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