Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (born April 15, 1938 in Tunis, Tunisia) is an Italian-Tunisian actress and former sex symbol.
The apex of her career happened during The '60s when she worked with such directors as Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Sergio Leone, besides appearing in several Hollywoodian and French movies (she speaks French fluently, which helped for the latter). While her career waned in The '70s, she still works regularly to this day.
Partial Filmography
- Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) as Carmelina
- Austerlitz (1960) as Pauline Bonaparte
- Rocco and His Brothers (1960) as Ginetta
- Cartouche (1962) as Vénus
- 8½ (1963) as Claudia
- The Leopard (1963) as Angelica Sedara / Bertiana
- The Pink Panther (1963) as Princess Dala
- Circus World (1964) as Toni Alfredo
- Sandra (1965) as Sandra
- Blindfold (1966) as Victoria "Vicky" Vincenti
- The Professionals (1966) as Maria Grant
- Don't Make Waves (1967) as Laura Califatti
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) as Jill McBain
- A Fine Pair (1968) as Esmeralda Marini
- The Red Tent (1969) as Nurse Valeria
- The Adventures of Gerard (1970) as Teresa, Countess of Morales
- The Legend of Frenchie King (1971) as Marie Sarrazin
- La Scoumoune (1972) as Georgia Saratov
- Blonde in Black Leather (1975) as Laura/Claudia
- Jesus of Nazareth (1977) as The Adultress
- Escape to Athena (1979) as Eleana
- Fitzcarraldo (1982) as Molly
- Son of the Pink Panther (1993) as Maria Gambrelli
Tropes
- The Danza: Played characters named "Claudia" in 8½ and Blonde in Black Leather.
- Faux Fluency: Didn't speak Italian at the beginning of her career (her native languages are Arabic and French, and she learned Sicilian from her parents), so she was dubbed by another actress. Similarly, while she has a good command of English, Cardinale has also been dubbed in many of her films due to her heavy accent (notably in Once Upon a Time in the West).
- Ms. Fanservice: One of the iconic female sex symbols of the The '60s and The '70s.
- Those Two Actors:
- She famously co-starred with Jean-Paul Belmondo in Le mauvais chemin (La viaccia), Cartouche and La Scoumoune. They both appeared in the 1976 Italian comedy Anthology Film Un sorriso, uno schiaffo, un bacio in bocca, although they're not seen together.
- She's also friends with Alain Delon, whom she met filming The Leopard and worked with on three other movies. Although rumors swirled in the '60s about a romance between them (and Delon was reportedly infatuated with Cardinale when they first met), Cardinale insists that their relationship has always been close but platonic.
- And with Burt Lancaster in The Leopard, The Professionals, Conversation Piece and The Skin.
- What Could Have Been: Luchino Visconti wanted to adapt Carmen into film starring Cardinale as the title character. These plans never became reality.
- You Look Familiar: She played Princess Dala in the original The Pink Panther, and Maria Gambrelli in Son of the Pink Panther (replacing Elke Sommer).
