FRANCO NERO BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Franco Nero was born on November 23rd, 1941 in San Prospero Parmense, Emilia-Romagna, Italy with the birth name Francesco Sparanero.  He was raised in a strict household in Italy and as a young boy, he began to develop an interest in the arts.
 
He first developed a liking for photographer and at one time worked as a painting photographer.  After high school he studied economics and trade at the Milan university and also began getting work appearing in a number of Italian novels.
 
He was discovered by director John Huston and it was just a matter of time before film roles began to come his direction.  Some of his earlier roles were in, "Le Celestina P…E…" (1965), "The Bible: In the Beginning" (1966), "Django" (1966), "Massacre Time" (1966), "Camelot" (1967), "Texas addio" (1967), "The Battle of Neretva" (1969), "Tristana" (1970) and Force 10 From Navarone" (1978) starring Harrison Ford, Robert Shaw, Barbara Bachand Carl Weathers.
 
As his career continued he portrayed the character, Cole in the film, "Enter the Ninja" (1981) followed by one of his most well known roles in, "Die Hard 2" (1990) starring Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, William Sadler, John Amos, Fred Thompson and Dennis Franz, portraying a terrorist, 'General Esperanza'.  Over the course of his career he has appeared in over 150 films.
 
In addition to his film work, he has added such television series credits as, "Love, Lies, Passion", "Four Seasons", "Law & Order" and "The Hitchhiker". 
 
Franco Nero has married only once to Vanessa Redgrave whom he wed in 2006 and together they have one child and remain married today.  Most recently he has appeared on the big screen in such features as, "New Order" (2012), "Canepazzo" (2012), "The Woods" (2012) and still in production to be released soon, "Django Unchained" and "The Wizard Hunter: The Hunt for Evangelion Crowley" (both 2012).
 
Along with his work as an actor, he has also been involved on the other side of the industry as a producer, writer and director, producing such films as, "Dropout" (1970), "Mimi" (1983), "Uninvited" (1999) and "La rabbia" (2008) among many others.  He is also involved with a variety of charities and in 2011, was honored with a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Canada. 
 
 
Filmography

2013   The Wizard Hunter: The Hunt for Evangelion Crowley 

2012   Django Unchained
 
2012   The Woods

2012   Dante's Inferno Animated

2012   Canepazzo
 
2012   New Order 

2011   Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 

2011   Cars 2
 
2010   Rasputin

2010   Prigioniero di un segreto

2010   Letters to Juliet 
 
2010   Angelus Hiroshimae 

2010   Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire

2009   Palestrina - princeps musicae

2009   Lullaby

2009   Killing Is My Business, Honey
 
2008   Four Seasons

2008   Ti stramo: Ho voglia di un'ultima notte da manuale prima di tre baci sopra il cielo
 
2008   A Night at the Grand Hotel

2008   Mein Herz in Chile

2008   Il sangue e la rosa
 
2008   Una storia di lupi

2008   Bathory: Countess of Blood

2008   La rabbia
 
2008   Bastardi

2008   Márió, a varázsló 

2007   Der Fürst und das Mädchen
 
2007   Mineurs

2007   Two Families 

2006   The Holy Family 
 
2006   Amore e libertà - Masaniello

2006   Hans

2005   Summer Solstice
 
2005   Forever Blues

2004   Guardiani delle nuvole 

2004   Post coitum 
 
2003   Cattive inclinazioni

2003   The Uncrowned Heart

2003   Love, Lies, Passions
 
2002   L'ultimo pistolero

2002   Die 8. Todsünde: Das Toskana-Karussell

2002   White Smoke 

2002   Ultimo stadio

2001   Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
 
2001   The Sleeping Wife

2001   Sacra Corona 

2001   Chimera 
 
2001   Gli angeli dell'isola verde

2001   Crociati

2000   St. Paul
 
2000   Winds of Passion

2000   Mirka

1999   Uninvited 
 
1999   Brigands

1999   La voce del sangue

1998   Talk of Angels
 
1998   Il tesoro di Damasco

1998   The Versace Murder

1997   Painted Lady
 
1997   Nessuno escluso

1997   Bella Mafia 

1997   Il tocco: la sfida 
 
1997   David

1997   La medaglia

1997   Deserto di fuoco 
 
1996   The Conquest

1996   The Return of Sandokan

1996   Ha-Italkim Ba'im
 
1996   The Innocent Sleep 

1995   Jonathan degli orsi

1995   Io e il re
 
1994   Nemici intimi

1994   The Dragon Ring

1993   Das Babylon Komplott
 
1993   Azzurro profondo

1993   Der Fall Lucona 

1992   Fratelli e sorelle 
 
1992   Crimson Dawn 

1992   From Time to Time

1992   Touch and Die
 
1992   Zoloto

1991   Julianus barát

1991   Amelia Lópes O'Neill
 
1991   Young Catherine

1990   Breath of Life

1990   Die Hard 2
 
1990   Blaues Blut

1989   Il Magistrato 

1989   The Betrothed
 
1989   Oggi ho vinto anch'io

1989   Magdalene 

1988   Young Toscanini
 
1988   Top Line

1988   Tre giorni ai tropici 

1988   Windmills of the Gods 
 
1988   Pygmalion 88

1988   Run for Your Life

1987   Django 2: il grande ritorno
 
1987   The Girl

1987   Il generale 

1987   Sweet Country
 
1986   Un altare per la madre

1985   The Repenter

1985   The Hitchhiker
 
1985   André schafft sie alle

1985   Un marinaio e mezzo 

1984   Die Försterbuben
 
1984   The Last Days of Pompeii

1983   Wagner

1983   Krasnye kolokola, film vtoroy - Ya videl rozhdenie novogo mira
 
1983   Mimi

1982   Krasnye kolokola, film pervyy - Meksika v ogne

1982   Grog
 
1982   Querelle

1982   Kamikaze 89

1981   Le rose di Danzica
 
1981   Enter the Ninja 

1981   Banovic Strahinja

1981   The Salamander
 
1980   Il giorno del Cobra 

1980   Il bandito dagli occhi azzurri 

1980   Sam Marlow, Private Eye
 
1979   Il cacciatore di squali

1979   The Visitor 

1978   The Pirate
 
1978   Force 10 from Navarone 

1978   Sahara Cross 

1977   Hitch Hike
 
1976   Keoma

1976   21 Hours at Munich

1976   Scandal 
 
1976   Death Rite 

1976   Victory March

1976   Cipolla Colt
 
1976   How to Kill a Judge

1975   The Legend of Valentino

1975   The Flower in His Mouth
 
1975   Smiling Maniacs 

1974   Challenge to White Fang 

1974   Street Law 
 
1974   The Last 4 Days

1974   I guappi

1973   Zanna Bianca
 
1973   La polizia incrimina la legge assolve

1973   Il delitto Matteotti

1973   Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears 
 
1973   Senza ragione

1972   Le moine

1972   Pope Joan
 
1971   Don't Turn the Other Cheek

1971   L'istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi 
 
1971   La vacanza 

1971   Giornata nera per l'ariete

1971   Confessions of a Police Captain 
 
1970   Dropout

1970   Companeros 

1970   The Fifth Day of Peace 
 
1970   The Virgin and the Gypsy 

1970   Tristana 

1969   The Battle of Neretva 
 
1969   Un detective 

1969   Sequestro di persona 

1968   Un tranquillo posto di campagna
 
1968   A Professional Gun 

1968   Pride and Vengeance 

1968   Mafia 

1967   Texas addio
 
1967   Camelot 

1966   The Bible: In the Beginning... 

1966   Goodbye Texas 
 
1966   Massacre Time 

1966   The Third Eye 

1966   The War of the Planets
 
1966   Django 

1966   Hired Killer 

1965   The Tramplers 
 
1965   I Knew Her Well

1965   La Celestina P... R... 

1965   I criminali della galassia 
 
1964   Engagement Italiano