Claudia Cardinale
Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (15 April 1938 – 23 September 2025) was an Italian actress. Regarded as one of the leading figures of Italian cinema, alongside Sophia Loren and Gina 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 as Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, and Werner 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 in La Goulette, a municipality in Tunisia near Tunis, 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 producer Franco 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 star Omar Sharif in Goha (1958), Cardinale became one of the best-known actresses in Italy, with roles in films such as Rocco and His Brothers (1960), Girl with a Suitcase (1961), Cartouche (1962), The Leopard (1963) and Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963).
From 1963, Cardinale appeared in The Pink Panther opposite David Niven. She went on to appear in the Hollywood films Blindfold (1966), Lost Command (1966), The Professionals (1966), Don't Make Waves (1967) with Tony Curtis, The Hell with Heroes (1968), The Red Tent (1969), A Fine Pair (1968), The Salamander (1981), and the Sergio Leone Western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), a joint U.S.–Italian production, in which she was praised for her role as a former prostitute opposite Jason Robards, Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda.
Jaded with Hollywood and not wanting to become a cliché, Cardinale returned to Italian and French cinema and garnered the David di Donatello for Best Actress award for her roles in The Day of the Owl (1968) and as a prostitute alongside Alberto Sordi in A Girl in Australia (1971).[1] In 1974, Cardinale met director Pasquale Squitieri, who would become her partner. She frequently featured in his films, including Blood Brothers (1974), Father of the Godfathers (1978) and Claretta (1984), the last of which won her the Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Actress. In 1982, she starred in Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo as the love interest of Klaus Kinski, who raises the funds to buy a steamship in Peru. In 2010, Cardinale received the Best Actress Award at the 47th Antalya "Golden Orange" International Film Festival for her performance as an elderly Italian woman who takes in a young Turkish exchange student in Signora Enrica.
Over the years, Cardinale was outspoken about women's rights and became a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the Defence of Women's Rights beginning in March 2000. In February 2011, the Los Angeles Times Magazine named Cardinale among the 50 most beautiful women in film history. ...
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Photos
Movies (165)
The Life of Mirrors
2025
The Island of Forgiveness
2022 · Agostina
Claudia la mystérieuse
2022 · Self
We Are Cinema
2021 · Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
Fellinopolis
2021 · Self - Actress (archive footage)
Sicilians of Africa
2021 · Self
Rogue City
2020 · Catarina Bastiani
Nana Mouskouri, Momente ihres Lebens
2020 · Self (archive footage)
Claudia Cardinale, la créature du secret
2019 · Self (archive footage)
Gina, Sophia, Claudia, trois symboles de la féminité à l'italienne
2019 · Self
Sergio Leone, une Amérique de légende
2018 · Self (archive footage)
Rudy Valentino
2018 · Zia Rosa
Dios de monoambiente
2018 · Self (archive footage)
La Loi de Julien, Le bon fils
2017 · Irène Delamarche
An Italian Indian: The Pink Panther Princess With Claudia Cardinale
2017 · Self
Una gita a Roma
2017 · Marguerite
Nobili bugie
2017 · Duchess
La Folle Histoire de Jean-Paul Belmondo
2017 · Self
Nonnas on the Run
2017 · Angela
Luchino Visconti: Between Truth and Passion
2016 · Self (archive footage)
The Blind and the Cardinal
2016 · 'La Cardinale'
Belmondo by Belmondo
2016 · Self (archive footage)
Todos los caminos llevan a Roma
2016 · Carmen
Twice Upon a Time in the West
2015 · Claudia
Marcello Mastroianni, latin lover
2015 · Self
Cinéma Jacques Perrin
2014 · Self
Last Stop
2014 · Rosa
The Silent Mountain
2014 · Nuria Calzolari
Effie Gray: Un lío amoroso
2014 · Viscountess
Alberto il grande
2013 · Self
Joy de V.
2013 · Signora Morosini
The Artist and the Model
2012 · Léa
Gebo and the Shadow
2012 · Doroteia
The Years of Lost Images
2012 · Self
Monicelli: La versione di Mario
2012 · Self (archive footage)
The Bardot mystery
2012
Hollywood Invasion
2011 · Self (archive footage)
Belmondo, itinéraire...
2011 · Self
Becoming Italian with Signora Enrica
2011 · Signora Enrica
Father
2011 · Elvira
A View of Love
2010 · La mère de Marc
Il giorno della Shoah
2010 · Ester
Pietro Germi - The Good, The Beautiful and The Bad
2009 · Self
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
The String
2009 · Sara
La Traversée du désir
2009 · Self
Il falso bugiardo
2008 · Self (archive footage)
Man & Wife, Cop & Crook
2008 · Cécile Deschamps
Cherche fiancé tous frais payés
2007 · Elisabeth
Marcello, una vita dolce
2006 · Self
Sergio Leone: The Way I See Things
2006 · Self
The Demon Stirs
2005 · Claudia Cardinale
A Dying Breed: The Making of 'The Leopard'
2004 · Self
Por un puñado de sueños
2004 · Self - Interviewee
An Opera of Violence
2003 · Self - Actress
The Wages of Sin
2003 · Self - Actress
Something to Do with Death
2003 · Self - Actress
The Last Sequence
2003 · Self
Fellini: I'm a Born Liar
2003 · Claudia (archive footage) (uncredited)
Luchino Visconti
2002 · Self
And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...
2002 · Madame Falconetti
Heart of the Festival
2002 · Self (archive footage)
The Magic of Fellini
2002 · Self (archive footage)
Visconti: La verdad del melodrama
2001 · Self
Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone
2000 · Self
Li chiamarono... briganti!
1999 · Donna Assunta
My Best Fiend
1999 · Self
Riches, belles, etc.
1998 · Baroness Mitsy
Sous les pieds des femmes
1997 · Aya 1996
Stupor Mundi
1997 · Costanza d'Altavilla / d'Aragona
The Man with the Cigar in His Mouth
1997 · Self
Desert of Fire
1997 · Leila
A Summer in La Goulette
1996 · Claudia Cardinale
Elles ne pensent qu'à ça...
1994 · Margaux
Alex et Marie
1994 · Narrator (voice)
Il gattopardo: Viaggio della memoria
1994 · Self
El hijo de la pantera rosa
1993 · Maria Gambrelli
588 rue Paradis
1992 · Araxi (Mayrig) Zakarian
Mother
1991 · Araxi (Mayrig) Zakarian
Drums of Fire
1990 · Roxelane
Act of Sorrow
1990 · Elena
Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre
1989 · Hélène Larmier
The French Revolution
1989 · Duchesse de Polignac
A Man in Love
1987 · Julia Steiner
Woman of Wonders
1985 · Maura
Night of 100 Stars II
1985 · Self
Next Summer
1985 · Jeanne
Claretta
1984 · Miriam Petacci
Henry IV
1984 · Matilda
The Ruffian
1983 · La « Baronne »
Burden of Dreams
1982 · Self - Actress
Bankers Also Have Souls
1982 · Antonella Dufour
Fitzcarraldo
1982 · Molly
Famous T & A
1982 · (archive footage)
The Skin
1981 · Principessa Consuelo Caracciolo
The Salamander
1981 · Elena Leporello
Si salvi chi vuole
1980 · Luisa
Escape to Athena
1979 · Eleana
Corleone
1978 · Rosa Accordino
The Gun
1978 · Marta Compagna
Little Girl in Blue Velvet
1978 · Francesca Modigliani
Fire's Share
1978 · Catherine Hansen
Goodbye & Amen
1977 · Aliki
I Am the Law
1977 · Anna
Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti
1977 · Pauline Bonaparte
A Common Sense of Modesty
1976 · Armida Ballarin
Blonde in Black Leather
1975 · Claudia
Libera, My Love
1975 · Libera Valente
Midnight Pleasures
1975 · Gabriella Sansoni
Conversation Piece
1974 · Professor's Wife (uncredited)
Blood Brothers
1974 · Lucia Esposito
One Russian Summer
1973 · Anya
The Pariah
1972 · Georgia Saratov
The Audience
1972 · Aiche
A Girl in Australia
1971 · Carmela
The Legend of Frenchie King
1971 · Marie Sarrazin
Popsy Pop
1971 · Popsy Pop
The Adventures of Gerard
1970 · Teresa, Countess of Morales
The Red Tent
1969 · Valeria
Diary of a Telephone Operator
1969 · Marta Chiaretti
The Conspirators
1969 · Giuditta Di Castro
Once Upon a Time in the West
1968 · Jill
A Fine Pair
1968 · Esmeralda Marini
The Hell with Heroes
1968 · Elena
The Day of the Owl
1968 · Rosa Nicolosi
Don't Make Waves
1967 · Laura
A Rose for Everyone
1967 · Rosa
The Professionals
1966 · Maria
Blindfold
1966 · Vicky Vicenti
Lost Command
1966 · Aisha
The Queens
1966 · Armenia ("Fata Armenia")
Sandra
1965 · Sandra Dawson
Tokyo Olympiad
1965 · Thanks
The Magnificent Cuckold
1964 · Maria Grazia
Time of Indifference
1964 · Carla
Circus World
1964 · Toni Alfredo
Bebo's Girl
1964 · Mara
The Pink Panther
1963 · The Princess Dala
The Leopard
1963 · Angelica Sedara / Bastiana
8½
1963 · Claudia
Careless
1962 · Angiolina Zarri
Cartouche
1962 · Vénus
Auguste
1961 · Cameo Appearance (uncredited)
The Lions Are Loose
1961 · Albertine Ferran
The Lovemakers
1961 · Bianca
Girl with a Suitcase
1961 · Aida Zepponi
Rocco and His Brothers
1960 · Ginetta
The Dolphins
1960 · Fedora Santini
Austerlitz
1960 · Pauline Bonaparte
Il bell'Antonio
1960 · Barbara Puglisi
Fiasco in Milan
1959 · Carmelina Nicosia
Upstairs and Downstairs
1959 · Maria
The Facts of Murder
1959 · La servetta, Assuntina
The Magistrate
1959 · Maria
Goha
1959 · Amina
Venetian Honeymoon
1959 · Angelica
South Wind
1959 · Grazia Macri
3 Strangers in Rome
1958 · Marisa
Big Deal on Madonna Street
1958 · Carmelina
Algeria in Flames
1958 · Self - Arab woman (uncredited)
Les Anneaux d'Or
1956 · A young woman
Second to Nun
· Self - Festival Actress
Piccolina bella
Rumore
TV shows (33)
Bulle
2020 · Marthe
Il bello delle donne... alcuni anni dopo
2017 · Laura Banti
Mia, Liebe meines Lebens
2016 · Mary O'Sullivan
La Historia del Cine
2011 · Self
The King, the Squirrel and the Grass Snake
2011 · La duchesse de Polignac
Ulisse - The Pleasure of Discovery
2001 · Self
Vivement dimanche
1998 · Self
Desert of Fire
1997 · Leila
Nostromo
1997 · Teresa Viola
10-07: L'affaire Zeus
1995 · Agent
Flash – Der Fotoreporter
1993 · Gilda Ricci / Monica Ricci
Stars 90
1990 · Self
The French Revolution
1989 · Yolande-Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac (« Les Années Lumière »)
Téléthon
1987 · Self
Sacrée soirée
1987 · Self
Naso di cane
1986 · Laura
History
1986 · Ida Mancuso
Princess Daisy
1983 · Annabelle de Fourdemont Valensky
Champs-Elysées
1982 · Self
Ciné regards
1978 · Self
Jesus of Nazareth
1977 · The Adulteress
Numéro un
1975 · Self, Self - Host
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975 · Self
Midi Première
1975 · Self
Spécial cinéma
1974 · Self
Midi trente
1972 · Self
Samedi soir
1971 · Self
The Merv Griffin Show
1962 · Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
Cinépanorama
1956 · Self
Reflets de Cannes
1954 · Self
The Oscars
1953 · Self
Bambi
1948 · Self