Claudia Cardinale, Iconic Star of ‘The Leopard,’ Dies at 87

Claudia Cardinale, one of the brightest stars of Italian cinema, has died at the age of 87. Her agent Laurent Savry confirmed to AFP that the actress passed away in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children. “She leaves us the legacy of a free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artiste,” Savry said.

Cardinale was born in Tunis in 1938 to Sicilian parents. At 16, she won a beauty contest that named her “the most beautiful Italian woman in Tunis.”

The prize was a trip to the Venice Film Festival, where directors quickly noticed her striking presence. At first, she dreamed of becoming a teacher and was hesitant about acting. She later recalled her father telling her to “give this cinema thing a go.”

Her path to stardom was not easy. As a teenager she became pregnant after being raped, and was convinced by a mentor to give birth secretly in London. For many years she told people that her son Patrick was her younger brother.

On screen, her unusual accent also posed problems. Growing up speaking French, Arabic, and Sicilian, she was often dubbed by Italian actresses in her early films.

Despite these hurdles, Cardinale’s career took off in the 1960s. She became famous after appearing in Federico Fellini’s Oscar-winning 8 1/2 and Luchino Visconti’s historical drama The Leopard. She liked to joke about the contrast between directors, saying, “Visconti wanted me brunette with long hair. Fellini wanted me blonde.”

Hollywood soon came calling. She starred in Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther and in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, sharing the screen with Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. Critics called her “the embodiment of postwar European glamour.”

She collected plenty of compliments along the way. Cardinale once said, “The best compliment I ever got was from actor David Niven while filming The Pink Panther. He said: ‘Claudia, along with spaghetti, you’re Italy’s greatest invention.’”

Her personal life was also tied to cinema. In 1958, she met producer Franco Cristaldi, with whom she had a long relationship, though they never officially married. Later, she lived for more than 40 years with director Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she had a daughter, Claudia.

Cardinale never stopped working. Even in her 80s, she was still acting, appearing in the Swiss TV series Bulle in 2020.

Over the years, she became known not just as a film star but also as a passionate advocate for women’s rights.

Since 2000, she served as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador, and she often spoke out proudly about her Italian identity, despite living in Paris. She received many honors during her lifetime, including a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

In 1995, she published her autobiography, Io Claudia, Tu Claudia. Reflecting on her career, she once said, “I never felt scandal and confession were necessary to be an actress. I’ve never revealed myself or even my body in films. Mystery is very important.”

In later years, she shared her secret for lasting success in the film world: “If you want to practise this craft, you have to have inner strength. Otherwise, you’ll lose your idea of who you are. Every film I make entails becoming a different woman. And in front of a camera, no less! But when I’m finished, I’m me again.”

Claudia Cardinale’s passing marks the end of a career that stretched across six decades, filled with unforgettable roles and a powerful voice for women both on and off the screen.

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