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Franco Nero

Acting Born Nov 23, 1941 San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy 24 credits

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.

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Known for

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

as Roberto Distasio
Film

Cars 2

as Uncle Topolino (voice)
Film

John Wick: Chapter 2

as Julius
Film

Django Unchained

as Amerigo Vessepi
Film

The Pope's Exorcist

as The Pope
Film

In the Hand of Dante

as Don Lecco
Film

The Lost City of Z

as Baron de Gondoriz
Film

Letters to Juliet

as Lorenzo

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

as Natan

Full filmography

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Roberto Distasio
  • Cars 2 (2011) as Uncle Topolino (voice)
  • John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) as Julius
  • Django Unchained (2012) as Amerigo Vessepi
  • The Hitchhiker (1983) as Dr. Peter Milne
  • Die Hard 2 (1990) as General Ramon Esperanza
  • The Pope's Exorcist (2023) as The Pope
  • Through the Night with... (2002) as Self
  • In the Hand of Dante (2026) as Don Lecco
  • Ulisse - The Pleasure of Discovery (2001) as Self
  • The Lost City of Z (2017) as Baron de Gondoriz
  • Der große Preis (1974) as Self
  • Delicious (2016) as Joe Benelli
  • Letters to Juliet (2010) as Lorenzo
  • Django (2023) as Reverend
  • Emigratis (2016) as Self
  • Na sowas! (1982) as Self
  • The Estate (2025)
  • Viva el lunes (1995) as Self
  • I promessi sposi (1989) as fra Cristoforo
  • Saint Paul (2000) as Gamaliel
  • David (1997) as Natan
  • Django (1966) as Django
  • Querelle (1982) as Lieutenant Seblon