Claudia Cardinale, Italian cinema icon, dies at 87

Claudia Cardinale, the acclaimed Italian actress, has died at the age of 87. Laurent Savry, her agent, confirmed that she passed away peacefully from natural causes at her home in Nemours, France.

She has largely stayed out of the public eye since 2022 due to complications from a 2019 hip surgery, but has had no prolonged illness.

Cardinale was born in Tunisia to a family of Sicilian origin. She was discovered at the age of 18 after winning a beauty contest, which led to a trip to the Venice Film Festival and the start of her film career. Her voice was often dubbed in her early Italian movies because she had a French accent.

She starred in more than 100 films and was known for her roles in European classics such as Luchino Visconti’s “Rocco and His Brother” (1960) and “The Leopard” (1963), Federico Fellini’s “8½” (1963), and Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968). She also appeared in Hollywood films like “The Pink Panther.”

Cardinale often chose to work in European cinema, preferring more complex roles. She was also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and advocated for women’s rights and environmental causes.

In her 2005 autobiography, Mes étoiles (My Stars), she wrote, “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 time.”

What was Claudia Cardinale famous for?

Claudia Cardinale was famous for her roles in films like “The Leopard” and “8½.”