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Michel Constantin

Michel Constantin

Actor · 1924 – 2003 · Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

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.

Movies24

  • Movie8.2

    Le Trou

    1960 · 599 votes

  • Movie6.2

    Quel maledetto treno blindato

    The Inglorious Bastards

    1978 · 265 votes

  • Movie5.7

    Cold Sweat

    1970 · 85 votes

  • Movie4.7

    Jerk à Istanbul

    Jerk in Istanbul

    1967 · 8 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Les Morfalous

    The Vultures

    1984 · 154 votes

  • Movie6.2

    Un homme est mort

    The Outside Man

    1972 · 63 votes

  • Movie5.9

    Città violenta

    Violent City

    1970 · 107 votes

  • Movie6.1

    Il était une fois un flic...

    There Once Was a Cop

    1972 · 50 votes

  • Movie5.5

    Le téléphone sonne toujours deux fois

    The Telephone Always Rings Twice

    1985 · 54 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ

    Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ

    1982 · 207 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Maigret voit rouge

    Maigret Sees Red

    1963 · 60 votes

  • Movie6.9

    Les Étrangers

    The Strangers

    1969 · 7 votes

  • Movie7.3

    Dernier domicile connu

    Last Known Address

    1970 · 119 votes

  • Movie3.8

    La Baston

    1985 · 4 votes

  • Movie5.2

    Ville à vendre

    1992 · 5 votes

  • Movie7.7

    Le Deuxième Souffle

    1966 · 208 votes

  • Movie5.6

    Dalle Ardenne all'inferno

    Dirty Heroes

    1967 · 9 votes

  • Movie7.9

    Les Grandes Gueules

    The Wise Guys

    1965 · 150 votes

  • Movie6.7

    Les Hommes

    Killing in the Sun

    1973 · 3 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Les Gorilles

    1964 · 5 votes

  • Movie5.0

    Signé Furax

    1981 · 15 votes

  • Movie6.2

    La Fiancée du pirate

    A Very Curious Girl

    1969 · 45 votes

  • Movie6.8

    La Scoumoune

    The Pariah

    1972 · 137 votes

  • Movie5.0

    Sahara Cross

    1977 · 2 votes

Series5

  • TV6.0

    Midi trente

    1972 · 1 votes

  • TV6.0

    Samedi soir

    1971 · 1 votes

  • TV8.7

    Cinépanorama

    1956 · 3 votes

  • TV5.5

    Big Man

    1988 · 2 votes

  • TV6.5