Michel Constantin
52 movies · 3 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jul 13, 1924
- Died
- Aug 29, 2003 (age 79)
- Place of birth
- Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France
- Also known as
- Constantin Hokloff · Constantin Hokhloff · Les grandes oreilles
Biography
Michel Constantin (born Constantin Hokhloff; 13 July 1924 – 28 August 2003) was a French actor and professional volleyball player. He was the men’s national volleyball champion from 1954 to 1956, before making his film debut as a convict in the 1960 prison thriller The Hole. Thanks to his stature and striking features, he became a popular character actor in crime films, often playing thugs and gangsters. He appeared in several films alongside his friend Charles Bronson during the 1970's.
Born Constantin Hokhloff in Billancourt (near Paris), he was the son of a White Russian emigre father and his Polish wife. Hokhloff's father was a former officer in the Russian Army, of Kalmyk descent. He had met Hokhloff's mother while he was stationed in Warsaw, Congress Poland. After the Russian Civil War, the coupled moved to Paris, along with many other White emigres. During World War II, he worked at the Renault factories in Boulogne-Billancourt, where his family lived.
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Thanks to his height (1.85 meters) and athletic ability, Constantin was recruited by the volleyball team of Club olympique de Billancourt (CO Billancourt) in 1943. He switched teams to Racing Club de France for the 1947-48 season, but returned to CO Billancourt the following season. As setter, he led the team to French national championships in 1954, 1955 and 1956. It was during this period that he changed his name to Michel Constantin.
During this time, he was also a freelance reporter for the sports journal L'Équipe.
Constantin appeared as an extra in the 1956 film Plucking the Daisy, but made his first significant acting debut in the 1960 prison thriller The Hole. Director Jacques Becker and screenwriter José Giovanni sought to recruit a cast of non-professional actors to play the various convicts. Becker's son Jean knew Constantin from his volleyball days, and recommended him for the part. The film was a critical and commercial success, and enabled Constantin's transition into an acting career.
Source: Article "Michel Constantin" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Michel Constantin: movies and TV shows
Acting (53)
- 1992 Ville à vendre
as Docteur Bernier
- 1988
- 1988
- 1988 La loi sauvage
as Victor Molini
- 1985 La Baston
as Raoul
- 1985 Le Deuxième Couteau
as Commissaire Bartillot
- 1985 The Telephone Always Rings Twice
as Le directeur du cinéma
- 1984 The Vultures
as Adjutant Edouard Mahuzard
- 1982 Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
as Secutor Flavien Magister
- 1982 Shot Pattern
as Alexandre Gagnon
- 1981 Fear in the City
as Don Vincenzo Talascio
- 1981 Signé Furax
as Grougnache
- 1978 Plein les poches pour pas un rond...
as Steff
- 1978 The Inglorious Bastards
as Veronique
- 1977
- 1977 Sahara Cross
as Carl Mank
- 1975 Beyond Fear
as Guilloux
- 1975 The Track
as Le capitaine Nimier
- 1974 No Pockets in a Shroud
as Culli
- 1974 The Beast
as Sandro Colautti
- 1974 OK Patron
as Mario (uncredited)
- 1973 Man in the Trunk
as Capt. Augier
- 1973 Special Killers
as Inspector Palma
- 1973 The Seaman
as Bernard Solville
- 1973 Killing in the Sun
as Marius Fantoni, aka 'Fanto'
- 1972 The Outside Man
as Antoine
- 1972 The Pariah
as Xavier Saratov, Georgia's brother and Roberto's friend
- 1972 The Big Shots
as Weiss
- 1972 There Once Was a Cop
as Commissioner Campana alias Louis Lopez
- 1971 The Lion's Share
as Inspector Michel Grazzi
- 1971 Troubleshooters
as Michel
- 1970 Cold Sweat
as Whitey
- 1970 The Cop
as Viletti
- 1970 Violent City
as Killain
- 1970 Vertigo for a Killer
as René
- 1970 Only the Cool
as Coster
- 1970 Last Known Address
as Greg, the henchman
- 1970 The Comeuppance
as Gilani
- 1969 A Very Curious Girl
as André
- 1969 The Strangers
as Chamoun
- 1969 The Southern Star
as Jose
- 1967 Pillaged
as Georges
- 1967 Dirty Heroes
as Sgt Rudolph Petrowsky
- 1967 Jerk in Istanbul
as Vincent
- 1967 Law of Survival
as Stan
- 1966 Le Deuxième Souffle
as Alban
- 1966 Let's Not Get Angry
as Jeff, boss of the "Homard Américain"
- 1965 The Wise Guys
as Skida
- 1964 Les Gorilles
as Otto, the legionnaire (uncredited)
- 1963 Maigret Sees Red
as Cicero
- 1962 Law of Men
as Paulo, friend of Sophie
- 1961 A Man Named Rocca
as Head of the American Racketeers
- 1960 Le Trou
as Geo Cassine
Behind the camera (2)
- 1986 The Compromise
Dialogue
- 1983 Amok
Writer
Talk shows and appearances (3)
- 1972 Midi trente
2 episodes
- 1971 Samedi soir
1 episode
- 1956 Cinépanorama
1 episode