Overview

• An obituary from il Giornale reports the death of Claudia Cardinale, a defining face of 1960s and 1970s Italian cinema.
• Born in Tunis in 1938 to Sicilian parents, she kept Italian citizenship and later settled in Paris after a transnational career.
• Her breakout roles with Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini cemented international fame, followed by work across Europe and the United States.
• She appeared in Hollywood productions such as The Pink Panther and The Professionals yet declined exclusive studio contracts to retain creative freedom.
• Her early life included a pregnancy from sexual assault and the concealed birth of a son under producer Franco Cristaldi’s control, a truth she later disclosed, and her career earned top honors including Nastro d’argento, multiple David di Donatello awards, Venice’s Golden Lion, and Berlin’s Golden Bear.