Claudia Cardinal, โขItalian cinema Icon, Dies at 87
Italian actress Claudia Cardinal, โa prominent figure in post-war Italian cinema alongside stars โlikeโฃ Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia loren, โhas died at the ageโ of 87, according to her agent, Laurentโ Savy of AFP.
Cardinal’s career spanned โa diverse range ofโ roles. She began acting at ageโ 14 andโข became โknownโ for her versatility, portraying characters fromโ a devoted wife and fiancรฉe โin Luchino Visconti‘s Rocco andโ His Brothers, to a โcalculating prostitute in the film adaptation of The Farm, and a selfless heroineโ in Buba’s Girl. She also embodied a celebrated โbeauty in roles like Venus in Cartouche, and later took on more complex parts in Visconti’s The Leopard โข and Death in Venice,โ as well as appearing inโข the comedy The Pink โขPanther.
Throughout her career, Cardinal cultivated a reputation โคfor independence and a strong will. โคShe โonce stated to Leโ Monde that she was initially hesitant toโ accept film roles and firmly opposed to nudity. Often compared toโ Brigitte Bardot, she was seen as โa symbolโ of a modern,โค free-thinking woman.
Her independentโ spirit โeven made โฃheadlines inโฃ 1967โฃ when,wearing a miniskirt,she was grantedโ an audience with Pope Paulโฃ VIโค – a first for the Vatican,according to Italianโค press reports.
Cardinal was also a frequent visitor to Czechoslovakia and โขthe Czech Republic, attending the Karlovyโข Vary โขInternational Film Festival in the 1960s. She later hosted the Febiofest film festival inโข 2006 and served as an honorary judge for the โCzech Miss competition in 2012. โ
Savyโ described Cardinal as leaving behind “a heritage of โfree and inspiring women.”