Claudia Cardinale was recognised not only for her on-screen presence but also for her contribution to cinema as a cultural ambassador.
Claudia Cardinale, one of the leading figures of European cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, has died at the age of 87. Her agent, Laurent Savary, confirmed that she passed away on Tuesday at her home in Nemours, France, of natural causes.
Cardinale, who had lived in Nemours with film producer Pasquale Squitieri, had been away from public life in recent years. She underwent hip surgery in 2019 and did not make frequent appearances afterwards. According to reports, she had no known long-term illness.
Claudia Cardinale early career
Born in Tunis in 1938 to Sicilian parents, Cardinale rose to prominence after winning a beauty contest at the age of 17. The victory brought her to the attention of filmmakers, leading her to pursue a career in the Italian film industry. She made her screen debut in 1958 with Big Deal on Madonna Street, a classic comedy in which she played a young Sicilian woman. The film’s producer, Franco Cristaldi, went on to guide her early career; the two later married and lived together from 1966 to 1975.
Claudia Cardinale was loved in The Leopard
Cardinale quickly established herself as a major star, appearing in a string of acclaimed films. She worked with director Federico Fellini in 8½ (1963), portrayed Princess Angelica in Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard (1963), and played a central role in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), considered one of the definitive Westerns. Her career spanned more than five decades, during which she appeared in both European and international productions.
Cardinale was recognised not only for her on-screen presence but also for her contribution to cinema as a cultural ambassador. She received numerous honours over her lifetime, including awards from international film festivals.
Her death marks the passing of an actress long associated with the golden era of Italian cinema.
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