Overview

• Cardinale died Tuesday in Nemours, France, with her children present, according to her agent Laurent Savry, who did not disclose a cause.
• Savry said she leaves the legacy of a “free and inspired woman,” a sentiment echoed across international obituaries and tributes.
• Over a six-decade career and more than 100 screen credits, she became synonymous with auteur-driven classics by Fellini, Visconti and Leone.
• Born in Tunis to Sicilian parents, she entered film after a Tunis beauty contest led her to Venice, and her early Italian roles were often dubbed due to her accent.
• Her life story—later disclosed to include a teenage assault and a concealed pregnancy—framed a career honored with Venice’s Golden Lion, Berlin’s honorary Golden Bear and a UNESCO goodwill ambassadorship.