CineQuiz

Robert Hossein

Robert Hossein is known for Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Rififi (1955), The Professional (1981).

Biography

Robert Hossein was a French film actor of Parsi origin, director and writer. He directed the 1982 adaption of Les Misérables, and appeared in Vice and Virtue, Le Casse, Les Uns et les Autres and Venus Beauty Institute. His most recent roles include starring as Michèle Mercier's husband in the Angélique series and as a Catholic priest who falls in love with Claude Jade and becomes a communist in Prêtres interdits (Forbidden Priests) in 1973.

Hossein started directing films in 1956 with Les salauds vont en enfer from a story by Frédéric Dard whose novels and plays went on to furnish Hossein with much of his later film material. Right from the start Hossein established his characteristic trademarks: using a seemingly straightforward suspense plot and subverting its conventions (sometimes to the extent of a complete disregard of the traditional demand for a final twist or revelation) in order to concentrate on ritualistic relationships. This is the director's running preoccupation which is always stressed in his films by an extraordinary command of film space and often striking frame compositions where the geometry of human figures and set design is used to accentuate the psychological set-up of the scene. The mechanisms of guilt and the way it destroys relationships is another recurring theme, presumably influenced by Hossein's lifelong interest in the works of Dostoyevski.

Questions about Robert Hossein

How many Robert Hossein films are in the catalogue?

The CineQuiz catalogue has 95 films with Robert Hossein, from 1948 to 2025.

What is the best rated Robert Hossein film?

The best rated Robert Hossein film in the catalogue is Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), rated 8.3.

What was the first Robert Hossein film?

The first Robert Hossein film in the catalogue is Rififi, from 1955.

Who has Robert Hossein worked with the most?

In the catalogue, Robert Hossein shares the most credits with Michel Magne (6 films), Michèle Mercier (5 films) and Bernard Borderie (4 films).

People data: TMDb.

AWARDS 2 Wins 0 Nominations

Known for

Trivia

Also works as
film director · screenwriter · writer · director · producer
Studied at
Cours Simon
Spouse
Marina Vlady · Caroline Eliacheff · Candice Patou
Father
André Hossein

Trivia from Wikidata, licensed CC0.

Full filmography

118 films — 95 in the catalogue

People data: TMDb.

Cast