Franco Nero

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), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), and The Pope's Exorcist (2023). 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 (b.1969).

• Name — Franco Nero • Birth Name — Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero • Born — 23 November 1941 • Birthplace — Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Kingdom of Italy • Occupation — * Actor • producer • director • Years Active — 1962–present • Children — 2, including Carlo • Relatives — * Natasha Richardson (stepdaughter) • Joely Richardson (stepdaughter)

Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero was born in San Prospero Parmense (Parma, Emilia-Romagna), the son of a commissioned officer in the Carabinieri. His parents were originally from San Severo (Foggia, Apulia). He grew up in Bedonia and in Milan. He studied briefly at the Economy and Trade faculty of the local university, before leaving to study at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano.

• Illustration — Nero as the title character in Django (1966) • Illustration — Nero with Charlotte Rampling in Sardinia Kidnapped (1968) Nero's first film role was a small part in Pelle viva (1962), and he had his first lead role in Sergio Corbucci's Django (1966) a Spaghetti Western and one of his best-known films. In 1966 from Django he went on to appear in eight more films released that year including Texas, Adios (1966) and Massacre Time. In 1967, he appeared in Camelot as Lancelot, where Nero met his longtime romantic partner, and later his wife, Vanessa Redgrave. Following this he appeared in the mafia film The Day of the Owl opposite Claudia Cardinale released in 1968. A lack of proficiency in English tended to limit these roles, although Nero also appeared in other English-language films including The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Enter the Ninja (1981) and Die Hard 2 (1990). Although often typecast in films like Los amigos (1973) or Keoma (1976) he has attempted an impressive range of characters, such as Abel in John Huston's epic The Bible: In The Beginning (1966), the humiliated engineer out for revenge in Street Law, the gay lieutenant in Querelle (1982), and Serbian mediaeval hero in The Falcon (1983). Nero has appeared in over 150 films, and has written, produced and starred in one: Jonathan degli orsi (1993). More recently, Nero starred in Hungarian director Gábor Koltay Honfoglalás (Conquest) in 1996, in Li chiamarono... briganti! (1999) by Pasquale Squitieri and subsequently in Koltay's Sacra Corona (Holy Crown) in 2001. In 2009, Nero played an eccentric author called "Mario Puzzo" in Mord ist mein Geschäft, Liebling ("Murder is my trade, darling", Italian title "Tesoro, sono un killer"). German critics found his performance was the best part of the film: "Having Franco Nero playing in this film is really a great joy – it is only regrettable that after his appearances there is still so much film left." In 2010, Nero appeared in the film Letters to Juliet with Redgrave. In 2011, he appeared as a guest star on the season 13 premiere episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His character, although Italian, was based on Dominique Strauss-Kahn. In the same year, he received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2012, Nero made a cameo appearance in the film Django Unchained in one scene alongside Jamie Foxx, who stars as Django Freeman in the film. Nero, playing the original Django, questions Foxx's Django about how his name is spelled, and asks him to spell it, referencing a scene from Nero's role as Django in the original Django film. Upon learning that their names are spelled the same way, Nero's Django says "I know" to Foxx's Django. In 2016 and 2017, he interpreted Gabriele Tinti's poetry, giving voice to the masterpieces in the National Roman Museum. Nero appears in the dark comedy feature film The Immortalist in 2020, along with Sherilyn Fenn, Paul Rodriguez, Aries Spears and Jeff DuJardin, directed by Vlad Kozlov. In June 2024, principal photography was completed on The Estate, a feature drama, executive produced by Nero, his wife Vanessa Redgrave, and son Carlo Gabriel Nero. The film is written and directed by his son, and stars Nero and Vanessa Redgrave. In May 2025, Nero joined the cast of Bertrand Mandico's upcoming film Roma Elastica. He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2026.

• Illustration — Nero with his son Carlo in 1979 His romantic involvement with English actress Vanessa Redgrave began in 1966 when they met on the set of Camelot. In 1969, they had a son, Carlo Gabriel Redgrave Sparanero (known professionally as Carlo Gabriel Nero), a screenwriter and director. After separating for many years, during which they both had relationships with other people, they reunited and married on 31 December 2006. Carlo Nero directed Redgrave in the cinematic adaptation of Wallace Shawn's play The Fever. Nero dated actresses Catherine Deneuve, Goldie Hawn and Ursula Andress in the 1970s. In 1983, he had a second son, Frank Sparanero (also known as Frankie Nero or Frank Nero Jr). Born in Rome by Danica Pevec (a.k.a. Alexandra Romanov), Frankie began his acting career with Pupi Avati in 1996 at a film Festival and then 1999 with the film Buck and the Magic Bracelet by Tonino Ricci. In addition to being an actor, he is also an artist, architect and photographer. In December 1987, a paternity suit was filed against him in court in Colombia where he was filming a movie. Mauricia Mena claimed that Nero had fathered her son Franquito after a brief romantic affair. In 1994, Nero walked his future stepdaughter Natasha Richardson (1963–2009) down the aisle when she married actor Liam Neeson. Her father, Tony Richardson, had died in 1991.

• Year — Title — Role — Director — Notes • 1975 — The Legend of Valentino — Rudolph Valentino — Melville Shavelson — Television film • 1976 — 21 Hours at Munich — Luttif Afif — William A. Graham • 1978 — The Pirate — Sheikh Baydr Al-Fay the Pirate — Ken Annakin — Television miniseries • 1979 — Le rose di Danzica — General Konrad van Der Berg — Alberto Bevilacqua • 1983 — Wagner — Crespi — Tony Palmer • Die Försterbuben — Andreas Boehme — Peter Patzak — Television film • 1984 — The Last Days of Pompeii — Arbaces — Peter R. Hunt — Television miniseries • 1985 — Un marinaio e mezzo — Nick — Tommaso Dazzi — Television film • The Hitchhiker — Dr. Peter Milne — Mai Zetterling — Episode: "Murderous Feelings" • 1986 — Un altare per la madre — Edith Bruck — Television film • 1987 — Il generale — Giuseppe Garibaldi — Luigi Magni — Television miniseries • 1988 — Windmills of the Gods — Ionescu — Lee Philips • 1989 — The Magistrate — Paolo Pizzi — Kathy Mueller • The Betrothed — Friar Cristoforo — Salvatore Nocita • 1990 — Blaues Blut — Sandro Castellani — Sidney Hayers — Episode: "Gegen die Uhr" • Oggi ho vinto anch'io — Saverio Palluca — Lodovico Gasparini — Television film • 1991 — Young Catherine — Count Mikhail Vorontsov — Michael Anderson — Television miniseries • Julianus barát — Domenico — Gábor Koltay • 1992 — Touch and Die — Aquani — Piernico Solinas — Television film • 1993 — Das Babylon Komplott — Chris Lang — Peter Patzak • Azzurro profondo — Luca Morinari — Filippo De Luigi • 1994 — Nemici intimi — Lorenzo Stradella — Piernico Solinas • The Dragon Ring — The Dragon King — Lamberto Bava — Television miniseries • 1996 — The Return of Sandokan — Yogi Azim — Enzo G. Castellari • 1997 — David — Nathan — Robert Markowitz — Television film • Desert of Fire — Marcel Duvivier — Enzo G. Castellari — Television miniseries • Painted Lady — Robert Tassi — Julian Jarrold • Nessuno escluso — Alfonso Martinez — Massimo Spano — Television film • Bella Mafia — Mario Domino — David Greene • 1998 — Il tesoro di Damasco — Andrea — José María Sánchez • 2000 — Paul the Apostle — Gamaliel — Roger Young — Television miniseries • 2001 — La voce del sangue — Antonio Castaldi — Alessandro Di Robilant — Television film • The Crusaders — Ibn-Azul — Dominique Othenin-Girard — Television miniseries • 2002 — Die achte Todsünde: Toskana-Karussell — Giuseppe Mantaldo — Peter Patzak — Television film • 2003 — The Uncrowned Heart — Bear's Trainer • Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaften — Pietro Bellini — Marco Serafini — Television miniseries • Cattive inclinazioni — Vagrant — Pierfrancesco Campanella — Television film • 2005 — Summer Solstice — Lorenzo — Giles Foster • 2006 — The Holy Family — Zechariah — Raffaele Mertes • 2007 — Der Fürst und das Mädchen — Count Massimo di Romano — Karsten Wichniarz, Axel de Roche — Television series 8 episodes • Two Families — Morandi — Romano Scavolini — Television film • 2008 — Il sangue e la rosa — Umberto Mancini — Salvatore Samperi, Luciano Odorisio, Luigi Parisi — Episode: "Prima puntata" • Mein Herz in Chile — Carlos Sanchez — Jörg Grünler — Television film • A Night at the Grand Hotel — Ferran Moreno — Thorsten Näter • Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons — Max Freeman — Giles Foster — Television miniseries • 2010 — Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine — Augustine of Hippo — Christian Duguay • 2011 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Roberto Distasio — Michael Slovis — Episode: "Scorched Earth" • 2017–18 — Delicious — Joe Benelli — John Hardwick, Clare Kilner — Television series 4 episodes • 2019 — Christmas in Rome — Luigi Forlinghetti — Ernie Barbarash — Hallmark Channel movie • 2022 — Django — Reverend — Francesca Comencini — Television series

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2011 — Cars 2: The Video Game — Uncle Topolino — Voice • 2025 — The Run — Hunter — FMV game

Franco Nero was recorded at birth as Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero. He also worked under the name Franco Nero. The authorities additionally record the headings Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero and Francesco Sparanero. His recorded language was Italian. He married Vanessa Redgrave. 2 children are recorded: Carlo Gabriel Nero and Franquito Sparanero.