Franco Merli

Franco Merli adalah aktor Italia yang lahir di Roma, Italia, pada tanggal 31 Oktober 1956. Sebagian besar kehidupan Merli sebelumnya tidak diketahui, tetapi saat bekerja sebagai petugas pompa bensin pada usia 16 tahun, ia ditemukan oleh penyair dan pembuat film Italia Pier Paolo Pasolini, dan berperan dalam Arabian Nights karya Pasolini sebagai Nur Ed Din berkat sosok kurus dan kulitnya yang gelap. Nantinya, Merli akan berperan sebagai salah satu korban laki-laki dalam film terakhir Pasolini, Salò, atau 120 Hari Sodom. Dia menjadi wajah film tersebut, gambar dirinya dengan pistol di kepalanya menjadi salah satu gambar paling terkenal dari Salò. Dia berperan di Salò karena Pasolini menganggapnya mudah diajak bekerja sama, dan dia sudah tahu Merli merasa nyaman melakukan adegan telanjang, namun selama pembuatan film ketika pistol diarahkan ke kepalanya, dia mulai panik dan harus ditenangkan. Rumor muncul di lokasi syuting bahwa dia seorang homoseksual, yang juga menyebabkan dia cemas saat syuting film tersebut. Dia juga berperan sebagai Fernando, pelacur waria dan putra dari karakter utama, dalam Ugly, Dirty And Bad (1976) karya Ettore Scola [juga berjudul Down & Dirty]. Setelah kematian Pasolini, Merli berjuang untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan lebih lanjut di industri ini karena perannya yang biasa tidak lazim, dan berkat dia menjadi "citra" Salò yang kontroversial. Karena itu dia berhenti berakting sama sekali. Dia meninggal di Roma pada 17 Mei 2025 setelah lama sakit.

Franco Merli was an Italian actor born in Rome, Italy, on the 31st of October, 1956. Much of Merli's earlier life is unknown, but whilst working as a petrol station attendant at 16, he was discovered by the Italian poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, and was cast in Pasolini's Arabian Nights as Nur Ed Din thanks to his lean figure and dark complexion. Later, Merli would go on to play one of the male victims in Pasolini's last film, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. He became the face of the film, the picture of him with a gun to his head being one of the most famous images from Salò. He was cast in Salò as Pasolini found him easy to work with, and he already knew Merli was comfortable with doing nude scenes, however during filming when the gun was brought to his head, he began to panic and had to be calmed down. Rumours arised on set that he was homosexual, which also caused him anxiety whilst filming the movie. He also went on to play Fernando, the transvestite prostitute and son of the main character, in Ettore Scola's Ugly, Dirty And Bad (1976) [also titled Down & Dirty]. After Pasolini's death, Merli struggled to find further work in the industry as his usual roles were unconventional, and thanks to him being the "image" of the controversial Salò. Due to this he stopped acting altogether. He died in Rome on the 17th of May in 2025 after a long period of illness.