“Claudia Cardinale’s entry into the business was by way of a beauty pageant. She was 17 years old and studying at the Centro Sperimentale in Rome when she entered a beauty contest, which resulted in her getting a succession of small film roles.
Her earthy interpretations of Sicilian women got her noticed by Italian producers, and the combination of her beauty, dark, flashing eyes, explosive sexuality and genuine acting talent virtually guaranteed her stardom.
After Careless (1962) she rose to the front ranks of Italian cinema, and became an international star in Federico Fellini‘s classic 8½ (1963) with Marcello Mastroianni. American audiences may best remember her from her starring role in Sergio Leone‘s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).” ~ IMDB
In 2010 Claudia Cardinale starred in a Turkish production “Being Italian with Signora Enrica“, written and directed by Ali Ilhan. A favorite at the 47th Antalya “Golden Orange” International Film Festival this delightful dramatic comedy follows geeky Turkish exchange student Ekin (Ismail Hacioglu) who journeys from Istanbul to study in Italy. Ekin shows up at his new boarding house in Rimini only to find he is not welcome because of his gender. The owner, Signora Enrica (Claudia Cardinale) has a strict no-men policy after being abandoned by her husband three decades prior. After some coaxing she’s persuaded to make an exception, allowing Ekin to stay. He immediately falls in love with beautiful Sicilian housemate, Valentina, (Lavinia Longhi). Unable to speak a word of Italian, his clumsy attempts to woo her go unnoticed until Signora Enrica takes pity on him and begins teaching him the skills needed to win Valentina’s affections. The two forge an unlikely friendship and in the end it is not only Ekin who is changed.
You can now watch Claudia Cardinale as Signora Enrica (2010) online on Amazon Instant Video!
