Claudia Cardinale dies at 87: legacy, key films, tributes

TL;DR:

• Claudia Cardinale died on 23 September 2025 in Nemours, France, aged 87.
  
• Her agent confirmed the news to AFP, reported by AP and Reuters.
  
• Breakout roles included 8½, The Leopard, and Once Upon a Time in the West.
  
• Tributes came from leaders and film bodies in France and Italy.
  
• Her foundation work and preservation efforts will continue.

Claudia Cardinale died on 23 September 2025 in Nemours, France. She was 87. Her agent confirmed the news to AFP, reported by the Associated Press and other outlets. Reuters also reported the death and noted her Tunisian birth and Italian heritage. The Washington Post carried her obituary with further confirmation and context.

Who she was

Cardinale was born on 15 April 1938 in La Goulette, Tunis. She won a beauty contest in 1957 that brought her to the Venice Film Festival. Early roles in Italy followed, guided by producer Franco Cristaldi. These details appear across AP and Reuters coverage, and match standard reference entries.

The films that defined her

Her breakout year was 1963. She appeared in Federico Fellini’s 8½ and Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard. Both films set her image as strong and complex, not just glamorous. She reached a wider audience with Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther in 1963. She led Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West in 1968, a landmark Western. These roles are cited across AP, Reuters, and the Washington Post.

Quick starter list for new viewers

Style and range

Critics long praised her mix of power and warmth. The Guardian stressed how Hollywood did not always use her full range, while Italian and French directors gave her room to lead. That tension explains why her most lasting work stayed in Europe.

Awards and honors

Cardinale received lifetime achievement honors from major festivals. Coverage highlights awards from Venice and Berlin, and decades of recognition for her body of work. She also worked as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for women’s rights, mentioned in AP’s report.

Personal history and advocacy

Reporters have noted early hardships, including a concealed teenage pregnancy, and her later independence from industry control. Reuters summarized these experiences and their effect on her career path.

Tributes

French and Italian officials praised her life and work on 23 and 24 September 2025. AP reported statements from France and Italy that called her one of the greats of Italian cinema. Le Monde also detailed the announcement by her agent to AFP and the setting near Paris.

What happens next

Obituaries will drive renewed interest in restorations, retrospectives, and streaming curation. Expect Italian and French institutions to stage screenings and talks. Her foundation, created to support artists and cultural projects, outlines ongoing programs that can carry her legacy.

Where to start watching now

• Classic double bill, The Leopard and 8½, both from 1963.
  
• Follow with Once Upon a Time in the West for a genre shift.
  
• Add Girl with a Suitcase for an early, intimate role.
  

Why it matters

Cardinale bridged popular and art cinema. Her work shaped how global audiences saw Italian film in the 1960s. Knowing her story helps place modern European cinema in context. Her foundation work points to a legacy beyond the screen.

Background and timeline

• 15 April 1938, born in Tunis to a Sicilian family.
  
• 1957, beauty contest leads to Italy and film school.
  
• 1961 to 1963, breakout run including Girl with a Suitcase, The Leopard, and 8½.
  
• 1968, leads Once Upon a Time in the West.
  
• 23 September 2025, dies in Nemours, France, confirmed by agent to AFP.
  

Sources:

• Associated Press, Claudia Cardinale, star of ‘8½’ and ‘The Leopard,’ dies at 87, September 23, 2025. AP News
  
• Reuters, Claudia Cardinale, Tunisian-born star of Italian cinema dies at age 87, September 24, 2025. Reuters
  

The Washington Post, Claudia Cardinale, alluring star of 1960s cinema, dies at 87, September 23, 2025. The Washington Post