Italian screen icon Claudia Cardinale dies aged 87

Italian actress and star of The Leopard Claudia Cardinale dies aged 87

Claudia Cardinale, the Tunisian-born Italian cinema icon known for her roles in 8½, The Leopard, Once Upon a Time in the West and The Pink Panther, has passed away at age 87. 

She died in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children, her agent Laurent Savry confirmed. 

Savry described her as leaving behind the legacy of a “free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artist.”

Born in La Goulette, Tunisia on 15 April 1938, Claudia Cardinale was the eldest child of Sicilian parents.She spoke French, Tunisian Arabic and her parents’ Sicilian dialect, and only learned Italian after being cast in Italian films.

At 16 she won the contest for “Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia,” which earned her a trip to the Venice Film Festival.  That contest set off interest from film directors and producers.

Despite dreams of becoming a teacher, she was persuaded by her father to try acting.

Her early career involved serious challenges. She was raped in her teens and became pregnant. To protect her reputation, she secretly gave birth in London and for several years her son Patrick was brought up publicly as her younger brother.  Also, because of her accent growing up in a multilingual household, her voice in her first Italian films was dubbed.

Her breakthrough came in 1963, with major roles in 8½ (by Federico Fellini) and The Leopard (directed by Luchino Visconti).

Critics often described Claudia Cardinale as the embodiment of post-war European glamour, a presence both elegant and unforgettable. 

She herself loved to share one memorable compliment. While working on The Pink Panther, actor David Niven told her: “Claudia, along with spaghetti, you’re Italy’s greatest invention.” 

In her personal life, after parting ways with film producer Franco Cristaldi in the early 1970s, she entered into a long-term partnership with Neapolitan director Pasquale Squitieri. Together they had a daughter, also named Claudia. 

True to her artistic spirit, Cardinale continued acting well into her eighties. One of her later roles was in the Swiss TV series Bulle in 2020.

In March 2000 Claudia Cardinale was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, in recognition of her longstanding advocacy for the rights of women and girls. 

In 2002 she received the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival, honoring her remarkable career.

Reflecting on her own journey, Cardinale once said: “I’ve lived more than 150 lives: prostitute, saint, romantic, every kind of woman, and that is marvellous to have this opportunity to change yourself.” 

Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli paid tribute, calling her “one of the greatest Italian actresses of all time,” who embodied “Italian grace.”