NERO, FRANCO

(1941-)

(Born Francesco Sparanero.) Actor. Abandoning a university degree in economics, Nero studied acting at the Piccolo Teatro of Milan before moving to Rome to make his screen debut in a small part in Alfredo Gianetti'sLa ragazza inprestito(Engagement Italiano, 1964). A year later he began appearing in a wide variety of films, from B-graders likeAntonioMargheriti'sI criminali della galassia(Wild, Wild Planet, 1965) to art films likeCarlo Lizzani'sLa Celestina P. R. (Celestial Maid at Your Service, 1965) andAntonio Pietrangeli'sIo la conoscevo bene(I Knew Her Well, 1966).He soon made his mark in what would remain one of his most famous roles, as the deadly tongue-in-cheek gunslinger inSergio Corbucci'sDjango(1966). He subsequently played Abel in John Huston's production ofThe Bible:In the Beginning(1966) and his rugged good looks and flashing blue eyes made him a natural choice for the part of Lancelot in Joshua Logan'sCamelot(1967). While filmingCamelothe met English actress Vanessa Redgrave, who became his long-term partner. A year later, with a growing international reputation, he received theDavid di Donatellofor his interpretation of Captain Bellodi inDamiano Damiani's adaptation of Leonardo Sciascia's mafia novel,Il giorno della civetta(The Day of the Owl, 1968).

Nero continued to appear in a host of films in the 1970s, alternating with ease between Italian and foreign productions, and between popular genre and auteur cinema. Alongside Westerns likeViva la muerte. . .tua!(Don't Turn the Other Cheek, 1971) and crime thrillers such asIl cittadino si ribelle(The Citizen Rebels, 1973), he also appeared in Luis Bunuel'sTristana(1970) and played the ill-fated Socialist deputy, Giacomo Matteotti, inFlorestano Vancini'sIl delitto Matteotti(The Assassination of Matteotti, 1973). For the next two decades he continued to exhibit an enormous versatility as he moved between international action thrillers likeEnter the Ninja(1981) andDie Hard 2(1990) and auteur films like Rainer Werner Fassbinder'sQuerelle(1982) andPupi Avati'sFratelli e sorelle(Brothers and Sisters, 1992). The 1990s, however, saw him less on the big screen and more on European television, featuring in everything from German telefilms such asDas Babylon Komplott(The Babylon Conspiracy, 1993) to Italian miniseries such asDesideria e l'anello del drago(The Dragon Ring, 1994). In 2003, after appearing in almost 150 films, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Milano Film Festival. Still much in demand as an actor, he also tried his hand at producing and directing inForever Blues(2005), a much-praised effort that was awarded the Fregene Fellini Prize for direction.