Nelson Xavier (30 August 1941 - 10 May 2017) was a Brazilian actor.

He appeared in more than 95 films and television shows between 1959 and 2017. He starred in the 1964 film Os Fuzis, which won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival.

In 1976 Xavier co-directed A Queda along with Ruy Guerra. It was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize.

Xavier died on 10 May 2017 in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, of a lung disease.

Selected filmography

• Os Fuzis (1964)
• Of Gods and the Undead (1970)
• A Queda (1976 – directed)
• At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)
• Girl from Rio (2001)
• Narradores de Javé (2003)
• Chico Xavier (2010)
• O Filme dos Espíritos (2011)
• Trash (2014)