Though often dubbed the “Italian Brigitte Bardot,” Cardinale set herself apart from Bardot, a friend and rival, by refusing to appear nude in films. “I always thought it was more erotic to leave something to the imagination,” she said.
Her Hollywood experience was both successful and stressful. In a Life magazine article, Cardinale was referred to as “the most admired international film star since Sophia Loren.” Despite the allure of Hollywood, she eventually returned to Europe, preferring the artistic freedom and rejecting the restrictive, patriarchal system of Hollywood. “If I have to give up the money, I give it up. I don’t want to become a cliché,” she remarked.
Though her career slowed down later in life, Cardinale remained content. “When I was young, my dream was to explore the world, and I did it. I was never naked on screen, and I never altered my face. You can’t stop time,” she said.
Cardinale married Italian director Pasquale Squitieri in 1975, and the couple remained together until his death in 2017. They have one daughter, Claudia.
In 2022, she addressed rumors of being involuntarily hospitalized, assuring fans, “I’m with my family in France, in full health, and I wish everyone a happy summer.”
