Claudia Cardinale
Known for: Acting
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. ... Description above from the Wikipedia article Claudia Cardinale, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
Ciné regards
Self
1978
Series
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
Series
Champs-Elysées
Self
1982
Series
Vivement dimanche
Self
1998
Series
Spécial cinéma
Self
1974
Series
Sacrée soirée
Self
1987
Series
Midi Première
Self
1975
Series
Bambi
Self
1948
Series
Midi trente
Self
1972
Film
Once Upon a Time in the West
Jill
1968
Series
Ulisse - The Pleasure of Discovery
Self
2001
Series
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
1975
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
Numéro un
Self
1975
Series
Numéro un
Self - Host
1975
Samedi soir
Self
1971
Series
Cinépanorama
Self
1956
Series
Jesus of Nazareth
The Adulteress
1977
Film
Heart of the Festival
Self (archive footage)
2002
Film
The Pink Panther
The Princess Dala
1963
Film
8½
Claudia
1963
Series
Téléthon
Self
1987
Series
Stars 90
Self
1990
Series
Reflets de Cannes
Self
1954
Film
The Professionals
Maria
1966
Film
The Leopard
Angelica Sedara / Bastiana
1963
Series
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Self
2011
Film
Rocco and His Brothers
Ginetta
1960
Film
Goha
Amina
1959
Film
A Summer in La Goulette
Claudia Cardinale
1996
Film
All Roads Lead to Rome
Carmen
2016
Series
The French Revolution
Yolande-Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac (« Les Années Lumière »)
1989
Film
Fitzcarraldo
Molly
1982
Film
Escape to Athena
Eleana
1979
Film
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
Film
Il bell'Antonio
Barbara Puglisi
1960
Film
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
Film
The Red Tent
Valeria
1969
Film
My Best Fiend
Self
1999
Film
Big Deal on Madonna Street
Carmelina
1958
Film
The Queens
Armenia ("Fata Armenia")
1966
Film
The French Revolution
Duchesse de Polignac
1989
Film
Cherche fiancé tous frais payés
Elisabeth
2007
Film
Rogue City
Catarina Bastiani
2020
Film
Son of the Pink Panther
Maria Gambrelli
1993
Film
Lost Command
Aisha
1966
Series
History
Ida Mancuso
1986
Film
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985
Film
Effie Gray
Viscountess
2014
Film
Burden of Dreams
Self - Actress
1982
Film
The Legend of Frenchie King
Marie Sarrazin
1971
Film
The Salamander
Elena Leporello
1981
Film
Popsy Pop
Popsy Pop
1971
Series
Princess Daisy
Annabelle de Fourdemont Valensky
1983
Film
Hollywood Invasion
Self (archive footage)
2011
Film
Father
Elvira
2011
Film
Little Girl in Blue Velvet
Francesca Modigliani
1978
Series
The King, the Squirrel and the Grass Snake
La duchesse de Polignac
2011
Film
Austerlitz
Pauline Bonaparte
1960
Film
Circus World
Toni Alfredo
1964
Film
Time of Indifference
Carla
1964
Film
Don't Make Waves
Laura
1967
Film
Girl with a Suitcase
Aida Zepponi
1961
Film
Auguste
Cameo Appearance (uncredited)
1961
Film
Belmondo, itinéraire...
Self
2011
Film
Conversation Piece
Professor's Wife (uncredited)
1974
Film
Mother
Araxi (Mayrig) Zakarian
1991
Film
Cartouche
Vénus
1962
Series
Il bello delle donne... alcuni anni dopo
Laura Banti
2017
Film
Bankers Also Have Souls
Antonella Dufour
1982
Film
A Man in Love
Julia Steiner
1987
Film
A View of Love
La mère de Marc
2010
Film
We Are Cinema
Self (archive footage)
2021
Series
Nostromo
Teresa Viola
1997
Film
The Pariah
Georgia Saratov
1972
Film
588 rue Paradis
Araxi (Mayrig) Zakarian
1992
Film
The Skin
Principessa Consuelo Caracciolo
1981
Series
Desert of Fire
Leila
1997
Film
Careless
Angiolina Zarri
1962
Film
Twice Upon a Time in the West
Claudia
2015
Film
Famous T & A
(archive footage)
1982
Film
The Day of the Owl
Rosa Nicolosi
1968
Film
The Silent Mountain
Nuria Calzolari
2014
Cinéma Jacques Perrin
Self
2014
Film
Luchino Visconti: Between Truth and Passion
Self (archive footage)
2016
Film
The Artist and the Model
Léa
2012
Film
Belmondo by Belmondo
Self (archive footage)
2016
Film
Claudia Cardinale, la créature du secret
Self (archive footage)
2019
Film
Blood Brothers
Lucia Esposito
1974
Film
And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...
Madame Falconetti
2002
Film
The Magnificent Cuckold
Maria Grazia
1964
Film
Fellinopolis
Self - Actress (archive footage)
2021
Film
Man & Wife, Cop & Crook
Cécile Deschamps
2008
Film
I Am the Law
Anna
1977
Film
Fellini: I'm a Born Liar
Claudia (archive footage) (uncredited)
2003
Film
The Bardot mystery
2012
Film
Sandra
Sandra Dawson
1965
Series
Naso di cane
Laura
1986
Film
A Fine Pair
Esmeralda Marini
1968
Film
Fiasco in Milan
Carmelina Nicosia
1959
Film
The Conspirators
Giuditta Di Castro
1969
Film
Stupor Mundi
Costanza d'Altavilla / d'Aragona
1997
Film
The Adventures of Gerard
Teresa, Countess of Morales
1970
Film
Libera, My Love
Libera Valente
1975
Film
The Magic of Fellini
Self (archive footage)
2002
Film
The Hell with Heroes
Elena
1968
Film
The Facts of Murder
La servetta, Assuntina
1959
Film
Blindfold
Vicky Vicenti
1966
Film
Bebo's Girl
Mara
1964
Film
Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti
Pauline Bonaparte
1977
Film
Claretta
Miriam Petacci
1984
Film
Desert of Fire
Leila
1997
Film
Next Summer
Jeanne
1985
Film
Corleone
Rosa Accordino
1978
Film
Upstairs and Downstairs
Maria
1959
Film
Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre
Hélène Larmier
1989
Film
Diary of a Telephone Operator
Marta Chiaretti
1969
Film
Goodbye & Amen
Aliki
1977
Film
A Girl in Australia
Carmela
1971
Film
La Traversée du désir
Self
2009
Film
Midnight Pleasures
Gabriella Sansoni
1975
Film
Les Anneaux d'Or
A young woman
1956
Series
Bulle
Marthe
2020
Film
Marcello, una vita dolce
Self
2006
Film
Sergio Leone: The Way I See Things
Self
2006
Film
Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone
Self
2000
Film
The Lions Are Loose
Albertine Ferran
1961
Film
The Lovemakers
Bianca
1961
Film
Drums of Fire
Roxelane
1990
Film
The Gun
Marta Compagna
1978
Film
An Opera of Violence
Self - Actress
2003
Film
A Rose for Everyone
Rosa
1967
Film
Gebo and the Shadow
Doroteia
2012
10-07: L'affaire Zeus
Agent
1995
Film
Li chiamarono... briganti!
Donna Assunta
1999
Film
The String
Sara
2009
Film
Fire's Share
Catherine Hansen
1978
Film
The Audience
Aiche
1972
Series
Mia, Liebe meines Lebens
Mary O'Sullivan
2016
Film
The Ruffian
La « Baronne »
1983
Film
Monicelli: La versione di Mario
Self (archive footage)
2012
Film
Last Stop
Rosa
2014
Flash – Der Fotoreporter
Gilda Ricci / Monica Ricci
1993
Film
The Magistrate
Maria
1959
Film
The Years of Lost Images
Self
2012
Film
One Russian Summer
Anya
1973
Joy de V.
Signora Morosini
2013
Film
The Last Sequence
Self
2003
Marcello Mastroianni, latin lover
Self
2015
Film
3 Strangers in Rome
Marisa
1958
Film
Nobili bugie
Duchess
2017
Film
Il falso bugiardo
Self (archive footage)
2008
Film
The Dolphins
Fedora Santini
1960
Film
Luchino Visconti
Self
2002
Film
The Life of Mirrors
2025
Film
Becoming Italian with Signora Enrica
Signora Enrica
2011
Film
The Wages of Sin
Self - Actress
2003
Film
A Common Sense of Modesty
Armida Ballarin
1976
Film
Venetian Honeymoon
Angelica
1959
Piccolina bella
Film
Act of Sorrow
Elena
1990
Film
Sous les pieds des femmes
Aya 1996
1997
Film
Henry IV
Matilda
1984
Film
Nonnas on the Run
Angela
2017
Film
Nana Mouskouri, Momente ihres Lebens
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Blonde in Black Leather
Claudia
1975
Dios de monoambiente
Self (archive footage)
2018
Film
Sergio Leone, une Amérique de légende
Self (archive footage)
2018
Alex et Marie
Narrator (voice)
1994
Film
Si salvi chi vuole
Luisa
1980
Film
La Loi de Julien, Le bon fils
Irène Delamarche
2017
Film
South Wind
Grazia Macri
1959
Film
A Dying Breed: The Making of 'The Leopard'
Self
2004
Il giorno della Shoah
Ester
2010
Il gattopardo: Viaggio della memoria
Self
1994
Film
Pietro Germi - The Good, The Beautiful and The Bad
Self
2009
Film
Something to Do with Death
Self - Actress
2003
Film
Una gita a Roma
Marguerite
2017
Rumore
Film
Second to Nun
Self - Festival Actress
Film
Rudy Valentino
Zia Rosa
2018
Film
The Demon Stirs
Claudia Cardinale
2005
Film
La Folle Histoire de Jean-Paul Belmondo
Self
2017
Film
The Man with the Cigar in His Mouth
Self
1997
Film
Gina, Sophia, Claudia, trois symboles de la féminité à l'italienne
Self
2019
Film
Woman of Wonders
Maura
1985
Film
Alberto il grande
Self
2013
Film
Claudia la mystérieuse
Self
2022
Film
Algeria in Flames
Self - Arab woman (uncredited)
1958
Visconti: La verdad del melodrama
Self
2001
Film
Elles ne pensent qu'à ça...
Margaux
1994
Film
The Blind and the Cardinal
'La Cardinale'
2016
Film
Por un puñado de sueños
Self - Interviewee
2004
Film
The Island of Forgiveness
Agostina
2022
Film
Riches, belles, etc.
Baroness Mitsy
1998
An Italian Indian: The Pink Panther Princess With Claudia Cardinale
Self
2017