Claudia Cardinale was born Claude Josephine Rose Cardinale in Tunisia to Italian parents in 1938. When she was 17, she won a Tunisian beauty contest at the Italian embassy, and the prize was a trip to Rome, where she was signed to a contract.
But she became pregnant out of wedlock at that time, and she secretly gave birth to a boy, and he was raised as her younger brother, and did not learn she was his mother until he was 19!
She became an international star in 1963 after her role in 8 1/2. Some of her other movies include: Once Upon a Time in the West, The Professionals, and Big Deal on Madonna Street.
She passed away September 23, 2025 at the age of 87, but she will live on forever in the hearts of all those who adored her!
