Franco Zeffirelli
Director · Writer
96 years (Feb 12, 1923 – Jun 15, 2019)Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Franco Zeffirelli is an Italian director by trade with a body of work that has to be looked up rather than recognized. 1958 is the year the credit list begins. The record leans toward drama. At 55 credits, this is a career of some volume. 'Romeo and Juliet' is the one title here with a genuinely wide audience. Elsewhere on the record sits 'Hamlet'. He earned a the Academy Award nomination for 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Franco Zeffirelli
Director · Writer
Franco Zeffirelli is an Italian director by trade with a body of work that has to be looked up rather than recognized. 1958 is the year the credit list begins. The record leans toward drama. At 55 credits, this is a career of some volume. 'Romeo and Juliet' is the one title here with a genuinely wide audience. Elsewhere on the record sits 'Hamlet'. He earned a the Academy Award nomination for 'Romeo and Juliet'.
48 Movies
Director
Endless Love
1981
Director
Romeo and Juliet
1968
Director
The Taming of the Shrew
1967
Director
Jane Eyre
1996
Director
The Champ
1979
Director
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
1972
Director
Hamlet
1990
Director
Tea with Mussolini
1999
Director
Pagliacci
1987
Director
Puccini: La Bohème
2008
Director
The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
2019
Director
Callas Forever
2002
Director
La traviata
1982
Director
Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci
1978
Director
La Bohème - Teatro alla Scala
1965
Director
Falstaff
1993
Director
Sparrow
1994
Director
Turandot
1987
Director
Camping
1958
Director
Otello
1986
Director
Young Toscanini
1988
Director
Tosca
1985
1 TV Shows
Latest Trailers
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Full Filmography
The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Director
2025
Georges Bizet: Carmen
Director
2022
Turandot
Director
2022
The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
Director
2022
Arena di Verona: Il Trovatore
Director
2020
La Bohème - Wiener Staatsoper
Director
2019
The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
Director
2019
La Traviata - Arena di Verona
Director
2019
The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Director
2018
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Franco Zeffirelli still alive?
Franco Zeffirelli passed away on June 15, 2019 at age 96.
What are the most famous roles of Franco Zeffirelli?
Franco Zeffirelli is best known for directing Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Endless Love.
How many movies has Franco Zeffirelli directed?
Over a 61-year career (since 1958), Franco Zeffirelli has directed or written 48 films and worked on 1 TV shows.
What was Franco Zeffirelli's first movie?
The career of Franco Zeffirelli began with Omaggio a Roma ().
What is Franco Zeffirelli's most recent movie or series?
Franco Zeffirelli's most recent release is The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème, which premiered on November 8, 2025.
What TV shows has Franco Zeffirelli created or directed?
On television, Franco Zeffirelli has appeared in Jesus of Nazareth.
Franco Zeffirelli
1923-02-12 · Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli KBE, Grande Ufficiale OMRI (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), commonly known as Franco Zeffirelli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfraŋko dzeffiˈrɛlli]), was an Italian director and producer of operas, films and television. He was also a senator from 1994 until 2001 for the Italian centre-right Forza Italia party.
Some of his operatic designs and productions have become worldwide classics.
He was also known for several of the movies he directed, especially the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, for which he received an Academy Award nomination. His 1967 version of The Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton remains the best-known film adaptation of that play as well. His miniseries Jesus of Nazareth (1977) won both national and international acclaim and is still frequently shown on Christmas and Easter in many countries.
A Grande Ufficiale OMRI of the Italian Republic since 1977, Zeffirelli also received an honorary British knighthood in 2004 when he was created a KBE. He was awarded the Premio Colosseo in 2009 by the city of Rome.