Franco Nero

Early life

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.

Career

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 's 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.

Personal life

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.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Discography

• 1985 – Will Change The World/Cambierà (Lovers, LVNP 802, 7" – with his son Carlo)

References

References

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2. {{in lang
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5. {{in lang. link. (21 July 2012 in Cinemastore Italy)
6. {{in lang. it [https://archive.today/20130126061425/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/193260/Franco_Nero_Biography Francoo Nero] Biography in Hollywood.com
7. Ann Pearce. "He Lost His Guenevere, Vanessa Redgrave, but Franco Nero Found His Camelot Back in Italy". People.
8. (5 December 2011). "San Severo, cittadinanza a Franco Nero". [[Corriere del Mezzogiorno]].
9. Fusco, Maria Pia. (22 January 2012). "Franco Nero straniero in patria". [[la Repubblica]].
10. O'Neill, Phelim. (26 May 2011). "Franco Nero: No escaping Django". [[The Guardian]].
11. Russo, Paolo. (16 November 2014). ""Io, Django e Fassbinder" Franco Nero, che grande attore". La Repubblica.
12. Lyman, Eric J.. (1 January 2013). "Original 'Django' Franco Nero on His Iconic Character and the Film's Legacy (Q&A)". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
13. Roberts, Laura. (11 June 2010). "Vanessa Redgrave speaks about marriage to second 'husband' for the first time". [[The Daily Telegraph.
14. Lambert, Victoria. (9 March 2017). "Franco Nero: 'As you get older, you want a quiet woman – not one who yells'". The Telegraph.
15. La Magna, Franco. (19 November 2019). "Dalla mafia arcaica de "Il giorno della civetta" all'apocalittico "Cadaveri eccellenti"". [[La Sicilia]].
16. Pulici, Davide. (26 November 2015). "Intervista a Franco Nero: buon compleanno!". Nocturno.
17. [http://www.1kult.com/2010/02/12/linterview-exclusive-de-franco-nero/ Franco Nero Interview from 1Kult.com] {{webarchive. link. (30 April 2010 (English subtitled))
18. Baumgarten, Oliver. "Mord ist mein Geschäft, liebling". Filmzentrale.
19. Alexander, Bryan. (13 May 2010). "Letters to Juliet's Vanessa Redgrave".
20. King, Susan. (14 May 2010). "Vanessa Redgrave knows love delayed". [[Los Angeles Times]].
21. Stanhope, Kate. (11 August 2011). "Exclusive: International Film Star Takes on Dominique Strauss-Kahn for Law & Order: SVU". [[TV Guide]].
22. Yuen, Jenny. (5 September 2011). "Italian Walk of Fame honours stars".
23. Corliss, Richard. (12 December 2012). "Django Unchained: Tarantino Frees the Slaves".
24. "Franco Nero legge 'Il Pugile' di Gabriele Tinti".
25. "Franco Nero Reads 'Songs of Stone' By Gabriele Tinti".
26. 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'".
27. Wiseman, Andreas. (26 July 2024). "Vanessa Redgrave & Franco Nero Lead Social Thriller 'The Estate'. First Look Image Revealed As Filming Wraps In UK".
28. Vivarelli, Nick. (28 May 2025). "Marion Cotillard Set for Bertrand Mandico's Italian Cinema Homage 'Roma Elastica' to Be Shot at Cinecittà".
29. (11 June 2010). "Vanessa Redgrave speaks about marriage to second 'husband' for the first time". The Telegraph.
30. Rorke, Robert. (10 June 2007). "MAGICAL REDGRAVE". [[New York Post]].
31. O'Brian, Jack (2 February 1970). "[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/911298968 Playboy Rebuffed]". ''The Jersey Journal''.
32. O'Brian, Jack (8 September 1975). "[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/5412448 Goldie and Vanessa's Oldie]". ''Lebanon Daily News''
33. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19860109&id=JQROAAAAIBAJ&pg=4375,2221586 Kiss & Tell]". ''New Straits Times''. 9 January 1986.
34. (20 December 2025). "Chi sono i tre figli di Franco Nero, Carlo, Frank e Francesco (due riconosciuti dopo): "Paternità e cognome solo nel 2020"". Metropolitan Magazine.
35. (2 June 2022). "Vanessa Redgrave, moglie Franco Nero/ "Abbiamo perso un bambino, fu difficile"". Il Sussidiario.
36. (1987). "Guión".
37. Lambert, Victoria. (23 June 2017). "Original Django Franco Nero talks Vanessa Redgrave and playing the romantic lead at age 74". [[Stuff (website).
38. Middlekauff, Tracey. (2009). "Fighting AIDS in Memory of Her Father". [[People magazine.