--- name: "Franco Nero" canonical: "https://film.one/person/franco-nero" roles: ["Actor"] born: "23 November 1941" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 75 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-19T16:16:17.467111+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Franco Nero Actor. Born 23 November 1941 in San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 23 November 1941, San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy - **Active:** 1990–2017 - **Also known as:** Frank Black, Frank Nero, Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero - **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 70 (1), 2010s 77 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 73 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Action 2, Thriller 2, Crime 1, Drama 1, Western 1 - **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $837m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco_Nero, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q311716, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0626259/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/22383 ## Coming up - *Roma elastica* (2026-12-23), as The Old Filmmaker ## Streaming the US now - **Pluto TV:** [*John Wick: Chapter 2*](https://film.one/film/john-wick-chapter-2.md) (76) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Franco Nero > Nero's gift is stillness with good posture: he says the line as if he has said it a thousand times and never needed to raise his voice. In Italy that was the character; in Hollywood it has too often been the whole part. In *John Wick: Chapter 2* (2017) Keanu Reeves walks into the Roman Continental and Franco Nero, as its manager Julius, asks whether he has come for the Pope. It is one line. Nero plays it as hotel management rather than menace: a man in a good suit who has had worse guests and would rather not have the trouble. We grinned, and for a moment we felt oddly safe in that lobby, which is what a hotelier is for. That is what he does now, in his eighties. He arrives, he is handsome and unbothered, he says the thing as if he has been saying it since 1966, and he leaves. He has, more or less. Small parts from 1962 led to Django for Sergio Corbucci in 1966, and the next decade was dozens of Italian westerns, poliziotteschi and gialli, with Enzo G. Castellari and Damiano Damiani among the directors who kept calling him back. Between them he did other things. *Camelot* (1967) gave him Lancelot and his first major English-language part; *The Day of the Owl* (1968) put him in a police captain's uniform in an early mafia drama; *Tristana* (1970) put him in front of Buñuel. That is the career in miniature: a popular film, then something for a serious director, then back to the popular film, in two languages, for sixty years and more than two hundred credits. The English-language parts have been the thinner half. In *Die Hard 2* (1990) his General Esperanza is a cigar and an accent, and the film never asks for more. His English was limited in the early international films, which cost him work, and once directors had decided what he was for they kept sending the same thing; *Keoma* (1976) and the westerns like it were the trade and the trap together. He has said that Laurence Olivier told him, "if you want to be an actor, change roles all the time, risk a lot in your career." The Italian filmography suggests he listened. The American one suggests nobody over there was told. What survives is the face. The blue eyes and the athletic frame that made him a lead in the sixties have settled into a weathered authority, and directors now use him the way you would use an old building: put him in the shot and the shot is older and more serious. Quentin Tarantino knew it in *Django Unchained* (2012), where Nero appears as Amerigo Vessepi for a scene that exists so the first Django can look at the new one. He was still at it in *The Pope's Exorcist* (2023). The Hollywood films use him as furniture, handsome and Italian and briefly present. If that is all you have seen of him, go back to *Django* and find out what the furniture used to do. ## Biography Franco Nero is an Italian actor born on 23 November 1941 in San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna. He made his film debut in the early 1960s and achieved international recognition with the title role in the Spaghetti Western *Django* (1966). Over a career spanning more than six decades, Nero has appeared in over 200 films and television productions, including roles in *Camelot* (1967), *The Mercenary* (1968), *Companeros* (1970), *Die Hard 2* (1990) as General Ramon Esperanza, *Letters to Juliet* (2010), *Cars 2* (2011), *John Wick: Chapter 2* (2017) as Julius, and *The Pope's Exorcist* (2023). He has also worked as a producer and director. Nero has been in a relationship with actress Vanessa Redgrave since they met on the set of *Camelot*; they married in 2006 and have a son, actor Carlo Gabriel Nero. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *John Wick: Chapter 2* (2017), Fi1m 76, as Julius — [page](https://film.one/film/john-wick-chapter-2.md) - *Django Unchained* (2012), Fi1m 78, as Amerigo Vessepi — [page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md) - *Die Hard 2* (1990), Fi1m 70, as General Ramon Esperanza — [page](https://film.one/film/die-hard-2.md) ## Complete filmography (236) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Roma elastica* (2026), as The Old Filmmaker - *In the Hand of Dante* (2026), as Don Lecco (86) - *Aurora* (2026), as Bertoldo - *Il Vecchio Terribile* (2026), as Oste - *L'ANIME CHE OGNI OBESO HA BISOGNO* (2026), Epk Camera Operator - *The Estate* (2025), as Executive Producer - *Compagni d'arte* (2024), Actor - *The Jester from Transylvania* (2024), as One-eye - *Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black* (2023), as Valentino's Spirit - *Giorni felici* (2023), as Antonio - *On Our Way* (2023), Actor - *The Pope's Exorcist* (2023), as The Pope - *The Man Who Drew God* (2023), as Emanuele · Director - *Django* (2023), series, as Reverend - *The Man from Rome* (2022), as The Pope - *Buon Lavoro* (2022), Actor - *The Duel* (2021), Actor - *Off the Rails* (2021), as Giovanni - *The Match* (2021), as Old Branko - *The Dark Dance* (2020), as L'Impresario - *Harmonie* (2020), Actor - *Immortalist* (2020), as Paolo Spersoni - *Entree Des Artists* (2020), as Henry's Grandfather - *Havana Kyrie* (2019), as Vittorio Arditi De Bellis - *Christmas in Rome* (2019), as Luigi Forlinghetti - *Recon* (2019), as Angelo - *A Rose in Winter* (2019), as Rainer Praeger - *The Collini Case* (2019), as Fabrizio Collini - *Ed è subito sera* (2019), Actor - *Red Land* (2018), as Professor Ambrosin - *Iceman* (2017), as Ditob - *The Broken Key* (2017), as Hiram Abif - *Agony* (2017), as Carlo - *The Neighborhood* (2017), as Guglielmo - *Il crimine non va in pensione* (2017), as il primario - *The Lost City of Z* (2017), as Baron de Gondoriz - *The Time of Their Lives* (2017), as Alberto - *John Wick: Chapter 2* (2017), as Julius — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/john-wick-chapter-2.md) - *Delicious* (2016), series, as Joe Benelli - *Along the River* (2016), as Frank De Ville - *Earth* (2015), Actor - *Road to Capri* (2015), as Guido - *Figli di Maam* (2014), Actor - *Love Island* (2014), as Marquis Polesini - *Killer Mermaid* (2014), as Niko - *The Mystery of Dante* (2014), Executive Producer - *Obsessive Rhythms* (2014), as Carmine - *Django, Sartana, Trinita' et les autres…* (2014), as Lui-même - *Handy* (2013), as Frank The Black - *Memories They Told Me* (2013), as Paolo - *Django Unchained* (2012), as Amerigo Vessepi · Thanks — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md) - *The Last Alchemist* (2012), as Felix the Alchemist - *Crazy Dog* (2012), as Alvaro Genta - *New Order* (2012), as Dr. Cornelius Van Morgen - *Cars 2* (2011), as Uncle Topolino (voice) - *Father* (2011), as Enrico - *Rasputin* (2010), as Narratore - *Prigioniero di un segreto* (2010), as Il barbone - *Letters to Juliet* (2010), as Lorenzo - *Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine* (2010), as Augustinus (age 76) - *Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire* (2010), series, as Augustine of Hippo - *Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso* (2009), Actor - *Killing Is My Business, Honey* (2009), as Enrico Puzzo - *Rosamunde Pilcher's Four Seasons* (2008), series, as Max Freeman - *Márió, a varázsló* (2008), as Mario · Co-Producer - *A Night at the Grand Hotel* (2008), as Ferran Moreno - *Mein Herz in Chile* (2008), as Carlos Sanchez - *Mein Herz in Chile* (2008), series, as Carlos Sanchez - *Il sangue e la rosa* (2008), series, as Conte Uberto Mancini - *Bathory: Countess of Blood* (2008), as King Mathias - *La rabbia* (2008), as Mentore · Producer, Executive Producer - *Bastardi* (2008), as René Iuvara - *Mineurs* (2007), as Michele Acucella - *The Final Inquiry* (2007), as Caifa - *L'inchiesta - Anno Domini XXXIII* (2007), series, as Caifa - *Two Families* (2007), as Morandi - *The Holy Family* (2006), as Zachary - *Amore e libertà - Masaniello* (2006), as Vicerè - *Hans* (2006), as Giudice/barbone - *Giornata Nera* (2006), Actor - *Summer Solstice* (2005), as Lorenzo - *Forever Blues* (2005), as Luca · Producer, Director, Writer - *Vasco Rossi - È solo un rock'n'roll show* (2005), as Judge - *Rosamunde Pilcher - Magic of Love* (2005), series, Actor - *Post Coitum* (2004), as Bakchus - *Guardians of the Clouds* (2004), as Padre - *Bad Inclination* (2003), as Il barbone - *Der Fürst und das Mädchen* (2003), series, Actor - *The Uncrowned Heart* (2003), as Bear's Trainer - *The Last Gunfighter* (2002), as The pistolero - *Die achte Todsünde: Das Toskana-Karussell* (2002), as Giuseppe Mantaldo - *Ultimo stadio* (2002), as Antonio - *Fumata blanca* (2002), as Cardenal Tura - *Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaften* (2002), series, as Fashion Billionaire - *La ragion pura* (2001), as Marito - *The Crusaders* (2001), series, as Ibnazul - *Megiddo: The Omega Code 2* (2001), as General Francini - *La voce del sangue* (2001), series, as Antonio Castaldi - *Chimera* (2001), as Imprenditore - *Sacra Corona* (2001), as Bishop Gellért - *The Crusaders* (2001), as Ibnazul - *Saint Paul* (2000), as Gamaliel - *Saint Paul* (2000), series, as Gamaliel - *Winds of Passion* (2000), as Michele Giangrande - *Uninvited* (2000), as Ralph Barolo · Producer - *Mirka* (2000), as Il Sindaco - *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Roberto Distasio - *Li chiamarono... briganti!* (1999), as Caporale Nerza - *Talk of Angels* (1998), as Dr. Vicente Areavaga - *Il tesoro di Damasco* (1998), as Andrea - *The Versace Murder* (1998), as Gianni Versace - *Painted Lady* (1997), series, as Robert Tassi - *Bella Mafia* (1997), as Mario Domino - *Desert of Fire* (1997), series, as Marcel Duvivier - *The Medal* (1997), as Ing. Ferrero - *Rack Up* (1997), as Jesus Barro - *David* (1997), series, as Nathan - *David* (1997), as Natan - *Davide* (1997), series, as Nathan - *Desert of Fire* (1997), as Marcel Duvivier - *The Conquest* (1996), as Árpád vezér - *The Return of Sandokan* (1996), series, as Yogi Azim - *The Innocent Sleep* (1996), as Adolfo Cavani - *Io e il re* (1995), as Maggiore Ferri - *Jonathan of the Bears* (1995), as Jonathan · Producer, Story - *Desideria e l'anello del drago* (1995), series, as Dragon King - *Nemici intimi* (1994), series, as Lorenzo Stradella - *The Dragon Ring* (1994), as Dragon King - *Das Babylon Komplott* (1993), as Chris Lang - *Test of Memory* (1993), as Paul Herzog - *Der Fall Lucona* (1993), as Enzo Lombardi - *Azzurro profondo* (1993), as Luca Morinari - *Brothers and Sisters* (1992), as Franco - *Gold* (1992), as Gabriele da Poppi - *From Time to Time* (1992), as Leonard De Vinci - *Amelia Lópes O'Neill* (1992), as Fernando - *Young Catherine* (1991), series, as Count Vorontsov - *Touch and Die* (1991), as Aquani - *Breath of Life* (1990), as Angelo - *Die Hard 2* (1990), as General Ramon Esperanza — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/die-hard-2.md) - *I promessi sposi* (1989), series, as fra Cristoforo - *Blaues Blut* (1989), series, as Sandro Castellani - *A Double Victory* (1989), as Saverio Pallucca - *Magdalene* (1988), as Janza - *Young Toscanini* (1988), as Claudio Toscanini - *Top Line* (1988), as Ted Angelo - *Race to Danger* (1988), as Francis, il marinaio - *Run for Your Life* (1988), as Commissario - *Django Strikes Again* (1987), as Django - *The Girl* (1987), as Johan (John) Berg - *Sweet Country* (1987), as Paul - *Un altare per la madre* (1986), as - - *The Repenter* (1985), as Falco - *André schafft sie alle* (1985), as Andre - *Devil's Crude* (1985), as Nick - *Die Försterbuben* (1984), as Böhme - *The Last Days of Pompeii* (1984), series, as Arbaces - *The Hitchhiker* (1983), series, as Dr. Peter Milne - *The Falcon* (1983), as Banović Strahinja - *Red Bells Part II: I Saw the Birth of a New World* (1982), as John Reed - *Querelle* (1982), as Lieutenant Seblon - *Grog* (1982), as Nicola Fanelli - *Kamikaze '89* (1982), as Weiss - *Red Bells Part I: Mexico in Flames* (1982), as John Reed - *Le rose di Danzica* (1981), series, as Il generale Konrad Von Den Berg - *Enter the Ninja* (1981), as Cole - *The Salamander* (1981), as Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci - *The Man with Bogart's Face* (1980), as Hakim - *Day of the Cobra* (1980), as Larry Stanziani - *The Blue-Eyed Bandit* (1980), as Renzo Dominici - *The Shark Hunter* (1979), as Mike di Donato · Co-Producer - *Le rose di Danzica* (1979), as General Konrad von Der Berg - *Mimi* (1979), as Guido - *The Visitor* (1979), as Jesus Christ - *Force 10 from Navarone* (1978), as Lescovar - *The Pirate* (1977), series, as Baydr Al Fay - *Sahara Cross* (1977), as Jean Ballard - *Hitch Hike* (1977), as Walter Mancini - *21 Hours at Munich* (1976), as Issa - *Keoma* (1976), as Keoma - *Submission* (1976), as Armand - *Victory March* (1976), as Captain Asciutto - *The Legend of Valentino* (1975), as Rudolph Valentino - *The Flower in His Mouth* (1975), as Professore Michele Belcore - *Death Rite* (1975), as Sadry - *Cry, Onion!* (1975), as Onion Stark - *How to Kill a Judge* (1975), as Giacomo Solaris - *Smiling Maniacs* (1975), as Judge Dani - *Challenge to White Fang* (1974), as Jason Scott - *Street Law* (1974), as Carlo Antonelli - *The Last Four Days* (1974), as Walter Audisio - *Blood Brothers* (1974), as Nicola Bellizzi - *White Fang* (1973), as Jason Scott - *The Assassination of Matteotti* (1973), as Giacomo Matteotti - *High Crime* (1973), as Commissario Belli - *Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears* (1973), as Johnny Ears - *Redneck* (1973), as Mosquito - *The Monk* (1972), as Ambrosio - *Pope Joan* (1972), as Louis - *The Harder They Come* (1972), as Django (archive footage) - *Don't Turn the Other Cheek* (1971), as Prince Dimitri Vassilovich Vladek Orlowsky - *The Case Is Closed, Forget It* (1971), as Vanzi - *Vacation* (1971), as Osiride · Producer - *The Fifth Cord* (1971), as Andrea Bild - *Confessions of a Police Captain* (1971), as Sostituto Procuratore Traini - *Compañeros* (1970), as Yodlaf Peterson - *Dropout* (1970), as Bruno · Co-Producer - *The Virgin and the Gypsy* (1970), as The gypsy - *The Fifth Day of Peace* (1970), as Bruno Grauber - *Tristana* (1970), as Horacio - *The Battle of Neretva* (1969), as Capitano Michele Rossi - *Detective Belli* (1969), as Commissario Stefano Belli - *The Mercenary* (1968), as Sergei Kowalski, The Polish - *A Quiet Place in the Country* (1968), as Leonardo Ferri - *Sardinia Kidnapped* (1968), as Gavino - *The Day of the Owl* (1968), as Captain Bellodi - *Man, Pride and Vengeance* (1967), as José - *Camelot* (1967), as Lancelot Du Lac - *The Bible: In the Beginning...* (1966), as Abel · Still Photographer - *Texas, Adios* (1966), as Burt Sullivan - *Massacre Time* (1966), as Tom Corbett - *War of the Planets* (1966), as Lt. Jake Jacowitx - *The Wild, Wild Planet* (1966), as Lt. Jake - *The Third Eye* (1966), as Mino Alberti (as Frank Nero) - *Django* (1966), as Django - *The Hired Killer* (1966), as Tony Lo Bello - *The Tramplers* (1965), as Charley Garvey - *I Knew Her Well* (1965), as Italo - The garage attendant - *La Celestina P… R…* (1965), as Fabrizio - *Italian Engagement* (1964), Actor - *Un delitto* (1963), Actor - *Scorched Skin* (1962), Actor - *El Sobrino*, Actor - *La battaglia di Gorthene*, Actor - *Django Lives!*, as Django - *The Temptation Of Gracie*, Actor ## Gallery - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-4cd275fe6f87.jpg) Franco Nero — Omid Vahabzadeh, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Franco_Nero%2C_36th_Fajr_International_Film_Festival_%2886250%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Franco Nero bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016.](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-13831009152e.jpg) Franco Nero bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016. — 9EkieraM1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/2016-02-01_1097_Franco_Nero.JPG/1280px-2016-02-01_1097_Franco_Nero.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Franco Nero bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016.](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-9a9abc5e0c25.jpg) Franco Nero bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016. — 9EkieraM1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/2016-02-01_1097_Franco_Nero_%28cropped%29.JPG/1280px-2016-02-01_1097_Franco_Nero_%28cropped%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Franco Nero bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016.](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-1c5c61818b91.jpg) Franco Nero bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016. — 9EkieraM1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/2016-02-01_Franco_Nero_%282%29.jpg/1280px-2016-02-01_Franco_Nero_%282%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-8f0fc7cad347.jpg) Franco Nero — Image via TMDB - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-e280d936cc01.jpg) Franco Nero — Image via TMDB - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-be914fd97946.jpg) Franco Nero — Image via TMDB - ![Franco Nero und Kriemhild Siegel bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016.](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-50467fc815a6.jpg) Franco Nero und Kriemhild Siegel bei der Lambertz Monday Night, im Februar 2016. — 9EkieraM1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/2016-02-01_Franco_Nero_u_Kriemhild_Siegel.jpg/1280px-2016-02-01_Franco_Nero_u_Kriemhild_Siegel.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Ceduľa Artist´s Mission Award (Hercova misia) na MFF Art Film pripevnená na starom moste slávy v Trenčianských Tepliciach. (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-6b76675c1b92.jpg) Ceduľa Artist´s Mission Award (Hercova misia) na MFF Art Film pripevnená na starom moste slávy v Trenčianských Tepliciach. (2024) — Pilifo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Art_Film_Fest_%281995%29_%E2%80%93_Franco_Nero.jpg/1280px-Art_Film_Fest_%281995%29_%E2%80%93_Franco_Nero.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-c64e5d2685da.jpg) Franco Nero — Image via TMDB - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-acb3f92c86aa.jpg) Franco Nero — Image via TMDB - ![Franco Nero](https://film.one/media/person/322671/gallery-3265a14f62bc.jpg) Franco Nero — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 2 won - Time Machine Award 2014: Time Machine Award (won) - Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 1992: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/franco-nero