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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/franco_nero.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:300:Nero in ''Film/{{Camelot}}'']]
3->''"I could be a star and maybe make lots of money, or I could change roles all the time and have a more interesting - and longer - career."''
4
5Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), better known as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor and director.
6
7After a few supporting roles, his BreakthroughHit was as the titular character in the classic SpaghettiWestern ''Film/{{Django}}'', which shot him to superstar status and made him one of the highest-grossing actors in Italy, which he eventually parlayed into a successful career in Hollywood. He's regarded as one of the icons of Spaghetti Western and ''poliziotteschi'' (Italian crime film) genres that's earned him cult status.
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9Off-camera, he's known for his years-long relationship with Creator/VanessaRedgrave, that eventually culiminated in their marriage in 2006.
10
11----
12!!His filmography includes:
13
14* 1965 ''Film/IKnewHerWell'' as Italo
15* 1966 ''Film/{{Django}}'' as Django
16* 1966 ''[[Film/TheBible1966 The Bible: In the Beginning...]]'' as Abel
17* 1967 ''Theatre/{{Camelot}}'' as Lancelot
18* 1970 ''Film/{{Tristana}}'' as Horacio
19* 1970 ''Film/{{Companeros}}'' as Yodalf Peterson
20* 1971 ''Film/DontTurnTheOtherCheek'' as Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky
21* 1973 ''Literature/WhiteFang'' as Jason Scott
22* 1976 ''Film/{{Keoma}}'' as Keoma Shannon
23* 1978 ''Film/ForceTenFromNavarone'' as Captain Lescovar
24* 1979 ''Film/TheVisitor'' as Jesus
25* 1981 ''Enter The Ninja'' as Cole
26* 1982 ''Film/{{Querelle}}'' as Lietenant Seblon
27* 1990 ''Film/DieHard2'' as General Esperanza
28* 2010 ''Film/LettersToJuliet'' Lorenzo Bartolini
29* 2011 ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'' as Uncle Topolino
30* 2011 ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' as Roberto Distasio
31* 2012 ''Film/DjangoUnchained'' as Amerigo Vessepi
32* 2016 ''Film/TheLostCityOfZ'' as Baron de Gondoriz
33* 2017 ''Film/JohnWickChapter2'' as Julius
34* 2017 ''Film/{{Iceman|2017}}'' as Ditob
35* 2021 ''Film/OffTheRails2021'' as Giovanni
36* 2023 ''Film/ThePopesExorcist'' as the Pope
37
38----
39!!Tropes:
40
41* ClassicallyTrainedExtra: Nero apprenticed at the acclaimed [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccolo_Teatro_(Milan) Piccolo Teatro]] in Milan and performed Shakespeare and other classical roles on stage early in his career. He was reluctant at first to play ''Film/{{Django}}'' because he feared taking a role in a Western would prevent critics from taking him seriously. His fears proved unfounded, and Nero still got to play dramatic parts occasionally alongside his more famous action roles.
42* FakeNationality: He played the deposed Latino dictator of a BananaRepublic in ''Film/DieHard2'', a French knight in ''Theatre/{{Camelot}}'', and a Texan martial artist in ''Enter the Ninja''. He also his fair share of [[FakeAmerican Americans]] and non-Italian Europeans in his [[SpaghettiWestern Spaghetti Westerns]].
43** In ''Film/ForceTenFromNavarone'', he plays a Nazi German spy disguised as a Yugoslavian partisan.
44* FakeMixedRace: He played a half-Native American Civil War veteran in ''Film/{{Keoma}}''.
45* HeAlsoDid:
46** Technically began the ninja craze in films in the 80s by starring in the first Cannon ninja movie.
47** Recorded a music album, and directed a film in 2005.
48* RealLifeRelative: He's starred opposite his real-life romantic partner Creator/VanessaRedgrave many times, beginning with ''Film/{{Camelot}}''.

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