Victor Mature

Additional films by Victor Mature include The Egyptian (1954) and Chief Crazy Horse (1955). While working on Camelot he became close to Vanessa Redgrave, and in 1969 they had a son, Carlo Gabriel Nero, a screen-writer and director. Demille's Bible epic, Samson and Delilah. He has appeared in almost 150 films and has written, produced and starred in one - Jonathan degli orsi (1993). Victor also starred with Hedy Lamarr in Cecil B. Although often typecast in films like Los amigos (1972) or Keoma (1976) he has attempted an impressive range of characters, like Abel in John Huston's epic The Bible (1966) and the gay lieutenant in Querelle (1982). Both films deal with the fate of the robe worn by Jesus before the crucifixion. A certain lack of facility with English tended to limit these roles, although he also appeared in other English language films including The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), Force 10 From Navarone (1978) and Die Hard 2 (1990).

For the next decade, Mature settled into playing hard-boiled characters in a range of genres such as westerns and Biblical films, such as The Robe (with Richard Burton and Jean Simmons) and the popular sequel to The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators (with Susan Hayward). In 1967 he appeared in his first English language film, Camelot as Lancelot. After the war, Mature was cast by John Ford in My Darling Clementine, playing Doc Holliday opposite Henry Fonda's Wyatt Earp. In 1966 from Django he went on to appear in eight more films released that year including Texas, Addio and Tempo di Massacro. However, with the US entry into World War II, Mature entered military service. His first film role was a small part in La Ragazza in Prestito (1964), he had his first lead role in Sergio Corbucci's Django (1966) a Spaghetti Western and one of his most well-known films. His first leading role was as a fur-clad caveman in One Million B.C. (1940), after which he joined 20th Century Fox to star opposite actresses such as Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth. He studied briefly at the Facoltà di Economia e Commercio before leaving to study at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano.

He was most commonly associated with the term "beefcake" due to his muscular physique and stolid onscreen manner. He was born Franco Spartanero in San Prospero and grew up in Bedonia and Milan. Victor Mature (born in Louisville, Kentucky; 1915–1999) was an American film actor. Franco Nero (November 23, 1941) is an Italian actor.