20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy Everett Collection
Claudia Cardinale, whose performances graced such cinematic landmarks as Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2, Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, has passed away at the age of 87.
Her agent, Laurent Savry, confirmed that Cardinale died on Tuesday in Nemours, near Paris.
Cardinale first captured international attention in the early 1960s, becoming one of the leading figures in Italian cinema alongside contemporaries such as Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani.
Throughout her career, Cardinale accumulated over 130 feature credits as well as numerous stage roles, maintaining a steady presence in the industry from her early 20s until her passing. She earned three David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress, Italy’s equivalent of the Oscar, and received an honorary Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival in 1993.
“I was a movie star from a very young age. But I don’t deserve any credit for that — it was a question of fate,” Cardinale wrote in her autobiography, Mes étoiles (My Stars), published in 2005. “There was always a lucky star watching over me.”
Although she is ubiquitous in Italian cinema, Cardinale was born in Tunisia on April 15, 1938. She spoke French, Arabic, and the Sicilian dialect of her emigrant parents growing up, only learning Italian as an adult.
Her introduction to film came while studying at the Paul Cambon School in Tunis, where she and some classmates were cast in the short film Anneaux d’or, which later screened at the 1958 Berlin Film Festival. Her feature film debut was a small role beside a young Omar Sharif in Jacques Baratier’s Goha, which also made it to Cannes that same year.
Cardinale’s big break came in 1957 during her attendance at the Venice Film Festival, a trip arranged after she was named “Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia.” Her appearance in a bikini made a significant impact and drew several offers from the Italian film industry. However, she initially sought to become a schoolteacher and briefly returned to Tunisia to pursue that dream.
Her trajectory changed drastically after an unplanned pregnancy resulting from a rape at 19. Following the birth of her son Patrick, she chose to keep him and raised him, claiming him as her little brother to navigate the challenges of her personal life, including signing with producer Franco Cristaldi.
Under Cristaldi’s mentorship, Cardinale enhanced her craft, commencing with her role in Mario Monicelli’s heist comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), which began her journey to stardom.
In 1960, she starred as Marcello Mastroianni’s lover in Mauro Bolognini’s Il bell’Antonio, solidifying her status when the film won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. She also featured in Visconti’s Rocco and His Brothers, showcasing her talent alongside titans like Alain Delon and Annie Girardot.
The actress reached new heights in 1963 with three films that are now considered classics: The Leopard, 8 1/2, and Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther, which helped launch her career in Hollywood.
In The Leopard, she portrayed Angelica Sedara, a Sicilian beauty caught in a swirl of political upheaval in 1860s Italy. The film, celebrated at Cannes, is regarded as Visconti’s magnum opus and returned for a 4K premiere in 2010, attended by Cardinale and Delon.
While filming The Leopard, she also starred in Fellini’s 8 1/2 as Claudia, the muse for Mastroianni’s tortured director, a part that would further enhance her international acclaim.
Reflecting on her experience of juggling projects with Visconti and Fellini, she remarked, “Visconti was precise and meticulous…Fellini was chaotic and didn’t have a script.”
Her Hollywood credentials were solidified with her role in The Pink Panther, where her performance as Princess Dala left a lasting impression despite her voice being dubbed. A playful anecdote recounts David Niven’s compliment: “After spaghetti, you’re Italy’s greatest invention.”
Cardinale moved to Hollywood and starred in various films including Circus World (1964), The Professionals (1966), and Don’t Make Waves (1967). However, her most notable English-language performance came with Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), where she delivered a powerful portrayal of an independent widow amidst the turmoil of a ruthless railroad company.
Despite often rumored romances with a variety of leading men, including Mastroianni and Jean-Paul Belmondo, Cardinale maintained a degree of privacy regarding her personal life, famously expressing regret for passing on Marlon Brando’s advances.
Following her separation from Cristaldi in 1975, she entered a long-term relationship with director Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she collaborated on numerous films while they raised a daughter named Claudia.
Cardinale continued to receive accolades throughout her career, clinching further awards in the 1970s and 1980s, notably for A Girl in Australia (1971), which earned her another di Donatello and Italian Golden Globes for her performances in Claretta and Atto di dolore.
Her recent years included a return to the stage and exposing her artistry in various genres, exemplifying her versatile talents. Cardinale also gained notoriety as a disco singer in the 1970s and was honored with a Legion of Honor in France in 2008.
In 2017, her image was featured on the official poster for the 70th Cannes Film Festival, reflecting on her lasting influence in cinema. As she advised young actresses, “Never take on a role that will hurt you or make you sell out. And refuse to accept the awful caprices of certain directors or any form of professional blackmail. Yes, you need to fight!”
Cardinale’s legacy endures through her remarkable body of work and influence in the film industry.
Based on reporting by Hollywood Reporter. Read the full story at the Hollywood Reporter.