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.
170 movies · 16 shows
The Olsen Gang: Forever!
2018·8.0
Historien om Olsen Banden
2015·0.0
The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
1998·5.9
Barbara
1997·6.0
Charlot og Charlotte
1996·4.6
Carmen & Babyface
1995·5.2
Kærlighed ved første desperate blik
1994·8.0
Crumb at a Gallop
1992·7.4
Jasper's Ghost
1992·5.0
War of the Birds
1990·7.0
Elvis Hansen, en samfundshjælper
1988·4.0
Hip Hip Hurrah!
1987·4.7
Final Act
1987·5.5
Murder in the Dark
1986·6.1
Når engle elsker
1985·6.3
In the Middle of the Night
1984·6.7
Dansk bladtegning: danske bladtegnere - En dokumentation
1984·6.0
Kurt & Valde
1983·5.0
Limpan
1983·7.0
Den ubetænksomme elsker
1982·5.1
Your Money or Your Life
1982·4.8
The Olsen Gang Long Gone
1981·6.5
The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence
1981·7.0
Stepping Out
1981·8.3
Danmark er lukket
1980·7.0
The Thralls' Children
1980·8.5
The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders
1979·6.8
The Revolt of the Thralls
1979·7.5
Johnny Larsen
1979·5.6
Kick Me in the Traditions!
1979·6.5
Children of the Warriors
1979·5.6
The Olsen Gang Goes to War
1978·6.9
Mirror, Mirror
1978·8.5
You Are Not Alone
1978·7.4
Bandefører Balling
1978·7.0
The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
1977·7.1
Watch Your Back, Professor!
1977·5.0
The Moelleby affair
1976·8.7
The Olsen Gang Sees Red
1976·7.4
Hjerter er trumf
1976·6.7
That Brief Summer
1976·6.4
Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde
1976·6.0
The Olsen Gang on the Track
1975·7.2
The Goldcabbage Family
1975·5.7
The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang
1974·7.2
Et dukkehjem
1974·10.0
The Hour of Parting
1973·7.3
I Adams verden
1973·7.0
The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
1973·6.8
Nu går den på Dagmar
1972·9.0
The Olsen Gang's Big Score
1972·6.8
Lenin, You Rascal, You
1972·5.4
The Missing Clerk
1971·7.3
The Olsen Gang in Jutland
1971·7.0
Hjemme hos William
1971·7.0
Revolutionen i vandkanten
1971·4.0
Our Home Is Our Castle
1971·6.8
Famous Five Get in Trouble
1970·5.9
Revolution My A..
1970·6.4
Tough Guys of the Prairie
1970·4.9
Amour
1970·5.0
Give God a Chance on Sunday
1970·7.7
The Only Way
1970·6.3
Tintin and the Temple of the Sun
1969·6.7
Five and the Spies
1969·6.4
Toppen og bolden
1969·8.0
The Olsen Gang in a Fix
1969·6.6
The Egborg Girl
1969·6.8
Fun in the Streets
1969·6.9
Along Came a Soldier
1969·4.7
Kys til højre og venstre
1969·6.0
The Veterinarian's Adopted Children
1968·6.6
Days in My Father's House
1968·7.0
The Olsen Gang
1968·7.0
Magic in Town
1968·6.3
Friends at Arms: On a Bear Run
1968·5.3
What a Pity About Daddy
1968·5.9
Det var en lørdag aften
1968·7.0
Farvel Thomas
1968·0.0
Nyhavns glade gutter
1967·5.5
Martha
1967·6.9
Love Thy Neighbour
1967·4.6
Wife on vacation
1967·7.1
Jeg er sgu min egen
1967·8.5
Det er ikke appelsiner - det er heste
1967·7.3
The Reluctant Sadist
1967·5.1
The Loose Tile
1966·6.0
The Girl and the Viscount
1966·6.4
Der var engang
1966·6.6
Søskende
1966·8.0
Tre små piger
1966·6.2
Flagermusen
1966·6.7
Relax Freddy
1966·6.4
Strike First Freddy
1965·6.0
Een pige og 39 sømænd
1965·6.3
Mor bag rattet
1965·5.8
The Girl and the Playboy
1965·6.8
It's Nifty in the Navy
1965·6.5
Passer Babysitting Girls
1965·5.9
En ven i bolignøden
1965·6.9
Don Olsen kommer til byen
1964·6.8
Summer in Tyrol
1964·6.5
Når enden er go'
1964·4.7
The Major's Guard
1964·6.4
Dust for all the Money
1963·6.5
Bussen
1963·6.1
A Day Without Lies
1963·5.1
Frøken Nitouche
1963·6.3
April
1963·7.3
Peters landlov
1963·5.5
The Queen's Guardsman
1963·5.8
Vi har det jo dejligt
1963·6.0
The Girl and the Press Photographer
1963·6.7
Drømmen om det hvide slot
1962·6.4
Oskar
1962·6.4
Still Dust on the Brain
1962·6.6
Det stod i avisen
1962·6.8
Sømænd og svigermødre
1962·6.5
Crazy Paradise
1962·4.2
Journey to the Seventh Planet
1962·4.9
Lykkens musikanter
1962·5.6
The Musketeers
1961·6.2
Dust on the Brain
1961·6.5
Sorte Shara
1961·6.7
Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør
1961·6.6
Forelsket i København
1960·6.7
Baronessen fra benzintanken
1960·7.3
The Greeneyed Elephant
1960·5.7
The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte
1960·5.8
Charley's Aunt
1959·6.9
Onkel Bill fra New York
1959·5.4
The Poet and the Little Mother
1959·6.6
Styrmand Karlsen
1958·6.6
Tag til marked i Fjordby
1957·5.7
Der var engang en gade
1957·6.7
Be Dear to Me
1957·7.2
Den kloge mand
1956·7.4
Færgekroen
1956·6.4
Kispus
1956·6.2
Hvad vil De ha'?
1956·5.1
Det var paa Rundetaarn
1955·5.9
På tro og love
1955·6.7
Det er så yndigt at følges ad
1954·8.5
I kongens klæ'r
1954·6.6
Father of Four
1953·6.8
Ved Kongelunden...
1953·6.7
Den gamle mølle paa Mols
1953·8.0
Vi som går køkkenvejen
1953·10.0
The Tove Andersen Criminal Case
1953·8.0
Det store løb
1952·6.0
Rekrut 67 Petersen
1952·6.2
Dorte
1951·6.5
Vores fjerde far
1951·6.3
All this - and Iceland too
1951·8.0
Naalen
1951·5.7
Smedestræde 4
1950·7.7
En dag i radioen
1950·10.0
The Red Horses
1950·7.6
Kampen mod uretten
1949·6.3
Berlingske Tidende 1749-1949
1949·6.5
Næste Gang er det dig
1948·8.5
3 years after
1948·6.5
Kristinus Bergman
1948·7.3
The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
1948·6.0
I de lyse nætter
1948·6.3
Penge som græs
1948·8.3
Hatten er sat
1947·5.5
Lise kommer til byen
1947·7.7
Discretion Wanted
1946·8.3
Hans Store Aften
1946·7.7