Thanassis Veggos, one of the most prolific and popular comedians of the "golden era" of Greek cinema, died yesterday at the age of 84.

Unlike most movie stars of his era, Veggos did not study acting at all. In fact, his film debut was accidental.

During the Greek civil war (1946-9) he was forced to do his military service on the island of Makronissos - a place of exile for thousands of soldiers and citizens with leftist tendencies. There he met director Nikos Koundouros, who, in 1953, offered him a role in his film Magic City.

Veggos created a unique comic persona, which made him recognisable and lovable to wider audiences, irrespective of age or cinematic sophistication.

This persona, based in no small part on his actual personality, combined something of a jester, a mime and a veritable karaghiozis.

His acting was characterized by a blend of surrealism, melancholy and popular wisdom. During his long career, he made more than 120 films and participated in few TV series.

Prime Minister George Papandreou described the veteran actor in affectionate terms:

"He expressed, in the roles he played and in his own outlook, the very essence of human life, the daily struggle we all face, the difficulties we must tackle, which is what makes us human and what unites us, in the end."