Claudia Cardinal, Italian cinema Icon, Dies at 87
Italian actress Claudia Cardinal, a prominent figure in post-war Italian cinema alongside stars like Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia loren, has died at the age of 87, according to her agent, Laurent Savy of AFP.
Cardinal’s career spanned a diverse range of roles. She began acting at age 14 and became known for her versatility, portraying characters from a devoted wife and fiancée in Luchino Visconti‘s Rocco and His Brothers, to a calculating prostitute in the film adaptation of The Farm, and a selfless heroine in Buba’s Girl. She also embodied a celebrated beauty in roles like Venus in Cartouche, and later took on more complex parts in Visconti’s The Leopard and Death in Venice, as well as appearing in the comedy The Pink Panther.
Throughout her career, Cardinal cultivated a reputation for independence and a strong will. She once stated to Le Monde that she was initially hesitant to accept film roles and firmly opposed to nudity. Often compared to Brigitte Bardot, she was seen as a symbol of a modern, free-thinking woman.
Her independent spirit even made headlines in 1967 when,wearing a miniskirt,she was granted an audience with Pope Paul VI – a first for the Vatican,according to Italian press reports.
Cardinal was also a frequent visitor to Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, attending the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the 1960s. She later hosted the Febiofest film festival in 2006 and served as an honorary judge for the Czech Miss competition in 2012.
Savy described Cardinal as leaving behind “a heritage of free and inspiring women.”
