Claudia Cardinale has died aged 87, according to AFP and other French media. The Italian cinema star was known for her roles in films such as Pink Panther, The Leopard, and Once Upon a Time in the West. Her agent, Laurent Savry, told AFP that Claudia died in Nemours near Paris. Savry said in a statement: “She leaves us the legacy of a free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artiste.” The film icon worked with some of Italy’s greatest directors, including Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini. Claudia was born in the Tunisian capital Tunis on April 15, 1938, and shot to fame in the cinema industry after winning a beauty contest in 1957. She later made her debut with a small role opposite Omar Sharif in 1958’s Goha.
Claudia then gained international fame with her roles in Girl with a Suitcase (1961) and Cartouche (1962). In 1963, she then appeared in one of her most notable roles alongside Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon in The Leopard.
Claudia later had major hits in films such as Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers and Henry Hathaway’s Circus World with Rita Hayworth and John Wayne.
She then continued to work regularly in the USA, appearing in movies as The Professionals (1966), Don’t Make Waves (1967), and The Hell with Heroes (1968).
Away from the screen, Claudia met director Pasquale Squitieri in 1974, and they became a couple until his death on February 18, 2017.
One devastated fan posted on X an emotional tribute to Claudia, typing: “Last week, Robert Redford, and now my favourite actress, Claudia Cardinale. Once Upon a Time in the West has long been my favourite movie of all time, and Jill’s Theme played as my wife walked down the aisle.”
A second also commented: “Sad to see Claudia Cardinale has died. She was in one of my favourite westerns, Once Upon a Time in the West. A fine actress and absolutely beautiful.”
A third also chimed in: “Claudia Cardinale passed away… One of those very beautiful and classy actrices of the past. I know her best from her role as the princess in The Pink Panther.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
