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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
July 13, 1924
Died
August 29, 2003
Place of Birth
Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Also Known As
- Constantin Hokloff
- Constantin Hokhloff
- Les grandes oreilles
Michel Constantin
0.7 Popularity
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. 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.
Known For
4.5
Docteur Bernier
Ville à vendre
1992
5.5
Xavier Baudin
Big Man
1988
0.0
Cyril Paparoff dit Papa
Paparoff
1988
1.0
Victor Molini
La loi sauvage
1988
1.7
Raoul
La Baston
1985
0.0
Commissaire Bartillot
Le Deuxième Couteau
1985
5.4
Le directeur du cinéma
The Telephone Always Rings Twice
1985
6.0
Adjutant Edouard Mahuzard
The Vultures
1984
6.1
Secutor Flavien Magister
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
1982
6.2
Alexandre Gagnon
Shot Pattern
1982
Credits
Ville à vendre
as Docteur Bernier
1992
4.5
Big Man
as Xavier Baudin
1988
5.5
Paparoff
as Cyril Paparoff dit Papa
1988
0.0
La loi sauvage
as Victor Molini
1988
1.0
La Baston
as Raoul
1985
1.7
Le Deuxième Couteau
as Commissaire Bartillot
1985
0.0
The Telephone Always Rings Twice
as Le directeur du cinéma
1985
5.4
The Vultures
as Adjutant Edouard Mahuzard
1984
6.0
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
as Secutor Flavien Magister
1982
6.1
Shot Pattern
as Alexandre Gagnon
1982
6.2
Fear in the City
as Don Vincenzo Talascio
1981
0.0
Signé Furax
as Grougnache
1981
4.8
Plein les poches pour pas un rond...
as Steff
1978
5.3
The Inglorious Bastards
as Veronique
1978
6.3
Les Diamants du Président
as Georges Lancier
1977
5.0
Sahara Cross
as Carl Mank
1977
2.0
Beyond Fear
as Guilloux
1975
6.5
The Track
as Le capitaine Nimier
1975
6.8
No Pockets in a Shroud
as Culli
1974
5.2
The Beast
as Sandro Colautti
1974
6.9
OK Patron
as Mario (uncredited)
1974
5.0
Man in the Trunk
as Capt. Augier
1973
6.3
Special Killers
as Inspector Palma
1973
3.3
Le Mataf
as Bernard Solville
1973
4.7
Killing in the Sun
as Marius Fantoni, aka 'Fanto'
1973
6.0
The Outside Man
as Antoine
1972
6.2
The Pariah
as Xavier Saratov, Georgia's brother and Roberto's friend
1972
6.9
The Big Shots
as Weiss
1972
5.5
🎬
Midi trente
as Self
1972
6.0
There Once Was a Cop
as Commissioner Campana alias Louis Lopez
1972
6.0
The Lion's Share
as Inspector Michel Grazzi
1971
4.0
Troubleshooters
as Michel
1971
6.3
🎬
Samedi soir
as Self
1971
6.0
Cold Sweat
as Whitey
1970
5.7
The Cop
as Viletti
1970
6.4
Violent City
as Killain
1970
6.0
Vertigo For A Killer
as René
1970
4.0
Only the Cool
as Coster
1970
5.0
Last Known Address
as Greg, the henchman
1970
7.3
The Comeuppance
as Gilani
1970
4.3
A Very Curious Girl
as André
1969
6.1
The Strangers
as Chamoun
1969
6.3
The Southern Star
as Jose
1969
6.2
Pillaged
as Georges
1967
6.8
Dirty Heroes
as Sgt Rudolph Petrowsky
1967
5.2
Jerk in Istanbul
as Vincent
1967
4.1
Law of Survival
as Stan
1967
5.4
Le Deuxième Souffle
as Alban, Manouche's bodyguard
1966
7.6
Let's Not Get Angry
as Jeff, boss of the "Homard Américain"
1966
7.5
The Wise Guys
as Skida
1965
7.9
Les Gorilles
as Otto, the legionnaire (uncredited)
1964
5.5
Maigret Sees Red
as Cicero
1963
6.1
Law of Men
as Paulo, friend of Sophie
1962
4.0
A Man Named Rocca
as Head of the American Racketeers
1961
6.1
Le Trou
as Geo Cassine
1960
8.2
Cinépanorama
as Self
1956
8.0