Claude Joséphine Rose"Claudia" Cardinale (Italian:[ˈklaudjakardiˈnaːle]; 15 April 1938 – 23 September 2025) was an Italian actress. Regarded as one of the leading figures of Italian cinema, alongsideSophia Loren andGina Lollobrigida, she achieved international recognition during a career spanning more than six decades. Celebrated in the 1960s as "the most beautiful woman in the world" and widely considered a sex symbol of the era, Cardinale appeared in more than 175 films, primarily in Italy and France, across genres including comedy, drama,spaghetti westerns, and historical epics. She collaborated with acclaimed directors such asFederico Fellini,Sergio Leone, andWerner Herzog, and several of her films are regarded as significant works in the history of cinema. At the time of her death, she was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of European cinema.
Born and raised inLa Goulette, a municipality in Tunisia nearTunis, Cardinale won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" competition in 1957, the prize being a trip to Italy, which quickly led to film contracts, due above all to the involvement of producerFranco Cristaldi, who acted as her mentor for a number of years and later married her. After making her debut in a minor role with Egyptian starOmar Sharif inGoha (1958), Cardinale became one of the best-known actresses in Italy, with roles in films such asRocco and His Brothers (1960),Girl with a Suitcase (1961),Cartouche (1962),The Leopard (1963) andFederico Fellini's8½ (1963).
Over the years, Cardinale was outspoken aboutwomen's rights and became aUNESCOgoodwill ambassador for the Defence of Women's Rights beginning in March 2000. In February 2011, theLos Angeles Times Magazine named Cardinale among the 50 most beautiful women in film history.
Cardinale was born inLa Goulette, a port municipality nearTunis, on 15 April 1938.[2][3] Her father, Francesco Cardinale, was a railway worker, born inGela,Sicily.[4] Her mother, Yolande Greco, was born in the thenItalian Tripolitania toSicilian parents emigrants fromTrapani, where they owned a small shipbuilding firm.[4] They later settled in La Goulette, which had a large Italian community. At home she only spoke French and theSicilian language of her parents. She did not learn Italian until she started being cast in Italian films.[5][6]
Cardinale was educated at the Saint-Joseph-de-l'Apparition School ofCarthage, which she attended along with her younger sister, Blanche.[7] She then studied at the Paul Cambon School with the intention of becoming a teacher.[8] As a teenager she was described as "silent, weird and wild" and like other young women of her generation was fascinated byBrigitte Bardot, who came to prominence in the 1956 filmAnd God Created Woman, directed byRoger Vadim.[9]
Cardinale's first film work was participating, along with classmates, in a short film by French directorRené Vautier,Anneaux d'or, successfully presented at theBerlin Film Festival. The film made her a minor local celebrity[10] and led to her being spotted byJacques Baratier, who offered her a minor role inGoha. She accepted it reluctantly after Baratier explained he wanted a Tunisian actress rather than an Italian to star in the main role opposite Egyptian actorOmar Sharif. The appearance nonetheless marked her feature-film debut.[11] The turning point came in 1957 during the Italian Cinema Week in Tunis, when she won a competition for the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia",[12] with a trip to theVenice Film Festival as first prize. After being spotted by several film producers at the event, she was invited to study at theExperimental Cinematography Centre in Rome underTina Lattanzi. She attended briefly as, despite her extremely photogenic looks, she had trouble with her acting assignments (partly owing to her difficulties with the Italian language).[13] She left at the end of her first term and decided to return home, earning herself a cover story in the popular weeklyEpoca triggered by her unexpected decision to turn her back on a career as a film star.[14][a]
Back in Tunis, however, Cardinale discovered unexpectedly that she was pregnant, the result of what she later described as a "terrible" relationship with a Frenchman, some 10 years her senior, which began when she was only 17 and lasted for about a year. On this discovery he wanted her to have anabortion but she decided to keep the child.[18] She solved her problems by signing a seven-year exclusive contract withFranco Cristaldi's production company Vides.[19][20][b] Cristaldi largely managed her early career and she was married to him from 1966 until 1975.[21]
Under the new contract, in 1958 Cardinale was given a minor role with Italian actorsVittorio Gassman,Totò,Marcello Mastroianni andRenato Salvatori inMario Monicelli's internationally successful criminal comedyBig Deal on Madonna Street (I soliti ignoti).[22] She portrayed Carmelita, a Sicilian girl virtually imprisoned in her home by her overpowering brother. The comedy was a huge success, making Cardinale instantly recognisable. Some newspapers were already referring to her as "la fidanzata d'Italia" (Italy's sweetheart).[23] Later that year she had a leading role alongsideYvonne Monlaur inClaudio Gora's romantic comedyThree Strangers in Rome.[24]
Cardinale was able to work into her seventh month of pregnancy and kept it hidden from co-workers and the public.
Although Cardinale's pregnancy was kept a tight secret she was tormented by thoughts of suicide and fell into a state of depression.[25] When she knew she could no longer hide her pregnancy or honor her contract with Cristaldi, she asked him to terminate the contract. Understanding her predicament, he sent her to London for the birth, far away from the press. He simply explained that she had gone to England to learn English for a film.[26] Cristaldi told Cardinale not to reveal her condition, as she would be betraying the public and it would put an end to her career. So as to maintain the secret he drew up a detailed American-style contract covering every little detail of her life, depriving her of any possibility of acting on her own behalf.[27] Cardinale explained: "I was no longer master of my own body or thoughts. Even talking with a friend about anything that could make me look different from my public image was risky, as if it had been publicized, I would have been in trouble. Everything was in the hands of Vides."[28] For seven years Cardinale kept her secret, not only from the public but also from her own son, Patrick, who grew up in the family with her parents and sister more or less as a brother[29] until the dayEnzo Biagi, a journalist, discovered the truth. Eventually Cardinale decided to tell Biagi everything and he published her story in bothOggi andL'Europeo.[30]
In 1960, Cardinale starred opposite Marcello Mastroianni inMauro Bolognini'sGolden Leopard-winning drama filmIl bell'Antonio.[37] The film marked the start of a fruitful partnership. Cardinale stated that her films with Bolognini were among the most joyful of her career, considering him to be "a great director, a man of rare professional capability, great taste and culture. Beyond that, for me personally, a sensitive and sincere friend."[38] In Bolognini's films, thanks to her aesthetic femininity, Cardinale took roles of manipulative women who lead men to perdition. During the filming ofIl bell'Antonio, her co-star Marcello Mastroianni fell in love with her, but she rejected him, as she did not take his love seriously, considering him to be one of those actors who cannot help but fall in love with their co-stars.[39] Mastroianni insisted that his feelings were genuine, even after many years.[40] The genuine empathy between the two actors proved to be ideal for reproducing the tension between the characters in the film. Cardinale next portrayedPauline Bonaparte inAbel Gance's French filmAusterlitz,[41] and after appearing opposite Vittorio Gassman and Salvatori in the sequel toBig Deal on Madonna Street,Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti, she portrayed Ginetta, the fiancée ofSpiros Focás, alongside Salvatori andAlain Delon inLuchino Visconti's critically acclaimedRocco and His Brothers.[42] However, her leading performance inFrancesco Maselli'sSilver Spoon Set gained her most attention during this period.[22] Francesco Freda felt the film paved her way "to great success", noting the "sweetness of her smile" which struck a chord with the public.[43]
In 1961, Cardinale portrayed a sultrynightclub singer and young mother inValerio Zurlini'sGirl with a Suitcase. As a result of her own experience of early motherhood, Cardinale naturally conveyed the concerns of a teenaged mother, identifying fully with the character of Aida.[44] Such was her psychological involvement that she needed several months to overcome her apprehensions and prepare for the part.[45] Zurlini chose her for such a difficult role against everyone's advice, as she was not yet considered a "real" actress, nor was she (yet) one of the most celebrated Italian beauties.[46] He was very close and supportive of Cardinale during the production though and a true friendship developed between the two, based on a deep mutual understanding. Cardinale remarked: "Zurlini was one of those who really love women: he had an almost feminine sensitivity. He could understand me at a glance. He taught me everything, without ever making demands on me. ... He was really very fond of me."[44] Cardinale was warmly praised by the critics for her performance inGirl with a Suitcase, Dennis Schwartz considering her to have been at her "charming best".[47] Later in 1961, Cardinale starred as a prostitute oppositeJean-Paul Belmondo in Bolognini'sThe Lovemakers. BothGirl with a Suitcase andThe Lovemakers were presented at the1961 Cannes Film Festival. At the time, Cardinale was not considered comparable to the two divas of Italian cinema,Sophia Loren andGina Lollobrigida, but several newspapers and magazines, includingParis Match, began to consider her to be a credible young rival to Brigitte Bardot.[48] Cardinale's 1961 appearances also includedHenri Verneuil's French comedyThe Lions Are Loose[49] andAuguste, in which she had a cameo role.[50]
The following year, Cardinale starred opposite Jean-Paul Belmondo as Vénus in the 18th-century set adventureCartouche, which made her a major star in France.[51] She also played Angiolina, the romantic interest ofAnthony Franciosa in Bolognini'sCareless, a character which film writer Jacek Klinowski describes as "a spirited and strikingly beautiful 20-year-old".[52] In 1962, Cardinale was interviewed by the writerAlberto Moravia, who focused exclusively on her sexuality and body image in films, treating her as an object. Cardinale remarked to him: "I used my body as a mask, as a representation of myself".[53] The interview was published inEsquire under the title "The Next Goddess of Love". Cardinale was amused to discover that the interview had inspired the writer to publishLa dea dell'amore ("Goddess of Love") the following year, in which one of the characters, with her fine physical appearance and natural curves, closely resembled Cardinale.[53] Just a few years later, she played a similar character in a film based on another novel by Moravia,Time of Indifference.[54]
The finest and most prolific year of her career was 1963, when she appeared in a number of leading productions.[55] She starred alongsideBurt Lancaster inVisconti'sThe Leopard (1963) (Il Gattopardo), portraying a village girl who married a progressive young aristocrat (Alain Delon) and played a film actress cast by a director (Marcello Mastroianni) inFederico Fellini's8½.[56] She participated in the two films during exactly the same period, frequently moving from one to the other and experiencing the strictly planned approach of Visconti, which contrasted strongly with Fellini's much more relaxed style and his almost total reliance on improvisation.[57] Cardinale remembered Visconti's set as having an almost religious atmosphere, everything focused on the film, far removed from the outside world. Visconti needed silence for his work, while Fellini preferred noise and confusion.[58]
Prior to this period, Cardinale's own voice had not been used in her Italian films, as it was considered too hoarse and owing to her French accent, insufficiently Italian.[59][60] Her voice was once described as "throaty, husky and dark", in part due to smoking two packets of cigarettes a day.[61] Not until8½ was she allowed to use her own voice.[59][62] Cardinale explained: "When I arrived for my first movie, I couldn't speak a word. I thought I was on the moon. I couldn't understand what they were talking about. And I was speaking in French; in fact, I was dubbed. And Federico Fellini was the first one who used my voice. I think I had a very strange voice."[57] With her portrayal of Angelica inThe Leopard and her brief appearance as herself in8½, Cardinale achieved the definitive status of a top-ranking star.[63]
The same year, Cardinale starred as Mara inLa ragazza di Bube orBebo's Girl,[64] in which she also used her own voice. For her performance in the film, she received her firstNastro d'Argento for Best Actress in 1965.[65] Cardinale acted in her first American film (although it was produced in Italy) when she played Princess Dala, a wealthy aristocratic woman who is the love and jewellery interest ofDavid Niven in theCortina d'Ampezzo-setThe Pink Panther. Cardinale's voice in the film was dubbed byGale Garnett, who went uncredited.[66] Niven raved about working with the actress, telling her, "Afterspaghetti, you're Italy's happiest invention."[67]
In 1964, Cardinale starred alongsideRod Steiger andShelley Winters inFrancesco Maselli's Italian-madeTime of Indifference. Thereafter, she spent three years in the United States, where she starred in several Hollywood films. She told of how she benefited from the arrangement, explaining it was an American initiative at a time when they invited all the successful European actresses to perform in their pictures, hoping to create a monopoly. Many suffered from the experience, but she was able to hold her own: "I took care of my own interests, blankly refusing to sign an exclusive contract withUniversal Studios. I only signed for individual films. In the end, everything worked out fine for me.[68] She first starred inHenry Hathaway's Hollywood pictureCircus World (1964) oppositeJohn Wayne andRita Hayworth, playing the daughter of Hayworth, who performs with her as a mother-daughter circus act.[69] By the end of the decade, she had returned to making films primarily in Italy, accepting a pay cut, turning her back on Hollywood stardom. Cardinale further said, "I don't like the star system. I'm a normal person. I like to live in Europe. I mean, I've been going to Hollywood many, many times, but I didn't want to sign a contract."[70] Film writer David Simpson notes that as a result, "Cardinale never achieved the same level of fame as Loren and Gina Lollobrigida", although she appeared in a higher number of decent films.[71]
In 1964, she also played the lead role inThe Magnificent Cuckold, based on the Belgian playLe Cocu magnifique.[72] She was at the height of her sensuality at the time, but later the film only brought back unpleasant memories for her as she experienced little empathy with the directorAntonio Pietrangeli, while the male starUgo Tognazzi tried to seduce her.[73] In 1965, Cardinale appeared in Visconti'sVaghe stelle dell'Orsa, known asSandra (Of a Thousand Delights) in the U.S. andOf These Thousand Pleasures in the UK, playing aHolocaust survivor who may have had anincestuous relationship with her brother.[74] Later that year, she starred opposite Rock Hudson inUniversal Pictures'sBlindfold, the last film to be directed byPhilip Dunne.[75] Filming began on 22 February 1965 on location inOcala, Florida.[76]Diane Bond doubled for Cardinale in the film.[77] Cardinale became good friends with Hudson, who proved to be very protective of her, knowing her discomfort outside of Italy. While in Hollywood, Cardinale also became friends withBarbra Streisand,Elliott Gould, andSteve McQueen, but she never managed to feel at home there.[78]
By 1966, Cardinale was being cited as the most popular film star in Italy, even more than Mastroianni and Loren.[60]Life stated that "the Cardinale appeal is a blend of solid simplicity and radiant sensuality. It moves men all over the world to imagine her both as an exciting mistress and wife."[60] However, following her success in Hollywood, she began to express concerns about the direction of her career. In a July 1966 interview withLife, she confessed her fear of being overglamourized and exploited, like Sophia Loren, and although she had several further U.S. films lined up, stated: "If I have to give up the money, I give it up. I do not want to become a cliché."[60]
In 1966, a photograph of Cardinale was featured in the original gatefold artwork toBob Dylan's albumBlonde on Blonde (1966), but it was used without her permission and removed from later pressings.[79] That year, she starred inMark Robson's war pictureLost Command forColumbia Pictures oppositeAnthony Quinn,Alain Delon, andGeorge Segal. Quinn expressed his love of working with Cardinale, stating that although he adored Cardinale and Loren equally, "I relate easier to Claudia; Sophia creates an impression of something larger than life, something unobtainable. But Claudia – she's not easy, still she's within reach".[60] She also played a Mexican marquessa inRichard Brooks' WesternThe Professionals, uniting her on screen once again with Burt Lancaster in what she considered to be her best American film.[80] The following year, she appeared inUna rosa per tutti (A Rose for Everyone) and inAlexander Mackendrick'ssex farceDon't Make Waves oppositeTony Curtis andSharon Tate. Although occasional funny moments were noted,Don't Make Waves was generally panned by the critics and the lack of chemistry with co-star Curtis was highlighted.[81]Leonard Maltin, though, described the film as "a gem".[82]
At the beginning of 1967, Cristaldi joined her in the United States. While the two were staying in Atlanta, he surprised her by taking her to their wedding ceremony, which he had arranged without her knowledge. She went ahead with the ceremony, but was concerned about sacrificing the rights she had to her child Patrick. She also realised she was increasingly unable to make decisions about her own life.[83] The marriage was never made official in Italy.[84]
In 1968, Cardinale featured oppositeFranco Nero inThe Day of the Owl, in aDavid di Donatello for Best Actress-winning performance. She reunited with Rock Hudson in the Italian-made criminal comedyA Fine Pair under director Francesco Maselli. She also appeared alongsideRod Taylor inThe Hell with Heroes and starred in one of her best-known roles as former prostitute Jill McBain inSergio Leone's epic WesternOnce Upon a Time in the West.[85][61] Such was the power of her performance as the whore that Leone's biographer Robert C. Cumbow described her as "permanently engraved in cinematic history" and noted how suited to the role she was: "Her sex-goddess appearance combines with her more mystical iconographic associations to ease the progress of Jill from tart to town builder, from harlot to earth mother, from sinner to symbol of America—the apotheosis of the harlot with a heart of gold."[86] In 1969, Cardinale starred oppositeNino Manfredi inLuigi Magni'sThe Conspirators, based on the actual story of the capital execution of twocarbonari inpapal Rome. This was followed by a role as a telephone operator inDiary of a Telephone Operator and as a nurse oppositeSean Connery andPeter Finch inMikhail Kalatozov'sThe Red Tent, based on the story of the mission to rescueUmberto Nobile and the other survivors of the crash of theairshipItalia.[87]
After a role inSi salvi chi vuole (1980) and a smaller part inPeter Zinner'sThe Salamander opposite Franco Nero, Anthony Quinn, andChristopher Lee,[100] Cardinale played the love interest of Marcello Mastroianni inLiliana Cavani's war pictureThe Skin, a film which also reunited her with Burt Lancaster.[101][102] In 1982, Cardinale appeared inWerner Herzog'sFitzcarraldo, playing a successful brothel owner who fundsKlaus Kinski's purchase of an oldsteamship in South America. CriticVincent Canby ofThe New York Times observed that although Cardinale's screen time in the film was not substantial, she "not only lights up her role, she also lights up Mr. Kinski", her performance helping transform him "into a genuinely charming screen presence".[103] Later that year, Cardinale played oppositePierre Mondy in the sex farceBankers Also Have Souls, a role which biographers Lancia and Minelli say was played with a "mature charm and expressiveness".[104]
In 2012, Cardinale featured oppositeJeanne Moreau andMichael Lonsdale in the final feature film to be directed by Portuguese directorManoel de Oliveira,Gebo and the Shadow.The Hollywood Reporter praised its "ensemble of superb older performers".[135] Another film in which Cardinale acted, released in 2012, wasThe Artist and the Model. In it, she starred along withJean Rochefort. In 2013, Cardinale starred alongside supporting actressesPatricia Black and Chloé Cunha inNadia Szold'sJoy de V.,[136] and had a role inErnst Gossner's war dramaThe Silent Mountain, a love story set in theDolomite Mountains in 1915 at the outbreak ofWorld War I between Italy andAustria-Hungary. Gossner described her as "a terrific spirit on the set", and noted that Cardinale told the production team "legendary stories" about Marcello Mastroianni.[137] In 2014, Cardinale portrayed an Italian chaperoneviscountess in the British period drama filmEffie Gray, for whichVariety reviewer Guy Lodge deemed her and fellow cast members "overqualified" and "given far little to do".[138] While promotingEffie Gray, in an interview Cardinale said: "I still continue to work, it's 142 movies now. Usually when you are old you don't work any more, but I still work, which is good.... I've been very lucky because I've had many fantastic directors with me, Fellini, Visconti, Blake Edwards, lots and lots...".[139]
In 2020, Cardinale headlined the Swiss miniseriesBulle. Later that year, she had a role in theNetflix filmRogue City; her performance was among those praised by Elisabeth Vincentelli'sNew York Times review.[141]
When she was 19, she was kidnapped and raped by a man whose name she never revealed. This resulted in a pregnancy, her first child, a son named Patrick.[dubious –discuss] For the first seven years, Patrick was raised as her younger brother. Later, she revealed her true identity to him, and the child was adopted by Cardinale's then-partner,Franco Cristaldi.[142][143][144]
Cardinale met Cristaldi in 1958.[20] According to Cardinale, the couple had a marriage party but did not marry,[145] and they became increasingly detached. Cristaldi later marriedEritrean model and actressZeudi Araya and had no further relationship with Cardinale.[146]
Cardinale lived withPasquale Squitieri, an Italian film director, for 42 years, from 1975[147] until Squitieri died on 18 February 2017, aged 78.[148] They had a daughter, Claudia.[149] Her nieceFrancesca is also an actress.[150]
Cardinale was fluent inFrench,Italian,English, andSpanish.[151] She was a heavy smoker for much of her life and smoked two packs a day. She only gave up the habit in the last year of her life.[152]
Cardinale published an autobiography with Anne Mori,Io Claudia, Tu Claudia, in 1995.[6] She was a regular attendee of theAcademy Awards. Her awards include an honoraryGolden Lion at the 1993Venice Film Festival, and anHonorary Golden Bear at the 2002Berlin Film Festival. TheLos Angeles Times Magazine, in a February 2011 online feature, named Cardinale among the 50 most beautiful women in film history.[156][157] Cardinale said of her acting, "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."[158] It was an important aspect of her acting career, that through her varied roles she would preserve her mystery, in order to stay true to herself, independent and determined, in what was then a man's world.[61] In a 2014 interview, she revealed her secret of success: "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."[67]
In September 2025, Cardinale paid tribute (perhaps speaking out in a public forum for the final time) to the fashion designerGiorgio Armani upon his passing, stating [that she was] "filled with immense pain at the news".[162]
Cardinale died, aged 87, on 23 September 2025, at her home inNemours, Île-de-France.[163][164] Her funeral was held atSaint-Roch in Paris.[165]
Cardinale attracted many tributes after her death. ThePresident of Italy,Sergio Mattarella, described her as "an extraordinary artist, an unforgettable heroine of Italian and international cinema, always loved by the public and highly esteemed by great directors".[166] French PresidentEmmanuel Macron declared that the French "[...] will always carry this Italian and world star in our hearts, in the eternity of cinema".[167]
Alessandro Giuli, Italy's Minister of Culture, said she was "one of the greatest Italian actresses of all time", highlighting "her grace, her special beauty and her long career".Anouchka Delon andAntonio Banderas paid tribute to the memory of Cardinale.[168]
^The beauty contest was meant to raise money for charity; Cardinale's mother was on the charity committee. She says she was pushed on stage by someone while she was helping with the arrangements and was declared the winner.[15] At the time, Cardinale had her teacher's certificate and hoped to teach in a Tunisian desert town.[16] Since Cardinale wanted to become a teacher, she was not interested in the many film contracts offered her during her visit to Venice. The offers followed her after her return to Tunisia.[17]
^Cristaldi offered Cardinale the contract without a screen test. The contract contained many stipulations to which Cardinale was expected to adhere while Cristaldi groomed her.[17]
^Anderson, Burt (9 September 1963)."On Being Herself".Tucson Daily Citizen. p. 26.Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved7 July 2015 – viaNewspapers.com.
Brunetta, Gian Piero (1993).Storia del cinema italiano. Volume quarto: Dal miracolo economico agli anni novanta 1960–1993 (in Italian).Editori Riuniti.ISBN88-359-3788-4.
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