Biography

Franco Merli was born on October 31, 1956 in Rome, Italy. In 1973, famous Italian poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini discovered the youngster. The 16-year-old was working as a gas station attendant at that time (as Ninetto Davoli, a friend of Pasolini and actor in most of his films, recounts). Pasolini was searching for a young man to play the lead in his upcoming feature Arabian Nights (Arabian Nights (1974)). The director immediately knew that Franco Merli, with his small but muscular physique, dark Mediterranean looks, and ready smile, was the perfect choice for the role of Nur Ed Din.

Arabian Nights was an international success and Merli got a taste for the film business. Following his debut he appeared (his hair dyed blond) in La Collegiale (1975).

In 1975 Pasolini hired him once again, for the role of one of the male victims in his infamous Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) or the 120 Days of Sodom (Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma). In this film he was addressed by his real first name, Franco. Salò would ultimately immortalize his face in cinematic history, thanks to one of the most highly publicised images of the film being his close-up during the final torture scene.

In 1976, Merli appeared on-screen as Fernando, the son of Nino Manfredi, who earns his money as a transvestite prostitute in Down and Dirty (Ugly, Dirty and Bad (1976)). This brilliant social satire by Italian director Ettore Scola was also (but for a small part in Il malato immaginario (1979)) Franco Merli's swan song as an actor. Incidently, it is probable that he secured the role of Fernando thanks to his connection with Pasolini, since the director not only was a friend of Scola but also had been supposed to write a foreword to the film - but Pasolini was murdered before this came to pass.

Franco Merli lived in Rome and has two sons and a dog (pinscher) called Attila.
- IMDb mini biography by: pasolinistudy

Franco Merli was a gas station attendant in Sicily when he was discovered by director Pier Paolo Pasolini for the lead in "Il fiore delle mille e una notte". Since by that time (1973/74) he was reportedly 16 years old he must have been born around 1957/58. After appearing once again under Paolini's direction in "Salò" he did a few other films but the parts got smaller and smaller and by the beginning of the 1980's he vanished from sight (filmwise, that is).

Rome, Italy

Has two sons.

After leaving acting he worked in a bank.

In 2006, Franco Merli once again appeared on the big screen when Giuseppe Bertolucci's documentary on Pasolini and the making of "Salò, Pasolini prossimo nostro" (Pasolini Next to Us), premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Merli could be seen in still photographs and behind the screenshots by set photographer Deborah Beer as well as in the shooting of his torture scene as captured by British documentarist Gideon Bachman.