Franco Nero
Known for Acting · 259 credits
- Born
- 1941-11-23 (age 84)
- Place of birth
- San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Also known as
- Frank Black · Frank Nero · Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero
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.
Known For
TV Shows (33)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Roberto Distasio
The Hitchhiker
1983
as Dr. Peter Milne
Through the Night with...
2002
as Self
Ulisse - The Pleasure of Discovery
2001
as Self
Der große Preis
1974
as Self
Emigratis
2016
as Self
Django
2023
as Reverend
Na sowas!
1982
as Self
Delicious
2016
as Joe Benelli
Viva el lunes
1995
as Self
I promessi sposi
1989
as fra Cristoforo
Der Fürst und das Mädchen
2003
The Last Days of Pompeii
1984
as Arbaces
The Return of Sandokan
1996
as Yogi Azim
Saint Paul
2000
as Gamaliel
Desert of Fire
1997
as Marcel Duvivier
Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons
2008
as Max Freeman
The Pirate
1977
as Baydr Al Fay
Young Catherine
1991
as Count Vorontsov
Painted Lady
1997
as Robert Tassi
Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire
2010
as Augustine of Hippo
Desideria e l'anello del drago
1995
as Dragon King
L'inchiesta - Anno Domini XXXIII
2007
as Caifa
Rosamunde Pilcher - Magic of Love
2005
David
1997
as Nathan
Davide
1997
as Nathan
Blaues Blut
1989
as Sandro Castellani
Le rose di Danzica
1981
as Il generale Konrad Von Den Berg
The Crusaders
2001
as Ibnazul
Il sangue e la rosa
2008
as Conte Uberto Mancini
Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaften
2002
as Fashion Billionaire
Mein Herz in Chile
2008
as Carlos Sanchez
La voce del sangue
2001
as Antonio Castaldi
Movies (226)
Cars 2
2011
as Uncle Topolino (voice)
John Wick: Chapter 2
2017
as Julius
Django Unchained
2012
as Amerigo Vessepi
Die Hard 2
1990
as General Ramon Esperanza
The Pope's Exorcist
2023
as The Pope
In the Hand of Dante
2026
as Don Lecco
Django
1966
as Django
The Lost City of Z
2017
as Baron de Gondoriz
Letters to Juliet
2010
as Lorenzo
The Bible: In the Beginning...
1966
as Abel
The Mercenary
1968
as Sergei Kowalski, The Polish
Saint Paul
2000
as Gamaliel
David
1997
as Natan
Camelot
1967
as Lancelot Du Lac
Cry, Onion!
1975
as Onion Stark
Force 10 from Navarone
1978
as Lescovar
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
2014
as Self - Actor
Hitch Hike
1977
as Walter Mancini
Grog
1982
as Nicola Fanelli
The Collini Case
2019
as Fabrizio Collini
Bathory: Countess of Blood
2008
as King Mathias
Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained
2021
as Self - Actor
Pope Joan
1972
as Louis
Istintobrass
2013
as Self
Querelle
1982
as Lieutenant Seblon
Django Strikes Again
1987
as Django
Submission
1976
as Armand
The Match
2021
as Old Branko
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
2001
as General Francini
The Spaghetti West
2005
as Self
Roma elastica
2026
as The Old Filmmaker
Bella Mafia
1997
as Mario Domino
Detective Belli
1969
as Commissario Stefano Belli
Keoma
1976
as Keoma
Tristana
1970
as Horacio
We Are Cinema
2021
as Self (archive footage)
The Visitor
1979
as Jesus Christ
High Crime
1973
as Commissario Belli
Killer Mermaid
2014
as Niko
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
2012
as Self
The Battle of Neretva
1969
as Capitano Michele Rossi
Recon
2019
as Angelo
Mimi
1979
as Guido
The Man from Rome
2022
as The Pope
The Pirate
1978
as Baydr Al Fay
Denn sie kennen kein Erbarmen - Der Italowestern
2006
as Self
Compañeros
1970
as Yodlaf Peterson
Confessions of a Police Captain
1971
as Sostituto Procuratore Traini
Texas, Adios
1966
as Burt Sullivan
White Fang
1973
as Jason Scott
A Quiet Place in the Country
1968
as Leonardo Ferri
I Knew Her Well
1965
as Italo - The garage attendant
Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine
2010
as Augustinus (age 76)
The Legend of Valentino
1975
as Rudolph Valentino
Sardinia Kidnapped
1968
as Gavino
The Case Is Closed, Forget It
1971
as Vanzi
Iceman
2017
as Ditob
The Innocent Sleep
1996
as Adolfo Cavani
The Shark Hunter
1979
as Mike di Donato
The Girl
1987
as Johan (John) Berg
The Estate
2025
Vacation
1971
as Osiride
The Day of the Owl
1968
as Captain Bellodi
Rasputin
2010
as Narratore
Day of the Cobra
1980
as Larry Stanziani
Django, Sartana, Trinita' et les autres…
2014
as Lui-même
The Salamander
1981
as Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci
Massacre Time
1966
as Tom Corbett
Don't Turn the Other Cheek
1971
as Prince Dimitri Vassilovich Vladek Orlowsky
The Outsider: The Cinema of Antonio Margheriti
2013
as Self
The Harder They Come
1972
as Django (archive footage)
The Repenter
1985
as Falco
The Crusaders
2001
as Ibnazul
Crazy Dog
2012
as Alvaro Genta
Young Toscanini
1988
as Claudio Toscanini
The Tramplers
1965
as Charley Garvey
The Man with Bogart's Face
1980
as Hakim
Red Bells Part I: Mexico in Flames
1982
as John Reed
The Time of Their Lives
2017
as Alberto
Jonathan of the Bears
1995
as Jonathan
The Monk
1972
as Ambrosio
A Rose in Winter
2019
as Rainer Praeger
The Neighborhood
2017
as Guglielmo
The Final Inquiry
2007
as Caifa
Magdalene
1988
as Janza
Mirka
2000
as Il Sindaco
Red Bells Part II: I Saw the Birth of a New World
1982
as John Reed
Dropout
1970
as Bruno
The Dragon Ring
1994
as Dragon King
The Versace Murder
1998
as Gianni Versace
The Fifth Day of Peace
1970
as Bruno Grauber
La rabbia
2008
as Mentore
The Dark Dance
2020
as L'Impresario
The Falcon
1983
as Banović Strahinja
Desert of Fire
1997
as Marcel Duvivier
Talk of Angels
1998
as Dr. Vicente Areavaga
The Assassination of Matteotti
1973
as Giacomo Matteotti
Blood Brothers
1974
as Nicola Bellizzi
Challenge to White Fang
1974
as Jason Scott
Christmas in Rome
2019
as Luigi Forlinghetti
The Last Four Days
1974
as Walter Audisio
On Our Way
2023
Elio Petri: Notes About a Filmmaker
2005
as Self
Enter the Ninja
1981
as Cole
Man, Pride and Vengeance
1967
as José
The Hired Killer
1966
as Tony Lo Bello
Chimera
2001
as Imprenditore
Sweet Country
1987
as Paul
Li chiamarono... briganti!
1999
as Caporale Nerza
Off the Rails
2021
as Giovanni
The Man Who Drew God
2023
as Emanuele
Agony
2017
as Carlo
I Tarantiniani
2013
as Self
Kamikaze '89
1982
as Weiss
Death Rite
1975
as Sadry
Marina Cicogna - La vita e tutto il resto
2021
as Self
Summer Solstice
2005
as Lorenzo
Bastardi
2008
as Rene Iuvara
Top Line
1988
as Ted Angelo
Killing Is My Business, Honey
2009
as Enrico Puzzo
About 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… With 259 credits spanning from 1962 to 2026, Franco Nero has appeared in 226 films and 33 TV shows.
Fans searching for Franco Nero movies, Franco Nero filmography, or the latest projects starring Franco Nero can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Franco Nero Movies
- Cars 2 (2011) — as Uncle Topolino (voice)
- John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) — as Julius
- Django Unchained (2012) — as Amerigo Vessepi
- Die Hard 2 (1990) — as General Ramon Esperanza
- The Pope's Exorcist (2023) — as The Pope
Where to Watch Franco Nero Films
Most Franco Nero movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Franco Nero, check our movies catalogue and browse page.