Franco Nero

84, from San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Artwork for Cars 2Image of Franco Nero

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.

Timeline

2026Aged 85

  • Poster for Il Vecchio Terribile

    Oste

  • Poster for Aurora

    Bertoldo

  • Poster for In the Hand of Dante

    Don Lecco (86)

  • Poster for Roma elastica

    The Old Filmmaker

  • Poster for L'ANIME CHE OGNI OBESO HA BISOGNO

    Epk Camera Operator

2025Aged 84

  • Poster for The Estate

    Executive Producer

2024Aged 83

  • Poster for The Jester from Transylvania

    One-eye

  • Poster for Compagni d'arte

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Titanus 1904

    Self

2023Aged 82

  • Poster for The Man Who Drew God

    Emanuele

  • Poster for The Pope's Exorcist

    The Pope

  • Poster for On Our Way

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Giorni felici

    Antonio

  • Poster for Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black

    Valentino's Spirit

2022Aged 81

  • Poster for Buon Lavoro

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for The Man from Rome

    The Pope

2021Aged 80

  • Poster for The Match

    Old Branko

  • Poster for Two Men Alone

    Himself

  • Poster for Off the Rails

    Giovanni

  • Poster for Marina Cicogna - La vita e tutto il resto

    Self

  • Poster for Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained

    Self - Actor

  • Poster for We Are Cinema

    Self (archive footage)

  • Poster for The Duel

    (Unknown)

2020Aged 79

2019Aged 78

  • Poster for Ed è subito sera

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for The Collini Case

    Fabrizio Collini

  • Poster for A Rose in Winter

    Rainer Praeger

  • Poster for Recon

    Angelo

  • Poster for Christmas in Rome

    Luigi Forlinghetti

  • Poster for Havana Kyrie

    Vittorio Arditi De Bellis

2018Aged 77

  • Poster for Red Land

    Professor Ambrosin

2017Aged 76

  • Poster for John Wick: Chapter 2

    Julius

  • Poster for The Time of Their Lives

    Alberto

  • Poster for The Lost City of Z

    Baron de Gondoriz

  • Poster for Il crimine non va in pensione

    il primario

  • Poster for The Neighborhood

    Guglielmo

  • Poster for Agony

    Carlo

  • Poster for The Broken Key

    Hiram Abif

  • Poster for Iceman

    Ditob

2016Aged 75

2015Aged 74

  • Poster for Road to Capri

    Guido

  • Poster for Earth

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Sergio Corbucci: The Smiling Man

    Himself

2014Aged 73

  • Poster for Django, Sartana, Trinita' et les autres…

    Lui-même

  • Poster for Obsessive Rhythms

    Carmine

  • Poster for Killer Mermaid

    Niko

  • Poster for Red Chairs - Parma and the Cinema

    Self

  • Poster for Love Island

    Marquis Polesini

  • Figli di Maam

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

    Self - Actor

  • Poster for The Mystery of Dante

    Executive Producer

2013Aged 72

  • Poster for I Tarantiniani

    Self

  • Poster for The Outsider: The Cinema of Antonio Margheriti

    Self

  • Poster for Memories They Told Me

    Paolo

  • Poster for Istintobrass

    Self

  • Poster for Handy

    Frank The Black

2012Aged 71

  • Poster for New Order

    Dr. Cornelius Van Morgen

  • Poster for Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s

    Self

  • Poster for Crazy Dog

    Alvaro Genta

  • Poster for The Last Alchemist

    Felix the Alchemist

  • Poster for Django Unchained

    Amerigo Vessepi

2011Aged 70

  • Poster for Father

    Enrico

  • Poster for Cars 2

    Uncle Topolino (voice)

2010Aged 69

  • Poster for Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine

    Augustinus (age 76)

  • Poster for Letters to Juliet

    Lorenzo

  • Poster for Prigioniero di un segreto

    Il barbone

  • Poster for Rasputin

    Narratore

2009Aged 68

  • Poster for Killing Is My Business, Honey

    Enrico Puzzo

  • Poster for Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso

    (Unknown)

2008Aged 67

  • Poster for Bastardi

    René Iuvara

  • Poster for La rabbia

    Mentore

  • Poster for Bathory: Countess of Blood

    King Mathias

  • Poster for Mein Herz in Chile

    Carlos Sanchez

  • Poster for A Night at the Grand Hotel

    Ferran Moreno

  • Poster for Márió, a varázsló

    Mario

2007Aged 66

  • Poster for Two Families

    Morandi

  • Poster for The Final Inquiry

    Caifa

  • Poster for Mineurs

    Michele Acucella

2006Aged 65

2005Aged 64

  • Poster for Vasco Rossi - È solo un rock'n'roll show

    Judge

  • Poster for The Spaghetti West

    Self

  • Poster for Elio Petri: Notes About a Filmmaker

    Self

  • Poster for Forever Blues

    Luca

  • Poster for Summer Solstice

    Lorenzo

2004Aged 63

  • Poster for Guardians of the Clouds

    Padre

  • Poster for Post Coitum

    Bakchus

2003Aged 62

2002Aged 61

2001Aged 60

  • Poster for The Crusaders

    Ibnazul

  • Poster for Franco Nero: Back in the Saddle

    Self

  • Poster for Sacra Corona

    Bishop Gellért

  • Poster for Chimera

    Imprenditore

  • Poster for Megiddo: The Omega Code 2

    General Francini

  • Poster for La ragion pura

    Marito

  • Poster for In the Company of Compañeros

    Self

2000Aged 59

  • Poster for Mirka

    Il Sindaco

  • Poster for Uninvited

    Ralph Barolo

  • Poster for Winds of Passion

    Michele Giangrande

  • Poster for Saint Paul

    Gamaliel

1999Aged 58

  • Poster for Li chiamarono... briganti!

    Caporale Nerza

1998Aged 57

  • Poster for The Versace Murder

    Gianni Versace

  • Poster for Il tesoro di Damasco

    Andrea

  • Poster for Talk of Angels

    Dr. Vicente Areavaga

1997Aged 56

  • Poster for Desert of Fire

    Marcel Duvivier

  • Poster for David

    Natan

  • Poster for Rack Up

    Jesus Barro

  • Poster for The Medal

    Ing. Ferrero

  • Poster for Bella Mafia

    Mario Domino

1996Aged 55

  • Poster for The Innocent Sleep

    Adolfo Cavani

  • Poster for The Conquest

    Árpád vezér

1995Aged 54

  • Poster for Jonathan of the Bears

    Jonathan

  • Poster for Io e il re

    Maggiore Ferri

1994Aged 53

  • Poster for The Dragon Ring

    Dragon King

1993Aged 52

  • Poster for Azzurro profondo

    Luca Morinari

  • Poster for Der Fall Lucona

    Enzo Lombardi

  • Poster for Test of Memory

    Paul Herzog

  • Poster for Das Babylon Komplott

    Chris Lang

1992Aged 51

  • Poster for Amelia Lópes O'Neill

    Fernando

  • Poster for From Time to Time

    Leonard De Vinci

  • Poster for Gold

    Gabriele da Poppi

  • Poster for Brothers and Sisters

    Franco

1991Aged 50

  • Poster for Touch and Die

    Aquani

1990Aged 49

  • Poster for Die Hard 2

    General Ramon Esperanza

  • Poster for Breath of Life

    Angelo

1989Aged 48

  • Poster for A Double Victory

    Saverio Pallucca

1988Aged 47

  • Poster for Run for Your Life

    Commissario

  • Poster for Race to Danger

    Francis, il marinaio

  • Poster for Top Line

    Ted Angelo

  • Poster for Young Toscanini

    Claudio Toscanini

  • Poster for Magdalene

    Janza

1987Aged 46

  • Poster for Sweet Country

    Paul

  • Poster for The Girl

    Johan (John) Berg

  • Poster for Django Strikes Again

    Django

1985Aged 44

  • Poster for Devil's Crude

    Nick

  • Poster for André schafft sie alle

    Andre

  • Poster for The Repenter

    Falco

1984Aged 43

  • Poster for Die Försterbuben

    Böhme

1983Aged 42

  • Poster for The Falcon

    Banović Strahinja

1982Aged 41

1981Aged 40

  • Poster for The Salamander

    Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci

  • Poster for Enter the Ninja

    Cole

1980Aged 39

  • Poster for The Blue-Eyed Bandit

    Renzo Dominici

  • Poster for Day of the Cobra

    Larry Stanziani

  • Poster for The Man with Bogart's Face

    Hakim

1979Aged 38

  • Poster for The Visitor

    Jesus Christ

  • Poster for Mimi

    Guido

  • Poster for Le rose di Danzica

    General Konrad von Der Berg

  • Poster for The Shark Hunter

    Mike di Donato

1978Aged 37

  • Poster for Force 10 from Navarone

    Lescovar

1977Aged 36

  • Poster for Hitch Hike

    Walter Mancini

  • Poster for Sahara Cross

    Jean Ballard

1976Aged 35

  • Poster for Victory March

    Captain Asciutto

  • Poster for Submission

    Armand

  • Poster for Keoma

    Keoma

  • Poster for 21 Hours at Munich

    Issa

1975Aged 34

  • Poster for Smiling Maniacs

    Judge Dani

  • Poster for How to Kill a Judge

    Giacomo Solaris

  • Poster for Cry, Onion!

    Onion Stark

  • Poster for Death Rite

    Sadry

  • Poster for The Flower in His Mouth

    Professore Michele Belcore

  • Poster for The Legend of Valentino

    Rudolph Valentino

1974Aged 33

  • Poster for Blood Brothers

    Nicola Bellizzi

  • Poster for The Last Four Days

    Walter Audisio

  • Poster for Street Law

    Carlo Antonelli

  • Poster for Challenge to White Fang

    Jason Scott

1973Aged 32

  • Poster for Redneck

    Mosquito

  • Poster for Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears

    Johnny Ears

  • Poster for High Crime

    Commissario Belli

  • Poster for The Assassination of Matteotti

    Giacomo Matteotti

  • Poster for White Fang

    Jason Scott

1972Aged 31

  • Poster for The Harder They Come

    Django (archive footage)

  • Poster for Pope Joan

    Louis

  • Poster for The Monk

    Ambrosio

1971Aged 30

  • Poster for Confessions of a Police Captain

    Sostituto Procuratore Traini

  • Poster for The Fifth Cord

    Andrea Bild

  • Poster for Vacation

    Osiride

  • Poster for The Case Is Closed, Forget It

    Vanzi

  • Poster for Don't Turn the Other Cheek

    Prince Dimitri Vassilovich Vladek Orlowsky

1970Aged 29

  • Poster for Tristana

    Horacio

  • Poster for The Fifth Day of Peace

    Bruno Grauber

  • Poster for The Virgin and the Gypsy

    The gypsy

  • Poster for Compañeros

    Yodlaf Peterson

  • Poster for Dropout

    Bruno

1969Aged 28

  • Poster for Detective Belli

    Commissario Stefano Belli

  • Poster for The Battle of Neretva

    Capitano Michele Rossi

1968Aged 27

  • Poster for The Day of the Owl

    Captain Bellodi

  • Poster for Sardinia Kidnapped

    Gavino

  • Poster for A Quiet Place in the Country

    Leonardo Ferri

  • Poster for The Mercenary

    Sergei Kowalski, The Polish

1967Aged 26

  • Poster for Camelot

    Lancelot Du Lac

  • Poster for Man, Pride and Vengeance

    José

1966Aged 25

  • Poster for The Hired Killer

    Tony Lo Bello

  • Poster for Django

    Django

  • Poster for The Third Eye

    Mino Alberti (as Frank Nero)

  • Poster for The Wild, Wild Planet

    Lt. Jake

  • Poster for War of the Planets

    Lt. Jake Jacowitx

  • Poster for Massacre Time

    Tom Corbett

  • Poster for Texas, Adios

    Burt Sullivan

  • Poster for The Bible: In the Beginning...

    Abel

1965Aged 24

  • Poster for La Celestina P… R…

    Fabrizio

  • Poster for I Knew Her Well

    Italo - The garage attendant

  • Poster for The Tramplers

    Charley Garvey

1964Aged 23

  • Poster for Italian Engagement

    (Unknown)

1963Aged 22

1962Aged 21

  • Poster for Scorched Skin

    (Unknown)

Year unknown