Franco Nero
Born: 1941-11-23 in San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Known For: Acting
Biography
Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born November 23, 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film Django (1966), which made him a pop culture icon and launched an international career that includes over 200 leading and supporting roles in a wide variety of films and television programmes. During the 1960s and 1970s, Nero was actively involved in many popular Italian "genre trends", including poliziotteschi, gialli, and Spaghetti Westerns. His best-known films include The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966), Camelot (1967), The Day of the Owl (1968), The Mercenary (1968), Battle of Neretva (1969), Tristana (1970), Compañeros (1970), Confessions of a Police Captain (1971), The Fifth Cord (1971), High Crime (1973), Street Law (1974), Keoma (1976), Hitch-Hike (1977), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Enter the Ninja (1981), Die Hard 2 (1990), Letters to Juliet (2010), Cars 2 (2011), and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). Nero has had a long relationship with Vanessa Redgrave, which began during the filming of Camelot. They were married in 2006, and are the parents of the actor Carlo Gabriel Nero.
Filmography
2026
- In the Hand of Dante as Don Lecco (86)
- Roma elastica as The Old Filmmaker
- Aurora as Bertoldo
- L'ANIME CHE OGNI OBESO HA BISOGNO ... (Epk Camera Operator)
- Il Vecchio Terribile as Oste
2025
2024
- The Jester from Transylvania as One-eye
- Compagni d'arte
- Titanus 1904 as Self
2023
- The Pope's Exorcist as The Pope
- Django as Reverend
- The Man Who Drew God as Emanuele
- On Our Way
- Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black as Valentino's Spirit
- Giorni felici as Antonio
2022
- The Man from Rome as The Pope
- Buon Lavoro
2021
- Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained as Self - Actor
- The Match as Old Branko
- Off the Rails as Giovanni
- We Are Cinema as Self (archive footage)
- Marina Cicogna - La vita e tutto il resto as Self
- Two Men Alone as Himself
- The Duel
2020
- Entree Des Artists as Henry's Grandfather
- The Dark Dance as L'Impresario
- Immortalist as Paolo Spersoni
- Harmonie
2019
- The Collini Case as Fabrizio Collini
- Recon as Angelo
- Christmas in Rome as Luigi Forlinghetti
- A Rose in Winter as Rainer Praeger
- Ed è subito sera
- Havana Kyrie as Vittorio Arditi De Bellis
2018
- Red Land as Professor Ambrosin
2017
- John Wick: Chapter 2 as Julius
- The Lost City of Z as Baron de Gondoriz
- Iceman as Ditob
- The Time of Their Lives as Alberto
- The Broken Key as Hiram Abif
- The Neighborhood as Guglielmo
- Il crimine non va in pensione as il primario
- Agony as Carlo
2016
- Delicious as Joe Benelli
- Emigratis as Self
- Along the River as Frank De Ville
- Road to Ruin as Self
2015
- Sergio Corbucci: The Smiling Man as Himself
- Earth
- Road to Capri as Guido
2014
- Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films as Self - Actor
- Killer Mermaid as Niko
- The Mystery of Dante ... (Executive Producer)
- Obsessive Rhythms as Carmine
- Red Chairs - Parma and the Cinema as Self
- Django, Sartana, Trinita' et les autres… as Lui-même
- Love Island as Marquis Polesini
- Figli di Maam
2013
- Istintobrass as Self
- Memories They Told Me as Paolo
- Handy as Frank The Black
- The Outsider: The Cinema of Antonio Margheriti as Self
- I Tarantiniani as Self
2012
- Django Unchained as Amerigo Vessepi
- Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s as Self
- New Order as Dr. Cornelius Van Morgen
- Crazy Dog as Alvaro Genta
- The Last Alchemist as Felix the Alchemist
2010
- Letters to Juliet as Lorenzo
- Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire as Augustine of Hippo
- Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine as Augustinus (age 76)
- Rasputin as Narratore
- Prigioniero di un segreto as Il barbone
2009
2008
- Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons as Max Freeman
- Bathory: Countess of Blood as King Mathias
- Mein Herz in Chile as Carlos Sanchez
- Il sangue e la rosa as Conte Uberto Mancini
- Mein Herz in Chile as Carlos Sanchez
- A Night at the Grand Hotel as Ferran Moreno
- La rabbia as Mentore
- Bastardi as René Iuvara
- Márió, a varázsló as Mario
2007
- The Final Inquiry as Caifa
- L'inchiesta - Anno Domini XXXIII as Caifa
- Mineurs as Michele Acucella
- Two Families as Morandi
2006
- Denn sie kennen kein Erbarmen - Der Italowestern as Self
- Amore e libertà - Masaniello as Vicerè
- Giornata Nera
- The Holy Family as Zachary
- Hans as Giudice/barbone
2005
- Rosamunde Pilcher - Magic of Love
- The Spaghetti West as Self
- Elio Petri: Notes About a Filmmaker as Self
- Summer Solstice as Lorenzo
- Vasco Rossi - È solo un rock'n'roll show as Judge
- Forever Blues as Luca
2004
- Guardians of the Clouds as Padre
- Post Coitum as Bakchus
2003
- Der Fürst und das Mädchen
- The Uncrowned Heart as Bear's Trainer
- Bad Inclination as Il barbone
2002
- Through the Night with... as Self
- Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaften as Fashion Billionaire
- Die achte Todsünde: Das Toskana-Karussell as Giuseppe Mantaldo
- Fumata blanca as Cardenal Tura
- Ultimo stadio as Antonio
- The Last Gunfighter as The pistolero
2001
- Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 as General Francini
- The Crusaders as Ibnazul
- The Crusaders as Ibnazul
- La voce del sangue as Antonio Castaldi
- In the Company of Compañeros as Self
- Sacra Corona as Bishop Gellért
- Chimera as Imprenditore
- Franco Nero: Back in the Saddle as Self
- La ragion pura as Marito
2000
- Saint Paul as Gamaliel
- Saint Paul as Gamaliel
- Winds of Passion as Michele Giangrande
- Mirka as Il Sindaco
- Uninvited as Ralph Barolo
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Roberto Distasio
- Li chiamarono... briganti! as Caporale Nerza
1998
- Talk of Angels as Dr. Vicente Areavaga
- The Versace Murder as Gianni Versace
- Il tesoro di Damasco as Andrea
1997
- David as Natan
- Bella Mafia as Mario Domino
- Desert of Fire as Marcel Duvivier
- David as Nathan
- Painted Lady as Robert Tassi
- Desert of Fire as Marcel Duvivier
- Rack Up as Jesus Barro
- The Medal as Ing. Ferrero
1996
- The Return of Sandokan as Yogi Azim
- The Conquest as Árpád vezér
- The Innocent Sleep as Adolfo Cavani
1995
- Viva el lunes as Self
- Desideria e l'anello del drago as Dragon King
- Io e il re as Maggiore Ferri
- Jonathan of the Bears as Jonathan
1994
- The Dragon Ring as Dragon King
- Nemici intimi as Lorenzo Stradella
1993
- Der Fall Lucona as Enzo Lombardi
- Azzurro profondo as Luca Morinari
- Das Babylon Komplott as Chris Lang
- Test of Memory as Paul Herzog
1992
- From Time to Time as Leonard De Vinci
- Amelia Lópes O'Neill as Fernando
- Brothers and Sisters as Franco
- Gold as Gabriele da Poppi
1991
- Young Catherine as Count Vorontsov
- Touch and Die as Aquani
1990
- Die Hard 2 as General Ramon Esperanza
- Breath of Life as Angelo
1989
- I promessi sposi as fra Cristoforo
- Blaues Blut as Sandro Castellani
- A Double Victory as Saverio Pallucca
1988
- Top Line as Ted Angelo
- Run for Your Life as Commissario
- Race to Danger as Francis, il marinaio
- Young Toscanini as Claudio Toscanini
- Magdalene as Janza
1987
- Django Strikes Again as Django
- The Girl as Johan (John) Berg
- Sweet Country as Paul
1986
1985
- The Repenter as Falco
- André schafft sie alle as Andre
- Devil's Crude as Nick
1984
- The Last Days of Pompeii as Arbaces
- Die Försterbuben as Böhme
1983
- The Hitchhiker as Dr. Peter Milne
- The Falcon as Banović Strahinja
1982
- Na sowas! as Self
- Querelle as Lieutenant Seblon
- Red Bells Part I: Mexico in Flames as John Reed
- Grog as Nicola Fanelli
- Kamikaze '89 as Weiss
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Last Works as Self
- Sergey Bondarchuk as Self
- Red Bells Part II: I Saw the Birth of a New World as John Reed
1981
- The Salamander as Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci
- Le rose di Danzica as Il generale Konrad Von Den Berg
- Enter the Ninja as Cole
1980
- Day of the Cobra as Larry Stanziani
- The Man with Bogart's Face as Hakim
- The Blue-Eyed Bandit as Renzo Dominici
1979
- The Visitor as Jesus Christ
- The Shark Hunter as Mike di Donato
- Mimi as Guido
- Le rose di Danzica as General Konrad von Der Berg
1978
- Force 10 from Navarone as Lescovar
1977
- The Pirate as Baydr Al Fay
- Hitch Hike as Walter Mancini
- Sahara Cross as Jean Ballard
1976
- 21 Hours at Munich as Issa
- Keoma as Keoma
- Submission as Armand
- Victory March as Captain Asciutto
1975
- How to Kill a Judge as Giacomo Solaris
- Death Rite as Sadry
- The Legend of Valentino as Rudolph Valentino
- Cry, Onion! as Onion Stark
- The Flower in His Mouth as Professore Michele Belcore
- Smiling Maniacs as Judge Dani
1974
- Der große Preis as Self
- The Last Four Days as Walter Audisio
- Challenge to White Fang as Jason Scott
- Street Law as Carlo Antonelli
- Blood Brothers as Nicola Bellizzi
1973
- White Fang as Jason Scott
- High Crime as Commissario Belli
- Redneck as Mosquito
- Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears as Johnny Ears
- The Assassination of Matteotti as Giacomo Matteotti
1972
- The Harder They Come as Django (archive footage)
- The Monk as Ambrosio
- Pope Joan as Louis
1971
- The Fifth Cord as Andrea Bild
- Don't Turn the Other Cheek as Prince Dimitri Vassilovich Vladek Orlowsky
- The Case Is Closed, Forget It as Vanzi
- Confessions of a Police Captain as Sostituto Procuratore Traini
- Vacation as Osiride
1970
- Compañeros as Yodlaf Peterson
- Tristana as Horacio
- The Fifth Day of Peace as Bruno Grauber
- The Virgin and the Gypsy as The gypsy
- Dropout as Bruno
1969
- The Battle of Neretva as Capitano Michele Rossi
- Detective Belli as Commissario Stefano Belli
1968
- The Mercenary as Sergei Kowalski, The Polish
- The Day of the Owl as Captain Bellodi
- Sardinia Kidnapped as Gavino
- A Quiet Place in the Country as Leonardo Ferri
1967
- Camelot as Lancelot Du Lac
- Man, Pride and Vengeance as José
1966
- The Bible: In the Beginning... as Abel
- Django as Django
- Massacre Time as Tom Corbett
- The Hired Killer as Tony Lo Bello
- The Wild, Wild Planet as Lt. Jake
- Texas, Adios as Burt Sullivan
- War of the Planets as Lt. Jake Jacowitx
- The Third Eye as Mino Alberti (as Frank Nero)
1965
- I Knew Her Well as Italo - The garage attendant
- The Tramplers as Charley Garvey
- La Celestina P… R… as Fabrizio