Legendary actress Claudia Cardinale, one of the brightest stars of Italian and European cinema, has died at the age of 87. Her passing was confirmed Tuesday in Nemours, near Paris, by her agent, Laurent Savry.
A Star of International Cinema
Cardinale’s career exploded onto the international stage in the early 1960s, where she quickly rose to prominence alongside fellow Italian icons Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani. With her magnetic screen presence, she became the face of a new era in Italian cinema, working with some of the most acclaimed directors of her generation.
Her filmography includes masterpieces such as Federico Fellini’s 8½, Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West—roles that solidified her status as one of the great actresses of world cinema.
A Career Spanning Over Six Decades
Over the course of her career, Cardinale appeared in more than 130 films and several theatrical productions, working consistently from her early 20s until her final years. She earned three David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s equivalent of the Oscars, and in 1993 received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival.
In her 2005 autobiography Mes étoiles (My Stars), she reflected on her unlikely path to fame:
“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. There was always a lucky star watching over me.”
From Tunis to Rome
Though forever associated with Italian cinema, Cardinale’s beginnings were far from Rome. She was born in Tunis, Tunisia, on April 15, 1938, to Sicilian parents. Raised speaking French, Arabic, and Sicilian dialect, she only learned Italian later in life.
Her entry into film was almost by chance: while studying at the Paul Cambon School in Tunis, she and classmates were cast in René Vautier’s short film Anneaux d’or, which screened at the 1958 Berlin Film Festival. That same year, she made her feature debut opposite a young Omar Sharif in Jacques Baratier’s Goha, which went on to premiere at Cannes.
A Lasting Legacy
Claudia Cardinale leaves behind a body of work that continues to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles around the world. With her unforgettable performances and enduring grace, she will forever remain an enchantress of Italian cinema.
