Acclaimed Italian actress Claudia Cardinale died on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at age 87 in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children, according to her agent Laurent Savry. The star of classic films, including “8½,” “The Leopard,” and “The Pink Panther,” passed away after a career spanning more than six decades.
Cardinale’s agent confirmed her death to the Associated Press on Wednesday, stating that she leaves behind the legacy of a free and inspired woman, both as a woman and as an artist. French President Emmanuel Macron praised her impact, noting that the French will always carry this Italian and global star in their hearts, in the eternity of cinema.
Born Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale in Tunis, Tunisia, on April 15, 1938, to Sicilian parents who had emigrated to North Africa, Cardinale spoke French, Arabic, and her parents’ Sicilian dialect before learning Italian as an adult. Her film career began unexpectedly at age 17 after winning a beauty contest in Tunisia that declared her “the most beautiful Italian woman in Tunis.” The prize included a trip to the Venice Film Festival, where Italian film producers discovered her.
Before entering the beauty contest, Cardinale had expected to become a schoolteacher. She later reflected on her accidental entry into the cinema, explaining that when asked if she wanted to be in movies, she initially refused, but producers persisted for six months. Her father eventually convinced her to give cinema a try.
Her early career was marked by significant challenges. As a teenager picking up small film roles, she was raped by a man she did not know and became pregnant. A mentor convinced her to give birth in secret in London, and for several years, she introduced her son Patrick to people as her younger brother until revealing the truth seven years later. She told French newspaper Le Monde in 2017 that Patrick was the reason for her film career, as she wanted to earn a living and be independent.
Italian film producer Franco Cristaldi offered Cardinale a seven-year exclusive contract and managed her early career. They married in 1966 and remained together until 1975. Her first film under this arrangement was Mario Monicelli’s 1958 heist comedy “Big Deal on Madonna Street,” which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
The year 1963 proved pivotal for Cardinale’s international recognition. She simultaneously starred in Federico Fellini’s “8½” and Luchino Visconti’s “The Leopard,” often shuttling between the two sets. Cardinale recalled that “Visconti wanted me brunette with long hair. Fellini wanted me blonde,” requiring her to dye her hair weekly.
In “8½,” Cardinale played Claudia, the muse of Marcello Mastroianni’s director, who is existentially challenged. The film won Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Black-and-White Costume Design, and in 2019, it was ranked number 10 on Sight & Sound’s list of the 50 greatest films of all time. “The Leopard” won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and is widely considered Visconti’s masterpiece.
That same year, Cardinale appeared in Blake Edwards’ “The Pink Panther” alongside David Niven and Peter Sellers, playing Princess Dala, whose priceless diamond becomes the target of an aristocratic jewel thief. Though her husky voice was dubbed for the role due to her accent, she later recalled receiving praise from co-star David Niven, who told her she was Italy’s greatest invention alongside spaghetti.
Cardinale’s Hollywood career included roles in “Circus World” with John Wayne and Rita Hayworth, Richard Brooks’ Western “The Professionals,” and Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Despite opportunities in American cinema, she refused to settle permanently in Hollywood, preferring to maintain her European film roots.
Throughout her career, Cardinale appeared in more than 130 films and made-for-television productions. She won three David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s equivalent of the Oscar, for best actress and received an honorary Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival in 1993. In 2002, she received a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival.
After separating from Cristaldi in the early 1970s, Cardinale began a lifelong relationship with Neapolitan director Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she had a daughter, also named Claudia. She continued performing into her 80s, including a role in the Swiss television series “Bulle” in 2020.
In 2000, Cardinale was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of her advocacy for women’s rights. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli called her one of the greatest Italian actresses of all time, praising her exceptional talent that inspired milestones of Italian cinema. She is survived by her two children.
Critics praised Cardinale as the embodiment of postwar European glamour. Reflecting on her career at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival, she noted that she had lived more than 150 lives as different characters, describing it as marvelous to have the opportunity to transform herself through her roles with the most important directors of her era.
