Valéry Inkijinoff

Valéry Inkijinoff (Russian: Валерьян (Валерий) Иванович Инкижинов; 25 March 1895 – 26 September 1973) was a French actor of Russian-Buryat descent, renowned for his striking facial features that made him a prominent villain in French adventure and crime films. Born in Irkutsk gubernia to a Christian Buryat father and a Russian mother, Inkijinoff's early life was steeped in the arts.

He began his education at the Polytechnical Institute of Saint Petersburg and soon became a resident actor at an imperial theater in the city. Initially, he worked as a stuntman in Russian cinema before transitioning to directing and acting. One of his notable early roles was as The Son in the 1928 Soviet propaganda film "Storm Over Asia," directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin.

In 1930, during a European tour in France, he chose not to return to the USSR. This decision led to comments from Boris Shumyatsky, noting Stalin's disappointment at Inkijinoff's departure. Contrary to Stalin's predictions, he found great success in Europe, becoming one of the most celebrated Soviet actors abroad with 44 films spanning French, British, German, and Italian cinema.

Active primarily in the 1930s, Inkijinoff starred in films such as "Les Bateliers de la Volga" and G. W. Pabst's "Le drame de Shanghai." He later appeared in Fritz Lang’s "Der Tiger von Eschnapur" and its sequel, portraying the high priest Yama. His final role was alongside Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale in "Les pétroleuses," where he played Indian chief Spitting Bull.

Throughout his career, Inkijinoff maintained close friendships with notable figures such as Charles Dullin and Louis Jouvet and had a vibrant presence in French theater. He passed away at the age of