Franco Nero Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Franco Nero
Nero in 2016
Born	Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (1941-11-23) 23 November 1941 (age 83) San Prospero Parmense, Parma, Italy
Occupation	Actor, producer, director
Years active	1962–present
Spouse(s)	Vanessa Redgrave (m. 2006)
Children	2, including Carlo
Relatives	Natasha Richardson (stepdaughter) Joely Richardson (stepdaughter)

Franco Nero is a famous Italian actor, producer, and director. His real name is Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero, and he was born on November 23, 1941. He became very well-known for his role as the main character in the 1966 Western film Django. This movie made him a popular figure around the world. Since then, he has acted in over 200 movies and TV shows.

Franco Nero has been in many different types of films, especially popular Italian movies from the 1960s and 1970s. Some of his most famous films include The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966), Camelot (1967), Die Hard 2 (1990), Cars 2 (2011), and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). He has a long relationship with actress Vanessa Redgrave, whom he met while filming Camelot. They married in 2006 and have a son named Carlo Gabriel Nero.

Early Life and Education
Acting Career Highlights
Personal Life and Family
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Franco Nero was born Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense, Italy. His father was an officer in the Carabinieri, which is Italy's national police force. Franco grew up in Bedonia and Milan. He briefly studied at a university before deciding to pursue acting. He then went to study at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, a famous theater school.

Acting Career Highlights

Nero as the title character in Django (1966)

Franco Nero's first small role in a film was in Pelle viva in 1962. His big break came in 1966 when he starred as Django in the Western film Django. This movie was a huge success and helped him become an international star. In the same year, he appeared in eight more films, including Texas, Adios and Massacre Time.

In 1967, Franco Nero played the role of Lancelot in the movie Camelot. It was during the filming of this movie that he met Vanessa Redgrave, who would later become his wife. He also appeared in the crime film The Day of the Owl in 1968.

Even though English was not his first language, Franco Nero acted in several English-language films. These included The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Enter the Ninja (1981), and Die Hard 2 (1990).

Nero with Charlotte Rampling in Sardinia Kidnapped (1968)

Franco Nero has played many different kinds of characters throughout his career. He was Abel in the epic film The Bible: In The Beginning (1966) and a determined engineer seeking revenge in Street Law. He also played a Serbian medieval hero in The Falcon (1983). He has acted in over 150 films and even wrote, produced, and starred in one of his own, Jonathan of the Bears (1993).

In recent years, Franco Nero has continued to act in many films. In 2010, he appeared in Letters to Juliet alongside Vanessa Redgrave. In 2011, he had a guest role in the TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. That same year, he received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Canada.

In 2012, Franco Nero made a special guest appearance in the movie Django Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino. In this scene, he met the new Django, played by Jamie Foxx, and they shared a memorable moment. He also appeared in the dark comedy film The Immortalist in 2020. In June 2024, a drama film called The Estate finished filming. Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, and their son Carlo Gabriel Nero were executive producers on this film, which Carlo also wrote and directed. Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave also starred in it. In May 2025, Franco Nero joined the cast of an upcoming film called Roma elastica.

Personal Life and Family

Nero with his son Carlo in 1979

Franco Nero's romantic relationship with English actress Vanessa Redgrave began in 1966 when they were working on the film Camelot. In 1969, they had a son named Carlo Gabriel Redgrave Sparanero, who is known as Carlo Gabriel Nero. Carlo is a screenwriter and director. After being apart for many years, Franco and Vanessa reunited and got married on December 31, 2006. Carlo Nero directed Vanessa Redgrave in the movie The Fever.

Franco Nero also has another son, Frank Sparanero, who was born in 1983. Frank is also an actor, as well as an artist, architect, and photographer. Franco Nero was also close to Vanessa Redgrave's daughter, Natasha Richardson. He walked her down the aisle when she married actor Liam Neeson in 1994.