FRANCO NERO (ACTOR)

Born	Francesco Sparanero 23 November 1941 (age 72) San Prospero, Parma, Italy
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1962–present
Spouse(s)	Vanessa Redgrave (2006–present)
										Blue-eyed well-built Italian actor Franco Nero, once was a painting photographer, when he was discovered as an actor by director John Huston. Grew up in provincial northern Italian town in the family of a strict police sergeant, Nero got on the scene at six-years-old. Studied economics and trade in Milan University and, during that time, he was appearing in popular Italian photo-novels. This gave him a chance to gain a little role in Carlo Lizzani's La Celestina P... R... (1965). Year later, the handsome face of Nero was noticed by John Huston who chose him for the role of "Abel" in The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966) (aka La Bibbia). But success came after he got the role of the lonely gunfighter, dragging a coffin in one of the best spaghetti-westerns; Sergio Corbucci's Django (1966). Nero then filmed a few other westerns of that style as Ferdinando Baldi's Goodbye Texas (1966) and Lucio Fulci's Massacre Time (1966) and furthered his career by filming in all genres of the cinema and TV. During filming of Joshua Logan's _Camelot (1967), he met actress Vanessa Redgrave, who become his long-time partner. Played with Catherine Deneuve in Luis Buñuel's Tristana (1970) and with Sergey Bondarchuk in the war drama The Battle of Neretva (1969). Later, director Bondarchuk cast Nero for the role of famous American reporter "John Reed" in two-part "Krasnye kolokola II" (1982). In the late 60s and during the 70s, Nero played many different roles, but most of them connected with political and criminal genre, criticized Italian justice system. In the early 80s, Nero was chosen for the role of the white ninja, "Cole", in Enter the Ninja (1981) and in 1990 as terrorist "Gen. Esperanza", opposite Bruce Willis in Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2 (1990). Being a personage from more than 25 different nationalities; from Russian to American, from Egyptian to Israeli, with 150 roles. He worked with the top European directors from Carlo Lizzani, Damiano Damiani, Luigi Zampa, Luis Buñuel, Elio Petri, Mihalis Kakogiannis, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Claude Chabrol, 'Vatroslav Mimica', Marco Bellocchio, etc. At the beginning of the 80s, he also began producing, writing and directing. Between films, he participates in various theatrical events. Apart from his cinematographic work, Nero also works for charitable organizations.Franco Nero, a leading actor in international cinema, was born in Parma (Northern Italy). His inclination for acting had already become obvious in his teenage years when he began organizing and participating in student plays. After a short stint at a leading theater school, he moved to Rome where he joined a small group of friends for the purpose of making some documentaries. Still unsure of his ultimate vocation, he worked various jobs on the crew. The role as Abel in John Houston's film "The Bible" marked a crucial point in his career. A few months later he had his big break with the internationally acclaimed cult-classic Spaghetti-Western "Django". The following year Joshua Logan cast him in the film version of "Camelot" (Warner Bros.), opposite Vanessa Redgrave, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award. Nero has appeared in more than 195 movies around the world and has worked with Europe's top directors, such as Luis Bunuel, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Claude Chabrol, Sergei Bondarciuk, Michael Cacoyannis, Elio Petri, Marco Bellocchio, Enzo G. Castellari, just to mention a few. He has also payed the roles of leading national heroes, such as "Garibaldi" (Italy), "Arpad" (Hungary", "Banovic Strahinja" (Yugoslavia). In the USA he has been in successful mini-series such as "The Pirate" (Warner Bros), "The Last Days of Pompeii" (CBS), "Young Catherine" (TNT), "Bella Mafia" (CBS), "The Painted Lady", "Saint Augustine", and movies such as "The Legend of Valentino", "21 Hours to Munich", "Force 10 from Navarone", "Enter the Ninja", "The Versace Murder", "Die Hard 2", and recently "Letters to Juliet". At the beginning of the 80's, he also began producing, writing and directing. Between films, he participates in various theatrical events. Over the last 45 years he has been a benefactor of the Don Bosco orphanage in Tivoli. He has received many awards and in 1992 for his artistic merits a knighthood of the Italian Republic was bestowed on him by the President of Italy. In 2011 he was honored by Brunel University of London with the honorary degree of doctor of Letters honoris causa and in Toronto with a star on the walk of fame. Trivia (7) Father, with Vanessa Redgrave, of Carlo Gabriel Nero. His luggage always includes a suitcase full with medicines. Gave away Natasha Richardson at her wedding to Liam Neeson. Stepfather of Joely Richardson and the late Natasha Richardson. Brother-in-law of Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave. Son-in-law of Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. His appearance with wife-to-be Vanessa Redgrave in Uninvited (1999), marked the only time the couple were directed by their only son Carlo Gabriel Nero. Personal Quotes (3) [interview in Toronto Globe and Mail, 11/12/1982] I would speak to Vanessa's [Vanessa Redgrave] father [Sir Michael Redgrave], or Laurence Olivier or John Gielgud, and they told me that, at a certain point, I had to make a choice. 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. People will criticize you, they said, but if you keep changing, you'll win in the end. on 11/27/1978] I was working as a set photographer on [Dino De Laurentiis'] The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966). Director John Huston had seen a photo of me and said, "That's the face I want". [to L.A. Times columnist Roderick Mann] If you're a big Hollywood star, you make one movie a year at the most. I can make five in Europe.