
Birthday: July 13, 1924
Death: August 29, 2003
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.

April 01, 1983

January 02, 1986

August 11, 1973

February 08, 1978

September 21, 1982

September 17, 1970

April 20, 1966

March 18, 1960

December 18, 1970

November 17, 1961

October 25, 1974

December 21, 1972

February 11, 1972

October 12, 1973

February 25, 1970

April 07, 1971

March 28, 1984

May 14, 1975

December 12, 1972

February 26, 1992

September 18, 1963

October 05, 1970

August 12, 1974

January 23, 1985

March 15, 1973

June 14, 1973

September 10, 1977

April 19, 1967

November 15, 1967

December 23, 1964

June 11, 1969

December 20, 1978

September 21, 1967

June 03, 1970

April 01, 1981

October 06, 1982

August 05, 1970

December 03, 1969

November 01, 1981

October 22, 1965

August 07, 1985

September 23, 1975

July 04, 1962

May 05, 1988

October 31, 1972

January 09, 1970

November 01, 1966

September 08, 1971

July 23, 1967

June 01, 1974

March 04, 1969

May 22, 1985