She was a true Italian beauty. The legendary actress says career in film saved her. See how she looks now

Throughout her impressive six-decade career

Claudia Cardinale has been known for her mesmerizing screen presence.

Cardinale overcame numerous personal obstacles on her path to popularity

Even though she never intended to become one of the top actresses of her time.

Cardinale, who is now 85 years old, attributes her survival to the medium of film, and she has outlived many of the Hollywood legends with whom she has shared the screen. Her brilliance, beauty, and ability to represent a wide range of complicated characters have made an indisputable impression on Italian and international cinema.

Cardinale was found at the age of eighteen during an Italian film festival in Tunisia; she was born into a family of speakers of several languages and had every intention of becoming a teacher. Producers took notice of her after she won the title of Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia, which brought her to the Venice Film Festival. She originally declined offers despite being pregnant because she thought she would be more desirable if she waited to accept.

The producer Franco Cristaldi, who became her husband and signed her to an 18-year deal, was one she couldn’t reject. Although Cardinale overcame obstacles like hiding her pregnancy and dealing with personal trauma—including the rape that gave birth to her son Patrick—during her time under his management, her career advanced.

In the 1958 film “Three Strangers in Rome,” Cardinale had her breakthrough role. She kept on thriving, playing lead roles in critically praised films such as “8½,” “Rocco and his Brothers,” and “The Leopard.” With parts in hits like “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “The Pink Panther,” her Hollywood career was thriving as well.