Claudia Cardinale: A Legendary Talent in Italian Cinema Passes Away at 87

Claudia Cardinale, a glamorous symbol of postwar Italian cinema, has passed away at the age of 87, as reported by AFP and other French media outlets. Born in Tunisia to a Sicilian family, Cardinale's journey into the film industry began in 1957 when she won a beauty contest in Tunis, earning a trip to the Venice Film Festival. Initially, her Italian screen roles required her voice to be dubbed, as she had grown up speaking Sicilian dialect and had received her education at a French-speaking institution. Complicating her early career was a secret pregnancy from an abusive relationship, leading her to give birth to a son, Patrick, in London in 1958. For several years, she had to pass him off as her younger brother while he was raised by her parents. Cardinale's career took off in 1963 when she starred in Federico Fellini's "8½" and appeared alongside Burt Lancaster in "The Leopard". Balancing the filming of both movies presented challenges, as she recalled needing to change her hair color for each role. In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Cardinale expressed her thoughts on the directing styles of Fellini and Luchino Visconti, who directed "The Leopard", stating, "Fellini couldn’t shoot without noise. With Visconti, it was the opposite, like doing theatre. We couldn’t say a word. Very serious." Her rising star led to opportunities in Hollywood, including roles in the comedy classic "The Pink Panther" and Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In the West" in 1968. However, her career faced challenges in the 1970s after separating from film producer Franco Cristaldi. Following the separation, Cristaldi asked associates in the Italian cinema industry to boycott Cardinale, impacting her opportunities—Visconti himself turned her down for his final film, "The Innocent" in 1976. Reflecting on that tough time, Cardinale remarked, "It was a very delicate moment. I discovered I had no money in my bank account." Eventually, director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his 1977 miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth", marking a turn in her career, after which she collaborated with notable European directors such as Werner Herzog and Marco Bellocchio. Known for her husky voice and chain-smoking, Cardinale epitomized fierce independence; she famously defied Vatican protocol by attending a meeting with Pope Paul VI dressed in a miniskirt. Living primarily in France, she maintained friendships with prominent figures including Presidents Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac. Cardinale returned to the theatre in the early 2000s, receiving acclaim for her performances. Her passion for acting never waned; she continued to make films in various European languages until late in her life, even appearing in the Swiss TV series "Bulle" in 2020. Awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin film festival in 2002, Claudia Cardinale reflected on her illustrious career, stating, "Acting has been a great career. I’ve lived more than 150 lives—prostitute, saint, romantic, every kind of woman—and that is marvellous to have this opportunity to change yourself. I’ve worked with the most important directors. They gave me everything." Cardinale's legacy as one of the most significant figures in film will undoubtedly endure. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2 • Source 3