Cast & creator
Franco Zeffirelli
Best known for The South Bank Show, Vivement dimanche, Apostrophes
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.
Also known as: Gianfranco Corsi
127
film credits
17
television credits
33
1947–2025 · acting roles
7.2
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (144)
Showing 144 of 144 credits
The South Bank Show
1978
Vivement dimanche
Self
1998
Apostrophes
Self
1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
1975
Spécial cinéma
Self
1974
Le Grand Échiquier
Self
1972Film '72
Self
1971aspekte
Self
1965
Legends
Self
2006
Jesus of Nazareth
Director
1977Jesus of Nazareth
Writer
1977Jesus of Nazareth
Creator
1977Sternstunde Kunst
Self
1998
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
Self (archive footage)
2023
Tempo
Self
1961
Endless Love
Director
1981
Romeo and Juliet
Director
1968Romeo and Juliet
Screenplay
1968
Television
1985
The Taming of the Shrew
Director
1967The Taming of the Shrew
Screenplay
1967The Taming of the Shrew
Producer
1967
Who's Afraid of Opera?
Costume Designer
1972
Jane Eyre
Screenplay
1996Jane Eyre
Director
1996
The Champ
Director
1979
Hamlet
Director
1990Hamlet
Screenplay
1990
Tea with Mussolini
Novel
1999Tea with Mussolini
Director
1999
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Self - Director
2014
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Director
1972Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Screenplay
1972
The King of Ads
Director
1991
Puccini: La Bohème
Director
2008Puccini: La Bohème
Stage Director
2008
Luchino Visconti
Self
2002
The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
Production Design
2019The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
Set Designer
2019The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
Director
2019
The Bachelor
First Assistant Director
1955
Senso
Assistant Director
1954
La Bohème - Teatro alla Scala
Director
1965La Bohème - Teatro alla Scala
Production Design
1965
Sparrow
Director
1994Sparrow
Screenplay
1994
The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films
Self
2014Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul
Self
2001
Bellissima
Assistant Director
1952
Sartoria Tirelli - Vestire il cinema
Self
2006
The Mystery of Dante
Self
2014
12 Directors for 12 Cities
Director
1989
Callas Assoluta
Self (archive footage)
2007
Callas Forever
Director
2002Callas Forever
Screenplay
2002Callas Forever
Original Story
2002
Cavalleria rusticana
Director
1982Luchino Visconti: Life as in a Novel
Self
2008
La Bohème - Wiener Staatsoper
Director
2019
Much Ado About Nothing
Stage Director
1967
Don Giovanni
Director
2015
La Terra Trema
Assistant Director
1949
Franco Zeffirelli: Rebel Conformist
Self
2022
Empty Eyes
First Assistant Director
1953
Aida
Director
2001
Bizet: Carmen
Stage Director
2003
Maria Callas: Living and Dying for Art and Love
Self
2004
La traviata
Director
1982La traviata
Adaptation
1982La traviata
Production Design
1982
Discovering Hamlet
Self
2011
Lorenzaccio
Stage Director
1977
My Name Is Anna Magnani
Self
1980
Young Toscanini
Director
1988Young Toscanini
Original Story
1988
The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
Director
2022
The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Director
2018The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Production Design
2018The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Set Designer
2018
A Magic Friend: The Maestro Nino Rota
Self
1994
Maria Callas Sings Tosca, Act II
Lighting Supervisor
1964Maria Callas Sings Tosca, Act II
Director
1964
Pagliacci
Director
1987
The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Stage Director
2025The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Director
2025
Falstaff
Director
1993Falstaff
Production Design
1993Falstaff
Set Designer
1993
Arena di Verona: Il Trovatore
Director
2020Arena di Verona: Il Trovatore
Set Designer
2020La Traviata
Stage Director
2022La Traviata
Production Design
2022
Otello
Director
1986Otello
Adaptation
1986Otello
Production Design
1986
La Traviata - Arena di Verona
Director
2019
Our World
Self
1967
Verdi: Otello
Stage Director
1976
The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
Production Design
2014
Angelina
Filippo Garrone
1947
Turandot
Director
1987Turandot
Production Design
1987
Maria Callas: At Covent Garden, 1962 and 1964
Music Director
1962Maria Callas: At Covent Garden, 1962 and 1964
Stage Director
1962
Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci
Director
1978
Puccini: Turandot
Production Design
2009Carmen aus der Arena von Verona
Director
2022
Pulcinella - Ieri e oggi
Self - Documentary host
1973
Carmen (Arena di Verona)
Director
2014
Turandot - Puccini - Live from Verona
Director
2011
Camping
Director
1958Camping
Screenplay
1958StrataSphere: Portrait of Teresa Stratas
self
1983
The New Met: Countdown to Curtain
Self
1966
Carmen
Director
1978
Puccini: La bohème
Director
1982Puccini: La bohème
Production Design
1982Puccini: La bohème
Set Designer
1982
Callas: A Documentary
Narrator
1978
Carmen
Director
1997
Carmen
Director
2010
Don Giovanni
Production Design
2000Don Giovanni
Director
2000L'ACCADEMIA MUSICALE CHIGIANA
Scenic Artist
1947L'ACCADEMIA MUSICALE CHIGIANA
Costume Coordinator
1947
Georges Bizet: Carmen
Director
2022
Don Carlo
Director
1992
Otello - The Met
Director
1978
The Opera House
Self (archive footage)
2017
La Bohème
Production Design
1979La Bohème
Director
1979
Tosca
Set Designer
1985Tosca
Director
1985
Turandot
Director
2022
Zeffirelli's Inferno
Director
2017Zeffirelli's Inferno
Writer
2017
For Florence
Director
1966
Verdi: Aida
Director
2006Giacomo Puccini: Turandot
Stage Director
2024Don Giovanni
Production Design
1990
La Traviata
Director
2002
Madama Butterfly
Director
2004
La Boheme
Director
2004Omaggio a Roma
Director