Claudia Cardinale

Born: 1938
Where: Tunisia

Cardinale's prize for winning the Most Beautiful Girl in Tunisia contest was a career cementing trip to the Venice Film Festival.

After studying at Rome's Centro Sperimentale film school, she made her screen debut in the 1958 comedy caper I Soliti Ignoti.

She was originally touted as Italy's answer to Brigitte Bardot, but never reached those dizzy heights although acclaimed as an actress.

While emerging as a sex symbol under the guidance of producer Franco Cristaldi (later to become her husband), she also worked with highly-regarded film-makers.

In 1963, she appeared in Frederico Fellini's masterpiece 8 1/2 as well as Luchino Visconti's The Leopard opposite Burt Lancaster.

American interest was aroused and she went on to star in Henry Hathaway's Circus World and opposite Peter Sellars in The Pink Panther.

She divided her time between Europe and Hollywood, appearing in Visconti's was drama Stelle dell'Orsa and the 1966 Western The Professionals.

Cardinale also starred in Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time in the West before focussing her attention on Europe.

She resurfaced in 1976 in The Pink Panther Strikes Again and appeared in the TV drama Jesus of Nazareth.

He next high profile role was in Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo, 1983's Princess Daisy and the flop Son of the Pink Panther in 1993.