Claudia Cardinale, the Tunisian-born Italian actress famed for The Leopard, 8 1/2, and The Pink Panther, has passed away at the age of 87.
With a career spanning six decades, Cardinale rose to prominence during the golden age of Italian cinema, working with legendary directors such as Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. She died in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children, her agent Laurent Savry confirmed. “She leaves a legacy of a free and inspired woman, both personally and artistically,” he told AFP.
Born in Tunisia in April 1938 to Sicilian parents, Cardinale won a beauty contest at 16, earning the title “most beautiful Italian woman in Tunis.” The prize brought her to the Venice Film Festival, where directors and producers encouraged her to pursue acting—a path she reluctantly chose over her dream of becoming a teacher.
Her early career faced challenges. As a teenager, she was sexually assaulted, and when she discovered she was seven months pregnant while filming, she was advised to give birth in secret in London. For years, she introduced her son Patrick as her younger brother. Cardinale later credited him with inspiring her film career, as she wanted to be independent and provide for him.
Though fluent in French, Arabic, and Sicilian, her accent was initially deemed unsuitable for Italian cinema, leading to her voice being dubbed. She gained international fame in 1963 with Fellini’s Oscar-winning 8 1/2 and Visconti’s The Leopard. Balancing both films meant commuting between Sicily and Rome and frequently dyeing her hair—Visconti wanted her brunette, Fellini preferred blonde.
Cardinale also worked in Hollywood, starring in Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, sharing the screen with actors such as Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. During this time, she even pretended to be romantically involved with Rock Hudson to help him conceal his sexuality, explaining later that being openly gay in Hollywood then could end careers.
Celebrated as the “embodiment of postwar European glamour,” Cardinale fondly recalled actor David Niven telling her: “Claudia, along with spaghetti, you’re Italy’s greatest invention.”
After her separation from producer Franco Cristaldi in the early 1970s, she formed a lifelong partnership with director Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she had a daughter, also named Claudia. She continued acting into her 80s, appearing in the Swiss TV series Bulle in 2020.
Recognized for her advocacy of women’s rights, Cardinale was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2000 and received a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002. Reflecting on her career, she said, “I’ve lived more than 150 lives: prostitute, saint, romantic… every kind of woman, and it is marvelous to have this opportunity to change yourself.”
Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli honored her as “one of the greatest Italian actresses of all time,” praising her as a symbol of Italian grace.
