Claudia Cardinale, Italian actress known for ‘The Pink Panther’ and ‘8½,’ dies aged 87

Claudia Cardinale, the acclaimed Italian actress who starred in landmark films including Federico Fellini’s 8½, Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard and Rocco and His Brothers, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West and Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther, has died at the age of 87.

Her agent confirmed that she passed away in Nemours, near Paris, adding, “She leaves us the legacy of a free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artiste.”

Born Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale in Tunis to Sicilian parents, she spoke French, Tunisian Arabic and Sicilian before learning Italian when her career began. She was first cast in Jacques Baratier’s 1958 film Goha and soon became one of the most recognisable stars of Italian and European cinema.

Cardinale delivered memorable performances throughout the 1960s, from her role opposite Alain Delon in The Leopard to her portrayal of Princess Dahla in The Pink Panther. In Fellini’s 8½, she played the elusive muse Claudia opposite Marcello Mastroianni, earning international acclaim.

She worked with major filmmakers across five decades, including Werner Herzog in Fitzcarraldo (1982) and Marco Bellocchio in Enrico IV (1984). Cardinale later appeared in television productions such as Jesus of Nazareth and Princess Daisy and continued acting well into her later years, including in Effie Gray (2014).

Her career was honoured with numerous awards, including a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1993, a Golden Bear in Berlin in 2002, and multiple David di Donatello Awards.

She is survived by two children.