Claudia Cardinale, Italian Film Star Who Appeared in ‘The Leopard’ and ‘8½,’ Dead at 87

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Claudia Cardinale, the Italian movie star known for her captivating performances in The Leopard, 8½, and Once Upon a Time in the West, has died at the age of 87. Born in Tunis on April 15, 1938, to Francesco Cardinale and Yolanda Greco, both Sicilian immigrants, Cardinale was raised speaking French, Arabic, and Sicilian dialect. Needing to support her newborn, Cardinale signed a lengthy contract with Italian producer Franco Cristaldi, who would later become her husband in 1966 (divorced in 1975). Throughout her prolific career, Cardinale starred in more than 150 films, featuring across genres from comedies and crime dramas to sweeping romances and period films. Cardinale also featured in Hollywood films, including Blake Edwards’s comedy hit The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers.