Italian movie star Claudia Cardinale dies at age of 87

Italian screen legend Claudia Cardinale has died at the age of 87 in Nemours, France, her agent said on Tuesday.

Cardinale was surrounded by her family at the time of her death, according to her agent.

She entranced audiences across the globe with the sultry gaze that made her the muse of filmmakers.

An icon of Italian cinema

Born in Tunis in 1938 to Sicilian parents, Cardinale starred in some of the most celebrated films of the 1960s and 1970s.

Cardinale, whose career began after winning a beauty contest that took her to the Venice Film Festival, appeared in more than 100 films over five decades.

She is best known for her work in Federico Fellini’s 8½, Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West.

She worked with leading directors across Europe and Hollywood, and starred alongside actors including Marcello Mastroianni, Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Henry Fonda.

Cardinale was often described as one of Italy’s three great post-war icons, alongside Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida.

She received lifetime achievement awards from both the Venice and Berlin film festivals and was named a UNESCO goodwill ambassador in 2000 for her advocacy on women’s rights.