Claudia Cardinale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claudia Cardinale
|
|
|---|---|
Cardinale in 1960
|
|
| Born |
Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale
15 April 1938 Tunis, French protectorate of Tunisia
|
| Died | 23 September 2025 (aged 87) Nemours, France
|
| Citizenship | Italy |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1957–2022 |
| Partner(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Francesca Cardinale (niece) |
Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (15 April 1938 – 23 September 2025) was a famous Italian actress. She was born and grew up in La Goulette, a neighborhood in Tunis.
In 1957, Cardinale won a competition called "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia." The prize was a trip to Italy. This trip quickly led to movie roles, especially with the help of producer Franco Cristaldi. He became her mentor and later her partner.
After a small role in Goha (1958), Cardinale became one of Italy's most recognized actresses. She starred in important films like Rocco and His Brothers (1960), Girl with a Suitcase (1961), Cartouche (1962), The Leopard (1963), and Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963).
Starting in 1963, Cardinale also appeared in Hollywood movies. She was in The Pink Panther with David Niven. Other American films included Blindfold (1965), Lost Command (1966), and the Western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). In this film, she played a strong woman in a challenging role alongside Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, and Henry Fonda.
Cardinale eventually returned to Italian and French cinema. She won the David di Donatello for Best Actress award for her roles in films like The Day of the Owl (1968) and A Girl in Australia (1971). In 1974, she met director Pasquale Squitieri, who became her partner. She often appeared in his films, such as Blood Brothers (1974) and Claretta (1984). For Claretta, she won the Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Actress.
In 1982, she starred in Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo. In 2010, she received the Best Actress Award at the 47th Antalya "Golden Orange" International Film Festival for her role in Signora Enrica.
Claudia Cardinale was a strong supporter of women's rights. She became a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the Defence of Women's Rights in March 2000. In February 2011, the Los Angeles Times Magazine recognized her as one of the 50 most beautiful women in film history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Claudia Cardinale was born Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale in La Goulette, Tunis, on 15 April 1938. At that time, Tunis was a French protectorate. Her father, Francesco Cardinale, was a railway worker from Sicily, Italy. Her mother, Yolande Greco, also had Sicilian parents. They lived in La Goulette, which had a large Italian community.
At home, Claudia spoke mostly French. She also knew the Sicilian language from her parents. She did not learn to speak Italian until she started acting in Italian movies.
Cardinale attended the Saint-Joseph-de-l'Apparition School in Carthage with her younger sister, Blanche. She later studied at the Paul Cambon School, planning to become a teacher. As a teenager, she was described as quiet and spirited. She was inspired by actresses like Brigitte Bardot.
A Star is Born: Early Career
Claudia Cardinale's first experience in film was in a short movie called Anneaux d'or. This film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival. It made her a local celebrity and led to a small role in the film Goha. She appeared opposite Egyptian actor Omar Sharif in this movie, which was her first feature film.
A big moment came in 1957 during the Italian Cinema Week in Tunis. Claudia won a competition for the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia." The main prize was a trip to the Venice Film Festival. There, several film producers noticed her. She was invited to study acting in Rome. However, she found it challenging, partly because she wasn't fluent in Italian yet. She decided to return home.
Back in Tunis, Cardinale faced personal challenges. She then signed a seven-year contract with Franco Cristaldi's production company, Vides. Cristaldi became her partner and helped manage her early career.
Rising to Fame in the 1950s
In 1958, Cardinale had a role in the successful comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street. She played Carmelita, a Sicilian girl. This film made her instantly recognizable. Some newspapers even called her "Italy's sweetheart." Later that year, she starred in the romantic comedy Three Strangers in Rome.
In 1959, she appeared in the film Vento del sud and Il magistrato. Cardinale also starred in the crime film The Facts of Murder. She considered this film her first real test as an actress. In her early roles, her voice was often dubbed because producers thought it was too hoarse.
Becoming a Leading Lady in the 1960s
In 1960, Cardinale starred with Marcello Mastroianni in Il bell'Antonio. This film began a successful partnership between her and director Mauro Bolognini. She loved working with Bolognini, calling him a "great director" and a "sensitive and sincere friend."
Cardinale played Pauline Bonaparte in the French film Napoleone ad Austerlitz. She also appeared in Rocco and His Brothers with Alain Delon. Her performance in Silver Spoon Set also brought her much attention.
In 1961, Cardinale played a young mother in Girl with a Suitcase. She was praised by critics for her performance. Later that year, she starred in La Viaccia. Both films were shown at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. People began to see her as a rising star, comparable to other famous actresses of the time.
The next year, Cardinale starred as Vénus in the adventure film Cartouche. This made her a major star in France. She also played Angiolina in Bolognini's Senilità.
The year 1963 was very important for her career. She starred in two highly acclaimed films: Visconti's The Leopard and Federico Fellini's 8½. Both are considered among the greatest films ever made. She worked on both at the same time, experiencing Visconti's strict planning and Fellini's relaxed, improvisational style.
It was in 8½ that Cardinale was first allowed to use her own voice in an Italian film. Before this, her voice was dubbed. She said she had a "very strange voice." With her roles in The Leopard and 8½, Cardinale became a top-ranking star.
In 1963, she also starred in La ragazza di Bube, using her own voice again. She won her first Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress for this role in 1965. Cardinale made her first American film, The Pink Panther, playing Princess Dala.
Hollywood and Beyond
In 1964, Cardinale starred in Time of Indifference. She then spent three years in the United States, appearing in several Hollywood films. She chose to sign contracts for individual films rather than an exclusive deal with one studio. Her first Hollywood film was Circus World (1964) with John Wayne and Rita Hayworth. By the end of the decade, she returned to making films mostly in Italy. She preferred living in Europe and did not like the Hollywood "star system."
In 1965, Cardinale appeared in Visconti's Vaghe stelle dell'Orsa. Later that year, she starred with Rock Hudson in Blindfold. She became good friends with Hudson, who was very supportive of her.
By 1966, Cardinale was Italy's most popular film star. Life magazine described her appeal as a mix of "simplicity and radiant sensuality." However, she worried about being overly glamorous. She stated, "I do not want to become a cliché."
In 1966, she starred in the war film Lost Command with Anthony Quinn and Alain Delon. She also played a Mexican marquessa in the Western The Professionals, reuniting with Burt Lancaster. The next year, she appeared in Don't Make Waves with Tony Curtis.
In 1968, Cardinale starred in The Day of the Owl, winning a David di Donatello for Best Actress. She also reunited with Rock Hudson in A Fine Pair. One of her most famous roles was as Jill McBain in Sergio Leone's epic Western Once Upon a Time in the West. Her performance was highly praised. In 1969, Cardinale starred in The Conspirators and The Red Tent.
1970s and Continued Success
In 1970, Cardinale starred in the comedy The Adventures of Gerard. In 1971, she teamed up with Brigitte Bardot in the French Western-comedy The Legend of Frenchie King. She also appeared in A Girl in Australia, which earned her another Best Actress award.
In 1972, Cardinale appeared in The Audience and La Scoumoune. After a role in One Russian Summer (1973), she starred with Franco Nero in Blood Brothers (1974). On this set, she met director Pasquale Squitieri, who became her partner.
In 1975, Cardinale played a character who opposed the fascist government in Italy in Libera, My Love. She also appeared in comedies like The Immortal Bachelor and Blonde in Black Leather.
In 1976, Cardinale was in the comedy A Common Sense of Modesty. The following year, she had a biblical role in the Jesus of Nazareth miniseries. She also starred in her partner's film I Am the Law. In 1978, Cardinale appeared in the thriller Goodbye & Amen – L'uomo della CIA and the gangster film Corleone.
After another Squitieri film in 1978, L'arma, Cardinale played Eleana in the adventure war film Escape to Athena (1979).
1980s: Diverse Roles
In the early 1980s, Cardinale appeared in Si salvi chi vuole (1980) and The Salamander. She then played a love interest in The Skin, reuniting with Marcello Mastroianni and Burt Lancaster.
In 1982, Cardinale starred in Werner Herzog's critically acclaimed film Fitzcarraldo. She played a successful business owner who helped fund a unique project in South America. Critics praised her performance for adding a charming tone to the film. Later that year, she appeared in the comedy Le Cadeau.
In 1983, Cardinale had a role in the miniseries Princess Daisy and the French-Canadian film Le Ruffian. In 1984, she starred with Marcello Mastroianni in Henry IV. Her performance as Claretta Petacci in Squitieri's Claretta (1984) earned her the Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress.
In 1985, Cardinale starred in Woman of Wonders. In 1986, she made two television films: La storia, where she played a widow during World War II, and the miniseries Naso di Cane.
In 1987, Cardinale starred in A Man in Love. Critics praised her "warm and radiant" performance as a mother battling cancer. After a role in Blu elettrico (1988), Cardinale played Yolande de Polastron in the historical film La Révolution française in 1989.
1990s: Awards and Later Films
In 1990, Cardinale starred in Squitieri's Atto di dolore and the international production The Battle of the Three Kings.
In 1991, Cardinale appeared with Richard Berry and Omar Sharif in Mayrig, a film about an Armenian family. She was praised for her "flawless performance" as the mother. She also appeared in the sequel, 588, rue Paradis, the following year.
In 1993, Cardinale received the Leone d'oro alla carriera (Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement) at the Venice Film Festival. She also reunited with Blake Edwards for Son of the Pink Panther.
In 1994, Cardinale had a role in Elles ne pensent qu'à ça..., and in 1995, she appeared in the French TV series 10-07: L'affaire Zeus.
In 1997, Cardinale featured in the British-Italian TV miniseries Nostromo. She was nominated for an ALMA Award for her role. Later that year, she appeared in Sous les pieds des femmes and her partner's film Stupor Mundi. In 1998, Cardinale played a wealthy baroness in Riches, belles, etc.. In 1999, she played a peasant mother in the historical film Li chiamarono... briganti!.
2000s: Stage and Screen
In 2000, Cardinale began her stage career in La Venexiana in Paris. She also appeared in her partner's television film, Élisabeth - Ils sont tous nos enfants. Two years later, Cardinale toured Italy with the play Come tu mi vuoi.
She appeared with Jeremy Irons in the film And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen, which was shown at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005, Cardinale appeared in a stage production of Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth. In the 2006/2007 season, she also performed in another Williams play, The Glass Menagerie. In 2007, Cardinale appeared in the comedy film Cherche fiancé tous frais payés. After a role in the TV movie Hold-up à l'italienne (2008), she starred in the acclaimed film The String in 2009. She played a Tunisian mother with a complex relationship with her son.
2010s: Later Career and Recognition
In 2010, Cardinale received the Golden Orange Best Actress Award for her role in Signora Enrica. She played an elderly Italian woman who welcomed a young Turkish exchange student.
In 2012, Cardinale appeared in Gebo and the Shadow, the final film by Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira. She also starred in The Artist and the Model with Jean Rochefort. In 2013, Cardinale had roles in Joy de V. and the war drama The Silent Mountain. She was described as having a "terrific spirit on the set." In 2014, Cardinale played a kind viscountess in the British film Effie Gray. She mentioned that she had made 142 movies and was lucky to work with many fantastic directors.
On 11 October 2018, she received the Tabernas de Cine award at the Almería Western Film Festival.
2020s: Final Roles
In 2020, Cardinale starred in the Swiss miniseries Bulle. Later that year, she had a role in the Netflix film Rogue City.
Personal Life and Legacy
Claudia Cardinale met Italian film producer Franco Cristaldi in 1958. They had a marriage party but were not officially married. Cristaldi later adopted her son, Patrick, who was born when Cardinale was 19.
Cardinale lived with Italian film director Pasquale Squitieri for 42 years, from 1975 until his death in 2017. They had a daughter named Claudia.
Cardinale was fluent in French, Italian, English, and Spanish. Her niece, Francesca Cardinale, is also an actress.
Cardinale was a strong supporter of feminist causes. She was proud to be Italian and received the Cavaliere di Gran Croce dell'OMRI. She served as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for Women's Rights and for World Water Day.
In 1995, Cardinale published her autobiography, Io Claudia, Tu Claudia, with Anne Mori. She received many awards, including an honorary Golden Lion at the 1993 Venice Film Festival and an Honorary Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival.
Claudia Cardinale passed away at her home in Nemours, France, on 23 September 2025, at the age of 87. She believed that mystery was important for an actress and that inner strength was key to her success.
Filmography
Images for kids
-
Cardinale in Pietro Germi's The Facts of Murder (Un maledetto imbroglio) (1959)
-
Cardinale in Il bell'Antonio (1960)
-
Cardinale in Girl with a Suitcase (1961)
-
Cardinale with Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon in The Leopard (1963)
-
Publicity photo for Circus World (1964)
-
Alain Delon and Cardinale in Lost Command (1966)
-
Cardinale in The Conspirators (1969)
-
Cardinale with Alberto Sordi in A Girl in Australia (1971)
-
Cardinale in Blood Brothers (1974)
-
Cardinale in 1995
-
Cardinale at the Women's World Awards in 2009
-
Claudia Cardinale with Alain Delon at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
.png)
See also
In Spanish: Claudia Cardinale para niños
