Franco Nero to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Franco Nero attends the Cartier Glory To The Filmmaker Award 2025 and the "In the Hand of Dante" red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 03, 2025 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage)
LOS ANGELES - Italian cinema icon Franco Nero receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, marking a prolific six-decade career spanning over 200 international film projects.
The ceremony precedes a lifetime achievement gala held in his honor this evening.
What we know:
Nero, born Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero, is being recognized for his massive contributions to global cinema.
Joining him at the podium are Julian Schnabel, who recently directed Nero in "In the Hand of Dante," and Tiziana Rocco of the Filming Italy Los Angeles festival.
The backstory:
Nero had his first lead role in the 1966 Spaghetti Western "Django," as a dismissed Union soldier turned gunslinger. He would reprise the role in its 1987 sequel, "Django Strikes Again" He also had a cameo role in Quentin Tarantino's revisionist Western, "Django Unchained."
In his first American film, "The Bible," Nero portrayed Able. He portrayed Lancelot in the 1967 musical, "Camelot," but Gene Merlino provided Lancelot's singing voice.
Nero has been directed by John Huston ("The Bible"); Rainer Werner Fassbinder ("Querelle"); Luis Buñuel ("Tristana"); Franco Zeffirelli ("Young Toscanini"); Elio Petri ("A Quiet Place in the Country"); and Giuliano Montaldo ("The Fifth Day of Peace").
Nero's other films include "Force 10 from Navarone" and "Die Hard 2."
What's next:
Following the star unveiling, Nero will be celebrated at the DGA Theatre as part of the Filming Italy Los Angeles festival.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. City News Service contributed.