved Roskilde Domkirke
1970
7.5
The Only Way
as Hr. Petersen
1970
5.8
Tintin and the Temple of the Sun
as Dupond/Dupont (stemme)
1969
6.6
🎬
Toppen og bolden
as Fortæller (voice)
1969
0.0
Five and the Spies
as Onkel Quentin
1969
6.2
The Olsen Gang in a Fix
as Egon Olsen
1969
6.6
The Egborg Girl
as Advokat Kurt Mikkelsen
1969
6.6
Fun in the Streets
as "Fløjten"
1969
6.4
Along Came a Soldier
as Baron Royal King von Konig
1969
4.0
Kys til højre og venstre
as Ruths Husband
1969
5.0
The Veterinarian's Adopted Children
as Kristian
1968
6.5
🎬
Days in My Father's House
as Gunnar
1968
0.0
Magic in Town
as Politiassistent Møller
1968
6.2
The Olsen Gang
as Egon Olsen
1968
7.0
Friends at Arms: On a Bear Run
as Oberst ved konkurrerende regiment
1968
4.7
What a Pity About Daddy
1968
5.5
Det var en lørdag aften
as Johansen
1968
6.5
Farvel Thomas
1968
0.0
Nyhavns glade gutter
as Direktør Schwartz
1967
5.5
Martha
as Hovmester Watson
1967
6.6
Love Thy Neighbour
as Pastor Weigaard
1967
4.1
Wife on vacation
as Apoteker John Bjerre
1967
6.7
Jeg er sgu min egen
as Værgen
1967
10.0
Det er ikke appelsiner - det er heste
1967
6.7
The Reluctant Sadist
as Baron
1967
4.8
The Loose Tile
as Principle
1966
5.5
The Girl and the Viscount
as Nielsen
1966
6.0
Der var engang
as Første frier
1966
6.2
Søskende
as Bedemanden
1966
7.5
Tre små piger
as Biebitz Von Biebitz
1966
5.6
Flagermusen
as Blind
1966
6.5
Relax Freddy
as David Smith
1966
6.2
Strike First Freddy
as David Smith
1965
5.8
Een pige og 39 sømænd
as Andersen
1965
6.0
Mor bag rattet
1965
5.3
The Girl and the Playboy
as Andresen - advokat
1965
6.6
It's Nifty in the Navy
as Knud Hansen
1965
6.1
Passer Babysitting Girls
as Thorbjørn Hansen
1965
5.6
En ven i bolignøden
as Børge Blom
1965
6.6
Don Olsen kommer til byen
as Brandmand
1964
6.5
Summer in Tyrol
as Sigismund Sülzheimer
1964
6.3
Når enden er go'
as Thør
1964
4.2
The Major's Guard
as Major Clausen
1964
6.2
Dust for all the Money
as Thorbjørn Hansen
1963
6.2
Bussen
as Vik
1963
5.6
A Day Without Lies
1963
4.3
Frøken Nitouche
as Ferdinand Piper, teaterdirektør
1963
5.8
April
as Lægeforsker Vagn Jochumsen
1963
7.1
Peters landlov
as Direktør William H. Schmidt
1963
5.2
The Queen's Guardsman
as Tam, "Kulsoen"s mand
1963
4.3
Vi har det jo dejligt
as Opfinderen
1963
5.2
The Girl and the Press Photographer
as Madsen
1963
6.1
Drømmen om det hvide slot
as Johan
1962
5.8
Oskar
as Direktør Bernhard Bang
1962
5.8
Still Dust on the Brain
as Thorbjørn Hansen
1962
6.3
Det stod i avisen
as Læge S. Gregersen
1962
5.7
Sømænd og svigermødre
as Peter Jensen - Kanustis ven
1962
6.0
Crazy Paradise
as Simon
1962
3.8
Journey to the Seventh Planet
as Barry O'Sullivan
1962
4.8
Lykkens musikanter
as Havemand Texas
1962
4.8
The Musketeers
as Tam
1961
5.2
Dust on the Brain
as Hr. Thorbjørn Hansen
1961
6.4
Sorte Shara
as Tom
1961
5.5
Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør
as Anton
1961
6.5
Forelsket i København
as Carni
1960
6.4
Baronessen fra benzintanken
as Lars Tofte
1960
7.3
The Greeneyed Elephant
as Tolderen
1960
3.5
The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte
as Anton
1960
5.4
Charley's Aunt
as Charles Smith
1959
6.7
Onkel Bill fra New York
as Johnny Jensen
1959
5.1
The Poet and the Little Mother
as Anton
1959
6.4
Styrmand Karlsen
as Ole Olsen
1958
6.5
Tag til marked i Fjordby
as Knud Tofte
1957
5.4
Der var engang en gade
as Danselærer Johny Johnsen
1957
6.0
Be Dear to Me
1957
6.6
Den kloge mand
1956
6.8
Færgekroen
as Lars Tofte, kroejer og færgemand
1956
6.1
Kispus
as Max Møller
1956
5.5
Hvad vil De ha'?
as Gæst hos Hansens
1956
4.5
Det var paa Rundetaarn
as Hans Ramløse
1955
5.4
På tro og love
as Henry
1955
6.0
Det er så yndigt at følges ad
1954
7.0
I kongens klæ'r
as Jens Rasmussen - rekrut 65
1954
6.6
Father of Four
as Bager Høst
1953
6.4
Ved Kongelunden...
as Vognstyrer Iversen
1953
6.2
Den gamle mølle paa Mols
as Buschauffør
1953
7.0
Vi som går køkkenvejen
1953
0.0
The Tove Andersen Criminal Case
as Nolle
1953
7.0
Det store løb
as Fuld mand i bus
1952
5.6
Rekrut 67 Petersen
as "68"
1952
5.8
Dorte
as Hr. Smith
1951
6.5
Vores fjerde far
1951
5.7
All this - and Iceland too
1951
0.0
Naalen
as Helmer, kriminalassistent
1951
4.5
Smedestræde 4
as Ejnar - Pouls ven - cyklebud
1950
6.5
🎬
En dag i radioen
as En maler
1950
0.0
The Red Horses
as Niels Peter Dalum, Oles medstuderende
1950
7.5
Kampen mod uretten
1949
5.0
🎬
Berlingske Tidende 1749-1949
1949
6.0
🎬
Næste Gang er det dig
as Mand i cottoncoat
1948
7.0
3 years after
as Hotelkarlen
1948
6.0
Kristinus Bergman
as Bud med nøgle
1948
7.0
The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
1948
5.2
I de lyse nætter
1948
6.0
Penge som græs
1948
9.0
Hatten er sat
1947
5.0
Lise kommer til byen
1947
7.0
Discretion Wanted
1946
8.6
Hans Store Aften
1946
6.5