Italian Actress, Claudia Cardinale, Who Was Known For Her Role In 'The Pink Panther', Dies At 87

Claudia Cardinale, a renowned Italian actress, passed away at the age of 87, as reported by AFP. Claudia's career in the entertainment industry spanned nearly six decades, and she appeared in over 150 films. The actress was a part of some of the much-loved European films of the 1960s and 1970s. Claudia Cardinale's agent confirmed the news of her passing to AFP. According to the circulated information, she passed away in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children. Claudia began her journey around 16 years old, when she participated in a beauty pageant. She had to give up her dreams of being a teacher to try her hand at the world of cinema. Well, the rest was history.

Claudia Cardinale passed away at the age of 87, as confirmed by her agent

Claudia Cardinale, who, with her outstanding acting skills, captured the attention and left a lasting mark in both the Italian and international spheres, was reportedly residing in Nemours, south of Paris, in recent years. If the reports are to be believed, she breathed her last on September 23, 2025, in Nemours, France. While the cause of her death has not been disclosed, and initially the report was not confirmed, later, her agent, Laurent Savry, confirmed the death to Agence France-Presse. Her demise surely left a hollow in the hearts of her fans and family members. Information about the reasons that might have caused her death isn't known yet.

Claudia Cardinale gave up her dream to become a teacher and secretly became a mom in her teen years

Claudia Cardinale initially wanted to be a teacher, but she had to give up her dream when she was offered the opportunity to act in movies. She was in her teenage years, around 16-17, when she won a beauty contest and was crowned the most beautiful woman of Tunis, from which she won a prize: a tour to the Venice Film Festival. After she arrived, she was approached by several directors and filmmakers to try her hand at movies, and she decided to give it a try, leaving behind her dream of being a teacher.

During her teen years, Claudia Cardinale was sexually assaulted, and eventually, she became pregnant. In 1958, she gave birth to her son, Patrick. As she was young and was just starting her career in the glamour world, she decided not to reveal this and kept her pregnancy and motherhood a strict secret, addressing her son as her younger brother. When Patrick was 8 years old, Claudia was the only one who revealed the truth about him being her own son.

Claudia Cardinale's professional and personal lives

Claudia Cardinale's career began in 1958, when she made her debut in the Italian film Goha. Her big break came with Rocco and His Brothers by Luchino Visconti, followed by an increase in her popularity, which led to another big opportunity, Girl with a Suitcase. Some of the notable movies that featured Claudia were 8½, The Leopard and The Pink Panther. Claudia also tried her hand at European auteur films and eventually established herself as a European actress, rather than a typical Hollywood film star. In the 1990s, she also worked on several TV series and films, and was recognised as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2000 for promoting women’s rights and education.

Talking about her personal life, her decision to become a mom in her teen years had been a secret; the name of her child's father was never disclosed. Following this traumatic episode, she fell in love with Italian producer Franco Cristaldi. Reportedly, in 1966, they had a wedding ceremony in Las Vegas, which the actress later mentioned was not legally recognised in Italy. It was in 1975 that Cristaldi and Claudia parted ways, as reported. Following this, she was in a long-term relationship with Pasquale Squitieri, an Italian film director. Pasquale Squitieri has a daughter with the actress, whom they named after her mom. The duo had been together for several years until his death in 2017, which parted them.

We wish Claudia's family strength to Claudia Cardinale's fans and family members to deal with this tough phase.

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