Before Gotti: Spencer Lofranco’s Role in the $163M Film That Turned Angelina Jolie Into Japan’s Enemy No. 1

Some sad news to start: Canadian actor Spencer Lofranco has died at 33. If his name rings a bell, it is probably from Angelina Jolie's Unbroken (2014) and the John Travolta mob drama Gotti (2018). He kept a low profile in recent years, moved into street art, and the cause of death has not been made public.

Remembering Spencer Lofranco

Lofranco's last on-screen role was in Gotti, where he played John Gotti Jr. opposite Travolta. Before that, he turned up in Unbroken as Harry Brooks, a close friend to Jack O'Connell's Louis Zamperini. He had a knack for playing tightly wound guys who let the emotion simmer under the surface, and it worked for him in those projects. He once joked to the New York Post that Jolie was his 'dream girl' growing up, so Unbroken was a full-circle moment.

Fans have already started posting tributes; one from Casey Telford (@CaseyToGo) on Nov 20, 2025, shouted out his performance in Gotti. His screen presence will be missed.

Unbroken: the film that sparked a fight before it even opened

Unbroken was controversial in Japan well before the lights went down. Conservative activists there slammed it as 'anti-Japanese' and inaccurate, mainly over scenes depicting the abuse of Allied prisoners of war. Campaigners pushed hard: petitions on Change.org called for the movie to be banned and even urged that Jolie be told she was not welcome in the country, as covered by the Guardian. After pressure from prominent Japanese filmmakers and industry figures to protect free expression, the film was ultimately allowed to screen in Japan.

Jolie, for her part, said the movie aimed to be balanced but rooted in Zamperini's experience as a POW. Her point was pretty straightforward:

'We were very conscious of showing all sides of the war, including the bombing of Tokyo. But this is Louis' experience and he ... had a very difficult time as a POW. So we want to pay respect and show that all people suffer in war.'

Hiromichi Moteki, secretary general of the nationalist group Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact, told the Telegraph (via the Guardian) he believed the film's claims were fabricated:

'If there is no verification of the things he said, then anyone can make such claims. This movie has no credibility and is immoral.'

Documentary filmmaker Tatsuya Mori pushed back on the outrage, saying the movie took more heat than it should have partly because it was directed by a foreign filmmaker — a flare-up he suggested says more about Japanese politics and media than the film itself.

Controversy aside, Unbroken connected with audiences worldwide, grossing $163 million globally (per The Numbers). It was positioned as an awards play and ultimately landed technical Oscar nominations, not the marquee categories.

Unbroken at a glance

• Director: Angelina Jolie
• Writers: Joel and Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson
• Based on: Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller 'Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption'
• Main cast: Jack O'Connell (Louis Zamperini), Domhnall Gleeson (Phil), Miyavi (Mutsuhiro 'The Bird' Watanabe), Spencer Lofranco (Harry Brooks)
• Genre: War, biographical drama
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• Release year: 2014
• Story: An Olympian-turned-airman survives a crash, 47 days on a raft, and brutal Japanese POW camps
• Setting: 1930s California, the Pacific, Japanese POW camps
• Central conflict: Zamperini's fight to endure, particularly under a sadistic guard known as 'The Bird'
• Themes: Endurance, resilience, survival, and what the human spirit can take
• Cinematography: Roger Deakins
• Score: Alexandre Desplat

Where to watch

Unbroken is currently streaming on Netflix in the US.

Spencer Lofranco's filmography is short but memorable. From the restrained intensity in Unbroken to the combustible family drama of Gotti, he left a mark — and far too soon.