Born in Tunisia in 1938, Claudia Cardinale first attracted attention in 1957 after winning the 'Most Beautiful Girl in Tunisia' contest. Her prize was a trip to the Venice Film Festival, inspiring her to pursue a career in acting.

After studying in Rome, she made her screen debut in 1958 in Mario Monicelli's classic caper comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street, followed a year later by Pietro Germi's The Facts of Murder. Emerging in the wake of Sophia Loren's international success, Claudia Cardinale was originally touted as Italy's answer to Brigitte Bardot; while never attaining a measure of global stardom comparable to either performer, she nevertheless proved herself a highly capable actress, working with many of the most renowned film-makers in world cinema. In 1963, Cardinale received her widest exposure up to then, playing herself - the object of star Marcello Mastroianni's fantasies - in Federico Fellini's masterpiece 8 1/2.

She piqued Hollywood's interest and in 1964 co-starred on her first American production, Henry Hathaway's Circus World. She also appeared opposite Peter Sellers in Blake Edwards' The Pink Panther.

In 1968, she also co-starred in the Sergio Leone classic Once upon a Time in the West. Since 1969 she has appeared almost exclusively in European films, working with directors such as Alberto Sordi, Pasquale Squitieri and Lilianna Cavani. In 1977 she also co-starred in Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth. Cardinale's next high-profile international project was the 1982 Werner Herzog art-house hit Fitzcarraldo.

In 1999 she was awarded the prestigious 'Legion d'Honneur,' the highest honour in France. After her Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival in 1993, she was awarded the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002.