Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero Dated In the 1960s and Reconnected 30 Years Later—All About Their Relationship

Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero traveled far and wide to find each other as Claire and Lorenzo in the 2010 film, Letters to Juliet, and the actors had a fairly similar journey in real life.

The couple first met in 1967 while working on the musical film Camelot, where Vanessa Redgrave starred as Guinevere and Franco Nero played Sir Lancelot. Though their relationship didn’t begin romantically, the two soon fell in love. Here’s a look at how their story began—and where it has taken them over the years.

Vanessa and Franco’s not so meet cute

The sweet pair haven’t always been as in love as they are today. When Redgrave and Nero were cast in Camelot, Nero wasn’t so sure that she was the right girl for the role. When recalling their first meeting, he shared it definitely wasn’t love at first sight. 

“It was terrible!” Nero said. “I see this woman with blue jeans with holes, no makeup, glasses. I asked the director, ‘Are you sure you made the right choice?’”

Of course, the choice was a good one as Camelot was a huge success, winning three Academy Awards and marking the beginning of Redgrave and Nero’s love story. At the time, the actress had recently separated from her husband, director Tony Richardson, with whom she had two daughters, actresses Natasha and Joely Richardson. Before long, she and Nero had fallen for each other.

In 1969, the couple welcomed a child together, son Carlo Nero, who later went on to become a screenwriter and film director. While they had a lot of love, Nero and Redgrave eventually split up around 1971 or 1972 and lived separate lives, though they never truly let go of one another. 

“We had plenty of times when we weren’t speaking to each other, or when we were shouting at each other. Life is sometimes very ­complicated,” says Nero. “I always loved her.”

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Redgrave and Nero rekindle their love

While they were apart, both Nero and Redgrave moved on. Redgrave entered a long-term relationship with former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton, and she and Nero shared time with their son.

“After we split up, Franco and I both had other relationships, but we never lost touch, never stopped caring for each other, because… well, because we had a son who we loved very much,” Redgrave said.  

But in the mid-1990s, Redgrave and Nero rekindled their friendship, with love following soon after. On New Year’s Eve 2006, they finally decided to tie the knot. 

“When you rediscover love, it’s even stronger,” Nero said. “It’s not physical anymore, it’s something deep. You’re not impatient to turn somebody into something they’re not. You just love them for who they are.”

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In 2010, both stars were cast in Letters to Juliet, which mirrored their real life journey of separating and finding each other years later. Their real relationship brought a different level of authenticity and chemistry to the film. 

Now, the couple has been married for about 20 years and they are still going strong. In a 2020 interview, Nero opened up about how they keep their spark alive. 

“I am very romantic,” he shared. “I’m a man who loves to dream. She loves flowers, so I have to do that. Romanticism is a wonderful thing. It’s something that belongs in our life… When she comes, I like to take her to the beach and just walk, even in the winter time. I do very romantic things.”