
Franco Nero
Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero, 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.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · In the Hand of Dante as Don Lecco
- 2025 · The Run as
- 2024 · Titanus 1904 as Self
- 2023 · Giorni Felici as Antonio
- 2023 · On Our Way as
- 2023 · The Pope's Exorcist as The Pope
- 2023 · The Man Who Drew God as Emanuele
- 2023 · Django as Reverend
- 2022 · Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black as Spirit
- 2022 · The Man from Rome as The Pope
- 2022 · Buon Lavoro as
- 2021 · The Duel as
- 2021 · We Are Cinema as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained as Self - Actor
- 2021 · Off the Rails as Giovanni
- 2020 · Harmonie as
- 2020 · The Match as Old Branko
- 2020 · Immortalist as Paolo Spersoni
- 2020 · Entree Des Artists as Henry's Grandfather
- 2020 · The Jester from Transylvania as One-eye
- 2019 · Havana Kyrie as Vittorio Arditi De Bellis
- 2019 · Christmas in Rome as Luigi Forlinghetti
- 2019 · Recon as Angelo
- 2019 · A Rose in Winter as Rainer Praeger
- 2019 · The Collini Case as Fabrizio Collini
- 2019 · Ed è subito sera as
- 2018 · Red Land as Professor Ambrosin
- 2017 · Iceman as Ditob
- 2017 · The Broken Key as Hiram Abif
- 2017 · Agony as Carlo
- 2017 · The Neighborhood as Guglielmo
- 2017 · Il crimine non va in pensione as il primario
- 2017 · The Lost City of Z as Baron de Gondoriz
- 2017 · The Time of Their Lives as Alberto
- 2017 · John Wick: Chapter 2 as Julius
- 2016 · Delicious as Joe Benelli
- 2016 · Emigratis as Self
- 2015 · Sergio Corbucci: The Smiling Man as Himself
- 2015 · Road to Capri as Guido
- 2014 · Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films as Self - Actor
- 2014 · Figli di Maam as
- 2014 · Love Island as Marquis Polesini
- 2014 · Killer Mermaid as Niko
- 2014 · Obsessive Rhythms as Carmine
- 2013 · Istintobrass as Self
- 2013 · Memories They Told Me as Paolo
- 2013 · I Tarantiniani as Self
- 2012 · Django Unchained as Amerigo Vessepi
- 2012 · The Last Alchemist as Felix the Alchemist
- 2012 · Crazy Dog as Alvaro Genta
- 2012 · Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s as Self
- 2011 · Cars 2 as Uncle Topolino (voice)
- 2010 · Rasputin as Narratore
- 2010 · Letters to Juliet as Lorenzo
- 2010 · Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire as Augustinus (age 76)
- 2010 · Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire as Augustine of Hippo
- 2009 · Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso as
- 2008 · Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons as Max Freeman
- 2008 · Márió, a varázsló as Mario
- 2008 · A Night at the Grand Hotel as Ferran Moreno
- 2008 · Il sangue e la rosa as Conte Uberto Mancini
- 2008 · Bathory: Countess of Blood as King Mathias
- 2008 · La rabbia as Mentore
- 2008 · Bastardi as Rene Iuvara
- 2008 · Mein Herz in Chile as Carlos Sanchez
- 2007 · Mineurs as Michele Acucella
- 2007 · The Final Inquiry as Caifa
- 2007 · L'inchiesta - Anno Domini XXXIII as Caifa
- 2007 · Two Families as Morandi
- 2006 · Hans as Giudice/barbone
- 2005 · Forever Blues as Luca
- 2005 · Rosamunde Pilcher - Magic of Love as
- 2004 · Post Coitum as Bakchus
- 2003 · Bad Inclination as Il barbone
- 2003 · Der Fürst und das Mädchen as
- 2003 · The Uncrowned Heart as Bear's Trainer
- 2002 · Through the Night with... as Self
- 2002 · Ultimo stadio as Antonio
- 2002 · Fumata blanca as Cardenal Tura
- 2001 · La ragion pura as Marito
- 2001 · Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 as General Francini
- 2001 · Sacra Corona as Bishop Gellért
- 2001 · Ulisse - Il piacere della scoperta as Self
- 2001 · The Crusaders as Ibnazul
- 2000 · Saint Paul as Gamaliel
- 2000 · Saint Paul as Gamaliel
- 2000 · Uninvited as Ralph Barolo
- 2000 · Mirka as Il Sindaco
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Roberto Distasio
- 1999 · Li chiamarono... briganti! as Caporale Nerza
- 1998 · Talk of Angels as Dr. Vicente Areavaga
- 1998 · Il tesoro di Damasco as Andrea
- 1998 · The Versace Murder as Gianni Versace
- 1997 · Painted Lady as Robert Tassi
- 1997 · Bella Mafia as Mario Domino
- 1997 · Desert of Fire as Marcel Duvivier
- 1997 · David as Nathan
- 1997 · David as Natan
- 1996 · The Conquest as Árpád vezér
- 1996 · Il Ritorno di Sandokan as Yogi Azim
- 1996 · The Innocent Sleep as Adolfo Cavani
- 1995 · Viva el lunes as Self
- 1995 · Io e il re as Maggiore Ferri
- 1995 · Jonathan of the Bears as Jonathan
- 1995 · Desideria e l'anello del drago as Dragon King
- 1993 · Das Babylon Komplott as Chris Lang
- 1993 · Test of Memory as Paul Herzog
- 1993 · Der Fall Lucona as Enzo Lombardi
- 1993 · Azzurro profondo as Luca Morinari
- 1992 · Brothers and Sisters as Franco
- 1992 · Gold as Gabriele da Poppi
- 1992 · Amelia Lópes O'Neill as Fernando
- 1991 · Young Catherine as Count Vorontsov
- 1991 · Touch and Die as Aquani
- 1990 · Breath of Life as Angelo
- 1990 · Die Hard 2 as General Ramon Esperanza
- 1989 · I promessi sposi as fra Cristoforo
- 1989 · Blaues Blut as Sandro Castellani
- 1988 · Magdalene as Janza
- 1988 · Young Toscanini as Claudio Toscanini
- 1988 · Race to Danger as Francis, il marinaio
- 1987 · The Girl as Johan (John) Berg
- 1987 · Sweet Country as Paul
- 1985 · The Repenter as Falco
- 1984 · Die Försterbuben as Böhme
- 1984 · The Last Days of Pompeii as Arbaces
- 1983 · The Hitchhiker as Dr. Peter Milne
- 1983 · The Falcon as Banović Strahinja
- 1982 · Red Bells Part II: I Saw the Birth of a New World as John Reed
- 1982 · Red Bells Part I: Mexico on Fire as John Reed
- 1982 · Querelle as Lieutenant Seblon
- 1982 · Grog as Nicola Fanelli
- 1982 · Kamikaze '89 as Weiss
- 1982 · Na sowas! as Self
- 1981 · Enter the Ninja as Cole
- 1981 · The Salamander as Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci
- 1980 · The Man with Bogart's Face as Hakim
- 1980 · Day of the Cobra as Larry Stanziani
- 1979 · The Shark Hunter as Mike di Donato
- 1979 · Mimi as Guido
- 1979 · The Visitor as Jesus Christ
- 1978 · Force 10 from Navarone as Lescovar
- 1977 · Sahara Cross as Jean Ballard
- 1977 · Hitch Hike as Walter Mancini
- 1976 · 21 Hours at Munich as Issa
- 1976 · Keoma as Keoma
- 1976 · Submission as Armand
- 1976 · Victory March as Captain Asciutto
- 1975 · The Legend of Valentino as Rudolph Valentino
- 1975 · The Flower in His Mouth as Professore Michele Belcore
- 1975 · Cry, Onion! as Onion Stark
- 1975 · Smiling Maniacs as Judge Dani
- 1974 · Challenge to White Fang as Jason Scott
- 1974 · Street Law as Carlo Antonelli
- 1974 · Der große Preis as Self
- 1974 · The Last Four Days as Walter Audisio
- 1974 · Blood Brothers as Nicola Bellizzi
- 1973 · White Fang as Jason Scott
- 1973 · The Assassination of Matteotti as Giacomo Matteotti
- 1973 · Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears as Johnny Ears
- 1973 · Redneck as Mosquito
- 1972 · The Harder They Come as Django (archive footage)
- 1972 · Pope Joan as Louis
- 1971 · Don't Turn the Other Cheek as Prince Dimitri Vassilovich Vladek Orlowsky
- 1971 · The Case Is Closed, Forget It as Vanzi
- 1971 · The Fifth Cord as Andrea Bild
- 1971 · Confessions of a Police Captain as Sostituto Procuratore Traini
- 1970 · Compañeros as Yodlaf Peterson
- 1970 · Dropout as Bruno
- 1970 · Tristana as Horacio
- 1969 · The Battle of Neretva as Capitano Michele Rossi
- 1968 · A Quiet Place in the Country as Leonardo Ferri
- 1968 · Sardinia Kidnapped as Gavino
- 1968 · The Day of the Owl as Captain Bellodi
- 1967 · Man, Pride and Vengeance as José
- 1967 · Camelot as Lancelot Du Lac
- 1966 · The Bible: In the Beginning... as Abel
- 1966 · Massacre Time as Tom Corbett
- 1966 · The Third Eye as Mino Alberti (as Frank Nero)
- 1966 · Django as Django
- 1965 · I Knew Her Well as Italo - The garage attendant
- 1965 · La Celestina P… R… as Fabrizio
- Future · Roma elastica as
- 1968 · The Mercenary as Sergei Kowalski, The Polish
- 1966 · Texas, Adios as Burt Sullivan
- Future · The Estate as
- 1966 · The Wild, Wild Planet as Lt. Jake
- Future · La battaglia di Gorthene as
- 2024 · Compagni d'arte as
- 2021 · Marina Cicogna - La vita e tutto il resto as Himself
- 2021 · Two Men Alone as Himself
- 2020 · The Dark Dance as L'Impresario
- 2016 · Road to Ruin as Self
- 2016 · Along the River as Frank De Ville
- 2015 · Earth as
- 2014 · Red Chairs - Parma and the Cinema as Self
- 2014 · Django, Sartana, Trinita' et les autres… as Lui-même
- 2013 · Handy as Frank The Black
- 2013 · The Outsider: The Cinema of Antonio Margheriti as Self
- 2012 · New Order as Dr. Cornelius Van Morgen
- 2011 · Father as Enrico
- 2010 · Prigioniero di un segreto as Il barbone
- 2009 · Killing Is My Business, Honey as Enrico Puzzo
- 2008 · Mein Herz in Chile as Carlos Sanchez
- 2006 · The Holy Family as Zachary
- 2006 · Amore e libertà - Masaniello as Vicerè
- 2006 · Denn sie kennen kein Erbarmen - Der Italowestern as Self
- 2006 · Giornata Nera as
- 2005 · Summer Solstice as Lorenzo
- 2005 · Elio Petri: Notes About a Filmmaker as Self
- 2005 · The Spaghetti West as Self
- 2005 · Vasco Rossi - È solo un rock'n'roll show as Judge
- 2004 · Guardians of the Clouds as Padre
- 2002 · The Last Gunfighter as The pistolero
- 2002 · Die achte Todsünde: Das Toskana-Karussell as Giuseppe Mantaldo
- 2002 · Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaften as Fashion Billionaire
- 2001 · In the Company of Compañeros as Self
- 2001 · La voce del sangue as Antonio Castaldi
- 2001 · Franco Nero: Back in the Saddle as Self
- 2000 · Winds of Passion as Michele Giangrande
- 1997 · The Medal as Ing. Ferrero
- 1997 · Rack Up as Jesus Barro
- 1997 · Davide as Nathan
- 1997 · Desert of Fire as Marcel Duvivier
- 1994 · The Dragon Ring as Dragon King
- 1989 · A Double Victory as Saverio Pallucca
- 1988 · Top Line as Ted Angelo
- 1988 · Run for Your Life as Commissario
- 1987 · Django Strikes Again as Django
- 1986 · Un altare per la madre as -
- 1985 · André schafft sie alle as Andre
- 1985 · Devil's Crude as Nick
- 1982 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Last Works as Self
- 1980 · The Blue-Eyed Bandit as Renzo Dominici
- 1979 · Le rose di Danzica as General Konrad von Der Berg
- 1978 · The Pirate as Baydr Al Fay
- 1975 · Death Rite as Sadry
- 1975 · How to Kill a Judge as Giacomo Solaris
- 1973 · High Crime as Commissario Belli
- 1972 · The Monk as Ambrosio
- 1971 · Vacation as Osiride
- 1970 · The Virgin and the Gypsy as The gypsy
- 1970 · The 5th Day of Peace as Bruno Grauber
- 1969 · Detective Belli as Commissario Stefano Belli
- 1966 · War of the Planets as Lt. Jake Jacowitx
- 1966 · The Hired Killer as Tony Lo Bello
- 1965 · The Tramplers as Charley Garvey
- 1964 · Italian Engagement as
- Future · Django Lives! as Django
- Future · The Temptation Of Gracie as
- 1963 · Un delitto as
- 1962 · Scorched Skin as