Italian actor (born 1941)
Franco Nero
Nero in 2016
Born Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero
(1941-11-23 ) 23 November 1941 (age 83) Occupation(s) Actor, producer, director Years active 1962–present Spouse
Children 2, including Carlo Relatives
Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero , is an Italian actor. 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 productions.[ 1]
During the 1960s and 1970s, Nero was actively involved in many popular Italian "genre trends", including polizieschi , 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), 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 . With Redgrave, Nero starred in two films directed by Tinto Brass : Dropout (1970) and La Vacanza (1971). They were married in 2006, and are the parents of the actor Carlo Gabriel Nero (b.1969).
Early life
Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] was born in San Prospero Parmense (Parma , Emilia-Romagna ), the son of a commissioned officer in the Carabinieri .[ 7] His parents were originally from San Severo (Foggia , Apulia ).[ 8] [ 9] 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 .[ 10]
Career
Nero as the title character in Django (1966)
Nero with Charlotte Rampling in Sardinia Kidnapped (1968)
Nero's first film role was a small part in Pelle viva (1962),[ 11] and he had his first lead role in Sergio Corbucci 's Django (1966) a Spaghetti Western and one of his best-known films.[ 12] 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 .[ 13] [ 14] Following this he appeared in the mafia film Il The Day of the Owl opposite Claudia Cardinale released in 1968.[ 15]
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).[ 16]
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).[ 17]
More recently, Nero starred in Hungarian director Koltay Gábor [hu ] 's Honfoglalás (Conquest) in 1996, in Li chiamarono... briganti! (1999) by Pasquale Squitieri and subsequently in Koltay's Sacra Corona (Holy Crown) in 2001.[citation needed ]
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."[ 18]
In 2010, Nero appeared in the film Letters to Juliet with Redgrave.[ 19] [ 20] 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 .[ 21] In the same year, he received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario , Canada.[ 22]
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.[ 23]
In 2016 and 2017, he interpreted Gabriele Tinti 's poetry, giving voice to the masterpieces in the National Roman Museum .[ 24] [ 25]
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.[ 26]
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.[ 27]
Personal life
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.[ 28] Carlo Nero directed Redgrave in the cinematic adaptation of Wallace Shawn 's play The Fever .[ 29]
Nero dated actresses Catherine Deneuve , Goldie Hawn and Ursula Andress in the 1970s.[ 30] [ 31] [ 32]
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.[ 33]
In 1994, Nero walked his future stepdaughter Natasha Richardson (1963–2009) down the aisle when she married actor Liam Neeson .[ 34] Her father, Tony Richardson , had died in 1991.[ 35]
Filmography
Film
Year
Title
Role
Director
Notes
1965
I Knew Her Well
Italo
Antonio Pietrangeli
The Tramplers
Charley Garvey
Albert Band
Wild, Wild Planet
Lt. Jake Jacowitz
Antonio Margheriti
1966
War of the Planets
Antonio Margheriti
Hired Killer
Tony Lo Bello
Franco Prosperi
Django
Django
Sergio Corbucci
Massacre Time
Tom Corbett
Lucio Fulci
The Third Eye
Mino Alberti
Mino Guerrini
Texas, Adios
Sheriff Burt Sullivan
Ferdinando Baldi
The Bible: In the Beginning...
Abel
John Huston
First American film
1967
Man, Pride and Vengeance
Don José
Luigi Bazzoni
Camelot
Lancelot du Lac
Joshua Logan
Singing voice by Gene Merlino Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male
1968
The Day of the Owl
Capt. Claudio Bellodi
Damiano Damiani
David di Donatello Award for Best Actor
Sardinia Kidnapped
Gavino
Gianfranco Mingozzi
The Mercenary
Sergei "Polack" Kowalski
Sergio Corbucci
A Quiet Place in the Country
Leonardo Ferri
Elio Petri
1969
The Fifth Day of Peace
Ensign Bruno Grauber
Giuliano Montaldo
Detective Belli
Detective Stefano Belli
Romolo Guerrieri
Battle of Neretva
Capt. Michele Riva
Veljko Bulajić
1970
Tristana
Horacio
Luis Buñuel
The Virgin and the Gypsy
The Gypsy
Christopher Miles
Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Star of Tomorrow, Male
Dropout
Bruno Grazza
Tinto Brass
Compañeros
Yodlaf Peterson
Sergio Corbucci
1971
The Case Is Closed, Forget It
Vanzi
Damiano Damiani
Confessions of a Police Captain
Deputy D.A. Traini
Damiano Damiani
Italian Golden Globe Award for Best Actor
The Fifth Cord
Andrea Bild
Luigi Bazzoni
La vacanza
Osiride
Tinto Brass
Long Live Your Death
Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky
Duccio Tessari
1972
Pope Joan
Louis II of Italy
Michael Anderson
The Monk
Ambrosio
Ado Kyrou
1973
Redneck
Mosquito
Silvio Narizzano
Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears
Johnny Ears
Paolo Cavara
The Assassination of Matteotti
Giacomo Matteotti
Florestano Vancini
High Crime
Vice Commissioner Alessandro Nelli
Enzo G. Castellari
White Fang
Jason Scott
Lucio Fulci
I guappi
Nicola Bellizzi
Pasquale Squitieri
1974
Last Days of Mussolini
Walter "Valerio" Audisio
Carlo Lizzani
Street Law
Carlo Antonelli
Enzo G. Castellari
Challenge to White Fang
Jason Scott
Lucio Fulci
1975
Smiling Maniacs
Judge Roberto Dani
Marcello Aliprandi
How to Kill a Judge
Giacomo Solaris
Damiano Damiani
Cry, Onion!
Onion Stark
Enzo G. Castellari
The Flower in His Mouth
Professor Michele Belcore
Luigi Zampa
1976
Victory March
Capt. Asciutto
Marco Bellocchio
Death Rite
Sadry
Claude Chabrol
Submission
Armand
Salvatore Samperi
Keoma
Keoma Shannon
Enzo G. Castellari
1977
Sahara Cross
Jean Bellard
Tonino Valerii
Hitch-Hike
Walter Mancini
Pasquale Festa Campanile
1978
Force 10 from Navarone
Captain Nicolai Lescovar \ Colonel von Ingorslebon
Guy Hamilton
1979
The Visitor
Jesus Christ
Giulio Paradisi
Uncredited
Mimi
Guido
Florestano Vancini
The Shark Hunter
Mike DiDonato
Enzo G. Castellari
1980
The Man with Bogart's Face
Hakim
Robert Day
The Blue-Eyed Bandit
Renzo Dominici
Alfredo Giannetti
Day of the Cobra
Larry Stanzani
Enzo G. Castellari
1981
The Salamander
Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci
Peter Zinner
The Falcon
Strahinja Banović
Vatroslav Mimica
Enter the Ninja
Cole
Menahem Golan
1982
Red Bells
John Reed
Sergei Bondarchuk
Kamikaze 1989
Weiss
Wolf Gremm
Querelle
Lieutenant Seblon
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Grog
Nicola Fanelli
Francesco Laudadio
1983
Red Bells II
John Reed
Sergei Bondarchuk
1985
Andre Handles Them All
André
Peter Fratzscher
The Repenter
Judge Falco
Pasquale Squitieri
1987
Sweet Country
Paul
Michael Cacoyannis
The Girl
Johan Berg
Arne Mattsson
Django Strikes Again
Django
Nello Rossati
Grosso guaio a Cartagena
Francis
Tommaso Dazzi
1988
Top Line
Ted Angelo
Nello Rossati
Pigmalione 88
Lorenzo
Flavio Mogherini
Young Toscanini
Claudio Toscanini
Franco Zeffirelli
Magdalene
Janza
Monica Teuber [de ]
Run for Your Life
Comissare
Terence Young
1990
Die Hard 2
General Ramon Esperanza
Renny Harlin
Breath of Life
Gesulado
Beppe Cino
1991
Amelia Lópes O'Neill
Fernando
Valeria Sarmiento
1992
Brothers and Sisters
Franco
Pupi Avati
Crimson Dawn
Paul Herzog
Marcello Aliprandi
Zoloto
Gabriele da Poppi
Fabio Bonzi
The Player
Himself
Robert Altman
Scene deleted
1993
The Lucona Affair
Enzo Lombardo
Jack Gold
Jonathan of the Bears
Jonathan Kowalski
Enzo G. Castellari
1995
Io e il re
Major Ferri
Lucio Gaudino
1996
The Italians Are Coming
Luigi
Eyal Halfon
The Innocent Sleep
Adolfo Cavani
Scott Michell
The Conquest
Árpád
Gábor Koltay
1997
Il tocco – La sfida
Jesus Barro
Enrico Coletti
La medaglia
Ferrero
Sergio Rossi
1998
The Versace Murder
Gianni Versace
Menahem Golan
Talk of Angels
Dr. Vicente Areavaga
Nick Hamm
1999
Brigands
Nerza
Pasquale Squitieri
Uninvited
Ralph Barolo
Carlo Gabriel Nero
2000
Mirka
Giancarlo
Rachid Benhadj
Winds of Passion
Michele Giangrande
Sandro Cecca
2001
Chimera
The Businessman
Pappi Corsicato
Sacra Corona
Bishop Gellért
Gábor Koltay
The Sleeping Wife
Marco
Silvano Agosti
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
General Michelangelo Francini
Brian Trenchard-Smith
2002
Fumata blanca
Cardinal Tura
Miquel García Borda
Ultimo stadio
Antonio
Ivano De Matteo
2004
Post Coitum
Bakchus
Juraj Jakubisko
Guardians of the Clouds
Il Padre
Luciano Odorisio
2005
Forever Blues
Luca
Franco Nero
Also directorial debut
2006
Hans
The Magistrate
Louis Nero
Amore e libertà – Masaniello
Vicerè D'Arcos
Angelo Antonucci
2007
Mineurs
Michele Acucella
Fulvio Wetzl
2008
Márió, a varázsló
Mario
Tamás Almási
Bastardi
Rene Iuvara
Federico Del Zoppo, Andres Alce Meldonado
The Rage
Mentore
Louis Nero
Bathory: Countess of Blood
King Mathias II of Hungary
Juraj Jakubisko
Ti stramo - Ho voglia di un'ultima notte da manuale prima di tre baci sopra il cielo
Vagrant
Pino Insegno , Gianluca Sodaro
Cameo
2009
Mord ist mein Geschäft, Liebling
Enrico Puzzo
Sebastian Niemann
Palestrina - Prince of Music
Domenico Ferrabosco
Georg Brintrup
2010
Angelus Hiroshimae
The Hunter
Giancarlo Planta
Letters to Juliet
Lorenzo Bartolini
Gary Winick
Prigioniero di un segreto
Vagrant
Carlo Fusco
2011
Rasputin
Narrator
Louis Nero
New Order
Dr. Cornelius Van Morgen
Marco Rosson
Father
Enrico
Pasquale Squitieri
Cars 2
Uncle Topolino
John Lasseter
Voice
2012
Canepazzo
Alvaro Genta
David Petrucci
A Memória que me Contam
Paolo
Lúcia Murat
Django Unchained
Amerigo Vessepi
Quentin Tarantino
Cameo
The Woods
Enzo Philipo
Michael Mandell
2013
Cadences obstinées
Carmine
Fanny Ardant
Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic
Circles Introduction
Mike Disa Shukō Murase Yasuomi Umetsu Victor Cook Jong-Sik Nam Kim Sang-jin Lee Seung-Gyu
Voice Italian version only
2014
Nymph
Niko
Milan Todorović
Love Island
Marquis Polesini
Jasmila Žbanić
Figli di Maam
Herod
Paolo Consorti
2016
Il Ragazzo della Giudecca
Salvatore
Alfonso Bergamo
The Lost City of Z
Baron de Gondoriz
James Gray
2017
The Neighborhood
Guglielmo
Frank D'Angelo
John Wick: Chapter 2
Julius
Chad Stahelski
Il crimine non va in pensione
Primario
Fabio Fulco
Iceman
Ditob
Felix Randau
The Time of Their Lives
Alberto
Roger Goldby
2018
The Broken Key
Hiram Abif
Louis Nero
Red Land (Rosso Istria)
Professor Ambrosin
Maximiliano Hernando Bruno
A Rose in Winter
Rainer Praeger
Joshua Sinclair
2019
Ed è subito sera
Rosario De Martino
Claudio Insegno
The Collini Case
Fabrizio Collini
Marco Kreuzpaintner
2020
Recon
Angelo
Robert David Port
2021
The Match
Branko
Jakov Sedlar , Dominik Sedlar
Off the Rails
Giovanni
Jules Williamson
Immortalist
Paolo
Vladislav Kozlov
2022
The Man from Rome
The Pope
Sergio Dow
The Man Who Drew God
Emanuele
Franco Nero
Also director
2023
The Pope's Exorcist
The Pope
Julius Avery
Nominated - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor
2024
Giorni Felici
Antonio
Simone Petralia
TBA
In the Hand of Dante
Julian Schnabel
Filming
Television
Video games
Discography
1985 – Will Change The World /Cambierà (Lovers, LVNP 802, 7" – with his son Carlo)
References
^ Lyman, Eric J. (1 January 2013). "Original 'Django' Franco Nero on His Iconic Character and the Film's Legacy (Q&A)" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 6 August 2021 .
^ (in Italian) Franco Nero in MyMovies
^ "Movies" . The New York Times .
^ (in Italian) Franco Nero in CinemaItaliano.info
^ (in Italian) Franco Nero Archived 21 July 2012 at archive.today in Cinemastore Italy
^ (in Italian) Francoo Nero Biography in Hollywood.com
^ Ann Pearce. "He Lost His Guenevere, Vanessa Redgrave, but Franco Nero Found His Camelot Back in Italy" . People.
^ "San Severo, cittadinanza a Franco Nero" . Corriere del Mezzogiorno . 5 December 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2013 .
^ Fusco, Maria Pia (22 January 2012). "Franco Nero straniero in patria" . la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ O'Neill, Phelim (26 May 2011). "Franco Nero: No escaping Django" . The Guardian . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Russo, Paolo (16 November 2014). " "Io, Django e Fassbinder" Franco Nero, che grande attore" . La Repubblica . Retrieved 6 July 2016 .
^ Lyman, Eric J. (1 January 2013). "Original 'Django' Franco Nero on His Iconic Character and the Film's Legacy (Q&A)" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Roberts, Laura (11 June 2010). "Vanessa Redgrave speaks about marriage to second 'husband' for the first time" . The Telegraph . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Lambert, Victoria (9 March 2017). "Franco Nero: 'As you get older, you want a quiet woman – not one who yells' " . The Telegraph . Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ La Magna, Franco (19 November 2019). "Dalla mafia arcaica de "Il giorno della civetta" all'apocalittico "Cadaveri eccellenti" " . La Sicilia (in Italian). Retrieved 19 November 2019 .
^ Pulici, Davide (26 November 2015). "Intervista a Franco Nero: buon compleanno!" . Nocturno (in Italian). Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Franco Nero Interview from 1Kult.com Archived 30 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine (English subtitled)
^ "Dass Franco Nero in diesem Film mitspielt, macht wirklich großen Spaß – schade nur, dass nach seinen Auftritten noch so viel Film übrig ist." Baumgarten, Oliver. "Mord ist mein Geschäft, liebling" . Filmzentrale . Retrieved 25 November 2011 .
^ Alexander, Bryan (13 May 2010). "Letters to Juliet's Vanessa Redgrave" . Time . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ King, Susan (14 May 2010). "Vanessa Redgrave knows love delayed" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Stanhope, Kate (11 August 2011). "Exclusive: International Film Star Takes on Dominique Strauss-Kahn for Law & Order: SVU" . TV Guide . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Yuen, Jenny (5 September 2011). "Italian Walk of Fame honours stars" .
^ Corliss, Richard (12 December 2012). "Django Unchained: Tarantino Frees the Slaves" . Time . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ "Franco Nero legge 'Il Pugile' di Gabriele Tinti" . www.beniculturali.it .
^ "Franco Nero Reads 'Songs of Stone' By Gabriele Tinti" .
^ N'Duka, Amanda (20 December 2019). "Rachel True, Sean Gunn Join 'Agnes'; Sherilyn Fenn, Franco Nero Topline 'Immortalist'; Cameron Douglas, Elisabeth Röhm In 'The Runner' " . Deadline . Retrieved 22 December 2019 .
^ Wiseman, Andreas (26 July 2024). "Vanessa Redgrave & Franco Nero Lead Social Thriller 'The Estate'. First Look Image Revealed As Filming Wraps In UK" . Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 20 August 2024.
^ "Vanessa Redgrave speaks about marriage to second 'husband' for the first time" . The Telegraph . 11 June 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2011 .
^ Rorke, Robert (10 June 2007). "MAGICAL REDGRAVE" . New York Post . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ O'Brian, Jack (2 February 1970). "Playboy Rebuffed ". The Jersey Journal .
^ O'Brian, Jack (8 September 1975). "Goldie and Vanessa's Oldie ". Lebanon Daily News
^ "Kiss & Tell ". New Straits Times . 9 January 1986.
^ "Guión" . 1987.
^ Lambert, Victoria (23 June 2017). "Original Django Franco Nero talks Vanessa Redgrave and playing the romantic lead at age 74" . Stuff . Retrieved 9 May 2018 .
^ Middlekauff, Tracey (2009). "Fighting AIDS in Memory of Her Father" . People . Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009 .
External links
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