Iconic Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, a prominent figure in 20th-century cinema, died Tuesday at 87.
Cardinale died in Nemours, France, on Sept. 23, according to her agent, France 24 reported.
“Though the international film market was glutted with sultry European actresses during the 1960s, few could boast the depth and range of talent as Claudia Cardinale,” Rotten Tomatoes said of the actress who appeared in American movies as well.
French President Emmanuel Macron mourned the actress in a post on X Wednesday, Sept. 24.
“Claudia Cardinale embodied a freedom, a vision, a talent that added so much to the works of the greatest, from Rome to Hollywood, and Paris, which she chose as her homeland. We French will always carry this Italian and world star in our hearts, in the eternity of cinema,” the translated post read.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella shared his condolences on Cardinale’s death, the Italian Journalistic Agency reported.
“An extraordinary artist, an unforgettable star in Italian and international films, always greatly loved by the public and held in high regard by directors. Her expressiveness, her elegance, her ability to interpret, left an impact on Italian and global cinematic history,” Mattarella’s translated remarks read.
Here’s a look at the legacy the Italian actress left behind.
When did Claudia Cardinale die?
Cardinale died Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, Reuters reported.
She died in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children, her agent told AFP, according to France 24. Cardinale had lived in France in recent decades.
Who was Claudia Cardinale?
Born Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale in Tunisia in 1938 to Sicilian parents, Cardinale became a star in Italian cinema, acting in films and theater, Reuters noted.
Claudia Cardinale at Cannes Film Festival in 1974.
She grew up speaking French, the Sicilian dialect and Tunisian Arabic, later learning Italian and English as her cinematic career progressed, according to the Berkley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Cardinale appeared in more than 150 films in her six-decade career, along with two television series, The New York Times and Rotten Tomatoes reported.
Cardinale leaves behind two children, her son Patrick Cristaldi and daughter Claudia Squitieri.
What major films did she star in?
Cardinale was known for starring in “Once Upon a Time in the West,” a 1968 Italian-American “spaghetti western” directed by Sergio Leone and starring Henry Fonda, “8 1/2,” a 1963 Italian comedy drama directed by Federico Fellini, and “The Pink Panther,” a 1963 American comedy starring Peter Sellers and directed by Blake Edwards.
What was Cardinale’s cause of death?
Reports did not list a cause of death.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Who was Claudia Cardinale? Italian actress dead at 87