Michel Constantin

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.

Biography
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.

Volleyball
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.

Acting
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.

Partial filmography

 * Plucking the Daisy (1956) - Un spectateur du strip-tease (uncredited)
 * The Hole (Le Trou) (1960) - Jo Cassine
 * A Man Named Rocca (1961) - Le chef des racketteurs américains
 * The Law of Men (1962) - Paulo
 * Maigret Sees Red (1963) - Cicero
 * The Gorillas (1964) - Otto, le légionnaire (uncredited)
 * The Wise Guys (Les Grandes Gueules) (1965) - Skida
 * Ne nous fâchons pas (1966) - Jeff
 * Le deuxième souffle (1966) - Alban
 * Dirty Heroes (Dalle Ardenne all'inferno) (1967) - Sgt Rudolph Petrowsky
 *  (1967) - Stan
 * Jerk à Istambul (1967) - Vincent
 *  (1967) - Georges
 * The Southern Star (1969) - Jose
 *  (1969) - Chamoun
 * A Very Curious Girl (La Fiancée du pirate) (1969) - André
 * L'ardoise (1970) - Théo Gilani
 * Last Known Address (Dernier domicile connu) (1970) - Greg
 * Children of Mata Hari (La Peau de Torpedo) (1970) - Coster
 *  (1970) - René
 * Violent City (1970) - Killain
 * The Cop (Un condé) (1970) - Viletti
 * Cold Sweat (1970) - Whitey
 *  (1971) - Michel
 * The Lion's Share (1971) - Inspecteur Michel Grazzi
 * Il était une fois un flic (1972 film) (1972) - Commissaire Campana
 *  (1972) - Weiss
 * La Scoumoune (1972) - Xavier Saratov
 * The Outside Man (Un homme est mort) (1972) - Antoine
 *  (1973) - Marius Fantoni 'Fanto'
 * Le mataf (1973) - Bernard Solville
 * Special Killers (1973) - Inspector Palma
 *  (1973) - Capt. Augier
 *  (1974) - Mario (uncredited)
 * Un linceul n'a pas de poches (1974) - Culi
 * The Beast (Il bestione) (1974) - Sandro Colautti
 * La guerre du pétrole n'aura pas lieu (1975, writer)
 * The Track (1975) - Capitaine Nimier
 *  (1975) - Guilloux
 * Sahara Cross (1977)
 * The Inglorious Bastards (Quel maledetto treno blindato) (1978) - Veronique
 * Ça fait tilt (1978) - Raymond Legris
 * Plein les poches pour pas un rond... (1978) - Steff, le taxi
 * Signé Furax (1981) - Grougnache
 * Cappotto di legno (1981) - Don Vincenzo Talascio
 *  (1982) - Alexandre Gagnon
 * Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ (1982) - Le secutor
 * Ronde de nuit (1984) - L'instructeur de stand de tir (voice)
 * Les Morfalous (1984) - Adjudant Édouard Mahuzard
 * Le téléphone sonne toujours deux fois!! (1985) - Le directeur du cinéma
 * La baston (1985) - Raoul
 * La loi sauvage (1988) - Victor
 * Ville à vendre (1992) - Docteur Bernier